It may seem obvious that the amount of sleep we get would impact our mental health—after all, sleep is critical for the brain!—but you may not realize how deeply and immediately a sleep affects us. According to a new study, following a poor night’s sleep the amount of suicidal thoughts increases, especially in patients who are already suffering from depression and anxiety. Making sure to get enough sleep, and quality sleep as well, may be critical for people already facing mental health issues. Support from good habits and quality supplements like our Sleep Support Pack is important.
Conversely, the inverse isn’t true—a depressed day of suicidal thoughts isn’t more likely to keep you up the next night. It’s really sleep that’s fueling the problem, not your train of thought. It is true that people with mental health issues are more likely to experience poor sleep, so they may need to be more proactive about picking up good sleep habits.
How to break the insomnia cycle? Here are some easy tips and tricks:
First, set yourself up for success. Make sure that you have enough time for a full night’s rest, including at least 20 minutes to fall asleep (that’s the average). Keep screens out of the bedroom, and make it an inviting place to sleep with scents like lavender, no light, comfortable, supportive bedding, maybe white noise or nature sounds, and anything else that soothes your senses.
Leading up to bedtime, have good habits. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, and consider moving your exercise regime to the morning (or picking up an exercise regime in the morning). Insomniacs are more likely to struggle to fall asleep after an energizing workout. Avoiding food and excessive drink before bed can also help start your nighttime fast, leaving your body free to work on rebuilding and repairing once you’re asleep.
If you don’t know what to do once you’re in bed, try meditation. It can clear and focus your mind, not just helping you fall asleep but potentially offsetting mental health problems. If you need a place to start, just focus on keeping still. As you fall asleep, the brain sends out signals to see if you’re awake, things as simple as moving a limb, scratching an itch, swallowing, rubbing your face, etc. Ignore the impulses as best you can, and you’ll eventually trigger your brain to shut things down for the night. Bonus: you might also have some lucid dreams.
If you’re still stuck, whether it’s falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep, get some natural help from our Sleep Support Pack. With the minerals your body needs overnight, and herbs known for supporting sleep—real sleep, not the induced sleep sleeping pills are famous for—you can start to get a better night’s rest, for a better day.
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