Wakey-wakey, rise and shine. The night was yours but the day is mine. (Teg August 2024)

I have researched this subject recently but found it difficult to stay awake!

There is a great deal of information nowadays about following a healthy lifestyle. One of the common factors invariably mentioned is sleep. There seems no doubt that good quality sleep is very important in ensuring our bodies operate efficiently. That, of course, includes our mental health.

For most of my life I have been fortunate that getting good sleep has been easy. Nowadays I sleep well in between trips to the bathroom ( something to do with prostate gland).

As sleep takes up around 30% of our daily life and may have a profound effect on our mental health it seems worth considering what the experts recommend for a good night:

1 Maintain a regular sleep routine. This means going to bed at night and rising in the morning at the same time every day.

2 Create the right sleep environment. For most people that is dropping off when it is quiet, dark and cool.

3 Avoid large meals close to the end of the day and also restrict stimulants such as coffee and alcohol.

4 Do not engage in any screen time (computers, TV, phones) for at least 30 minutes before bedtime. 

Another suggestion upon getting into bed is to think about your day and recall three items in each of the following categories:

* Things that I enjoyed.

* Things I performed well.

* Things that I learned.

There has been a great deal of research on the connection between sleep and mental health. There seems little doubt that sleep disorders, for example, insomnia can have a detrimental effect on our mental health. Conversely if we have poor mental health it can effect our sleep quality. For example depression can result in too little or too much sleep.

It has been found that diet has a bearing on sleep. Certain nutrients can improve sleep such as:

B vitamins. B1, B9 and B12 are the best and can be found in whole grains, dark leafy veg, meat and dairy products.

Magnesium. Found in leafy veg, nuts, beans and seeds.

Zinc. In nuts and legumes.

Melatonin. Known as the sleep hormone. It is a naturally produced hormone and is present in many foods and supplements.

Tryptophan. An amino acid that is present in many foods such as poultry, fish, oats and chocolate. 

There are many types of sleep disorders. The main ones seem to be Insomnia, Narcolepsy* (excessive drowsiness and sleep during daytime), Sleep Apnea,  Parasomnias (eg. bed wetting, sleepwalking, night terrors.)

* This should not be confused with daytime naps. Many sleep psychologists think these naps can be beneficial but should not last more than 30 minutes. 

So how do you sleep? (and don’t say “With my eyes shut!”)

Teg

A Moodscope member 

PS   Q:   What do you call a sleepy bull?

        A:   A bulldozer!