Psychology of Wellness | Health and Fitness | Healthy Sleep Habits

BY: Cheryl Conklin | April 28,  2021

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Implementing healthy sleep habits into your daily life is a great first step towards improving your mental well-being.

​​As we know at Flourishing Life Society, mental and physical health are intricately linked. Poor sleep has been shown to aggravate or contribute to many mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD. Unfortunately, mental health problems can also disrupt sleep quality, fueling a vicious cycle that can be difficult to interrupt. Implementing healthy sleep habits into your daily life is a great first step towards improving your mental wellbeing. Here are some tips to help you get the quality sleep you need!

Use Technology Wisely 

While some technology can disrupt your sleep, other forms of tech — like wireless headphones, white noise machines, and sleep trackers — can prove beneficial.

• Do your best to avoid looking at screens at least an hour before your bedtime.
• Listening to calming podcasts can help keep your mind from racing.
• Get some wireless headphones so you can listen in bed without disturbing your partner!
• Sleep tracking devices can help you identify patterns in your sleep habits that contribute to your quality of sleep.

​Stick to a Schedule

Sleeping on a consistent schedule will help you sync up with your body’s natural internal clock, so you feel sleepy and awake at the right times every day.

• Calculate your perfect bedtime by working backward from your waking time in 90-minute intervals — this is the length of a full sleep cycle.
• Develop an evening routine to avoid bedtime procrastination.
• Don’t hit snooze unless you want to feel groggy all morning.
• Sleeping late on the weekend can disrupt your sleep quality the following week. If you need to catch up on sleep, go to bed earlier or take a quick afternoon nap!

​Develop Other Healthy Habits

​How you spend your waking life can have a significant impact on your sleep quality. Try to develop some healthy habits to keep your body operating optimally.

• Avoid ultra-processed foods that are void of nutrients and packed with health-hurting additives like sugar.
• Commit to daily exercise. Even a simple walk will improve your sleep quality!
• Pick up a regular habit of stretching your body to relieve stiffness and pain that may be disrupting your sleep.

 
Taking care of your physical body is vital to mental health and resilience. Making sleep a priority is one of the best things you can do in the name of self-care. Thankfully, improving your sleep might be as simple as adopting a few easy habits into your daily life. Try some of these tips today and see how your sleep improves!

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