Stay Positive Product – Sleep Hygiene and Mood
Getting a good night’s rest is important in maintaining our health. Sleep and mood are intertwined – poor sleep can cause irritability and stress, whereas good quality sleep can enhance our well-being.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that individuals who limited their sleep to 4.5 hours per night for a week reported feeling stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted. When they resumed adequate sleep hours, their mood improved dramatically.1
The good news is most sleeping problems can be easily fixed. By incorporating some minor changes into your routine, proper sleep habits can help you get the rest you need.
Sleep hygiene is the practice of developing habits that help you get a good night’s sleep. The following are some tips that can help you establish healthy sleep habits:
Create a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning (including weekends and holidays).
Make your bedroom quiet, dark and relaxing. Keep your space at a comfortable, cool temperature.
Limit exposure to bright lights in the evenings by removing electronic devices such as TVs, computers and smartphones from the bedroom.
Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.
Incorporate some exercise into your routine. Being active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night. Try some of the 5 To Thrive Meaningful Movement exercises to get some exercise in.
A good night’s rest can also have a significant impact on your health. Quality sleep can strengthen your immunity, help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your risk for chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.3 Studies show that a good night’s sleep can help you feel less anxious and more confident.4
Quality sleep can also improve your mood and memory. While you are sleeping, your brain processes what you learned during the day to help you retain information. This can help you think more clearly and be more alert. Overall, restful sleep can help everyone - both young and old - perform optimally.
In order to determine how much sleep you’re getting each night, it may be helpful to track your sleep using a Sleep Diary. A sleep diary is a daily record that keeps track of some details, including your bedtime/wake-up time, how long it takes to fall asleep, daily medications and daily exercise. Other options to track your sleep include smart watches, fitness trackers and under-the mattress tracking pads.
Overall, creating the ideal conditions for healthy sleep can make a difference between a restful and a restless night. Developing a proper routine, including incorporating sleep hygiene tips, can greatly help with your health in the long run and how you feel and function in your day-to-day life.
Check out some of the strategies Anxiety Canada suggests for a Good Night's Sleep!
Anxiety Canada also encourages a Sleep Diary to track your progress.
Dinges, D. et al., Cumulative Sleepiness, Mood Disturbance, and Psychomotor Vigilance Decrements During a Week of Sleep Restricted to 4 – 5 Hours Per Night, Sleep. 1997 Apr; 20 (4): 267–277.
Lemola S, Räikkönen K, Gomez V, Allemand M. Optimism and self-esteem are related to sleep. Results from a large community-based sample. Int J Behav Med. 2013 Dec;20(4):567-71. doi: 10.1007/s12529-012-9272-z. PMID: 23055029.
CDC - sleep hygiene tips - sleep and sleep disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html. Published July 15, 2016.
Sleep and disease risk. Sleep and Disease Risk | Healthy Sleep. https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleep-.... Published December 18, 2007.