Sleep your blues away

Health and Wellness

by | Jan 12, 2023

Everything seems better after a good night’s sleep. And that’s more or less a fact. There are scientific reasons why we sleep and why our quota of sleep — it varies person to person — is precious for our physical, mental and emotional health.

Although most of us like to think that sleep is practically wasted time, the truth is that this is the time when the body is busiest with its essential healing and restorative work.

If we just knew what all happens right down at the cellular level, we would look at our sleep time with new respect and wouldn’t dream of compromising it with erratic bedtimes.

While all of us deal with stress, anxiety and emotional issues, many among us also have more serious mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder and other conditions. Ongoing research tells us that while mental health issues affect sleep quality, poor sleep hygiene also contributes to making the condition worse. It’s almost a vicious cycle. It stands to reason then that improving one will have its effect on the other.

To understand the science behind sleep read our blog https://www.pratimoksha.org/what-happens-when-you-fall-asleep/

We also have YouTube videos on the topic. Scroll down for links.

How sleep affects mental issues

If you have read our blog on the science of sleep, then you will appreciate that our sleep cycle has very definite stages and each stage is important for a complete cycle. And we need about 4 sleep cycles to feel chirpy and energetic on the morrow.

Sleep science tells us that sleep is also a time when the mind sifts through thoughts and memories, making sense of them and storing them for future reference. When a person gets insufficient sleep, there’s a corresponding effect on this area. The mind has not been able to do its work efficiently. Lack of sleep makes the person moody and irritable. Those suffering from serious mental issues may be more prone to this.

Improve Sleep Habits Immediately

Although we have only skimmed the surface as far as the links between sleep and mental health are concerned, everything points to an immediate need to stick to a healthy sleep routine.

HOW

  • Start by fixing regular sleep times. Go to bed and wake up at more or less the same time every day. At Pratimoksha we advise that even if you’ve had a late night, try and get up at your regular time. Slip in a short afternoon nap to compensate for the lack of your full quota of sleep.
  • Set up your bedroom in a way that it is conducive to sleep. Switch on lamps rather than harsh overhead lights, hang thick curtains that block out streetlights and traffic noises, set the air conditioner to an optimum temperature.
  • Allow your body to gradually settle into a sleep routine. This will help in the winding-down process. A warm shower, a 15-minute reading habit, or a short meditative practice… these are just some ideas you might want to try.
  • Try and avoid alcohol, tobacco and caffeine at least 2 hours before bedtime.
  • Put away your mobile phones and other gadgets an hour or so before bedtime. Read our blog on why overexposure to the blue light emitted by our gadgets affects our sleep. https://www.pratimoksha.org/blue-light-effect-on-eyes/
  • Yoga offers several techniques that help improve sleep. A daily routine of breathing exercises can work wonders as also Yoga Nidra.

A good night’s rest will do its magic in helping you in all aspects of life. So don’t treat sleep problems lightly. Start addressing them right away.

If you would like to find out how we can help you, call/WhatsApp us at 00971-50-395-5613.

Look for Pratimoksha on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Related articles

Sleeplessness and obesity https://www.pratimoksha.org/sleeplessness-and-obesity/

Why 7-8 hours of sleep is essential https://www.pratimoksha.org/yoga-for-sleep/

Related YouTube videos

Yoga Nidra/Key to Better Sleep https://youtu.be/_v9VyMHKxc4

Sleeplessness and Health Issues https://youtu.be/0-TqeS041k0

Yoga for Sleeplessness https://youtu.be/h0M0jeR3Upo

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