When it comes to research on sleep science, studies indicate that the relationship between sleep and mental health is just about as significant as it gets. The importance of seeking sleeping tips that can help enrich your rest can’t be overstated, and not just because they can help with accomplishing a more balanced sense of self. Leading research suggests sleep deprivation can have a causal link to both the development and sustaining of certain mental disorders.
Poor mental health and trouble sleeping tend to come in a viscous, self-sustaining cycle. The best way to combat this is to figure out what works for you and stick to it when you’re prepping for your night’s sleep. While it may take a little trial and error, the end result will be well worth the wait. From finding the best mattress you can for your comfort to blocking out external distractions, here are some sleeping tips that can help you stay mentally strong, and physically rested:
Sleeping Tip #1: Using Memory Foam Mattresses To Help With Deeper Sleep
If you’re looking to find the best mattress for your sleep cycle (and, in turn, your mental health), you’ll be hard-pressed to find something better than memory foam mattresses. The reason memory foam mattresses can work particularly well with those who struggle with sleep anxiety is the sense of comfort and support they are able to provide.
Since memory foam mattresses have molding capabilities that allow them to adapt to the contours of your body, they’re uniquely able to support sleepers almost all positions as they lay down to rest. The other reason memory foam mattresses can be so useful is because of their motion isolation capabilities.
Memory foam mattresses with motion isolation allow sleepers who do struggle with sleep anxiety to be less prone to external disturbances through the night. This means you’re less likely to wake up as a partner tosses and turns, or if your pet shuffled around in the bed.
Sleeping Tip #2: Cut Down On Caffeine And Alcohol
One of the most important dietary ways you can expect to make a difference to both your mental health and sleep cycle is by cutting out caffeine. Though caffeinated drinks are popularly known to impact your sleep patterns, what’s less well known is how long they can last in your system.
A single cup of coffee can remain in your body from anywhere between six to twelve hours, which can prove to be a particular challenge when you’re trying to rest at night. Caffeine can also positively contribute towards certain anxiety-inducing symptoms, such as an elevated heart rate.
In a similar vein, while alcohol might initially help you get to slumber, it works to disrupt your sleep cycle, causing more interruptions and poorer mental clarity in the process. Even the comfiest memory foam mattress won’t prevent your internal body clock from being disrupted by what you consume, so if you’re looking to improve both your mental health and sleep, your diet can actually be a productive place to start.
Sleeping Tip #3: Implement An Exercise Routine
Integrating exercise into your daily routine is a great example of engaging in an activity that boosts your mental health while simultaneously working to stabilize erratic sleep cycles. Studies indicate that those who perform consistent aerobic exercise fall asleep faster, spend more time in deep sleep, and have fewer interruptions through the night than those who do not.
Not only does exercise allow you to sleep better, but it also has a positive effect on mental health in and of itself. Finding the right workout for you to ensure this becomes a sustainable habit is essential to making this change. If you have just begun to work out and are looking for ways to make this a little easier on your body, memory foam mattresses can also help with quicken the recovery process, providing you with rest that is both restorative and calming.
Sleeping Tip #4: Using Relaxation Techniques To Calm Yourself Down
Finally, using common relaxation techniques as you fall asleep can make a drastic difference to your overall mental health, as well as any sleep anxiety you may experience in the process. There are plenty of different ways to do this. Nighttime yoga has proven success in calming down jumpy nerves and can allow you to center yourself as you prepare your body for sleep.
Mindfulness and a technique known as progressive muscle relaxation have also shown to be effective ways for those looking to strengthen their mental health and get better sleep. Progressive muscle relaxation boils down to the alternative tensing and releasing of various parts of your body, which forces you to approach any sleep anxiety you have with patience, slowing down your thoughts.
Poor mental health and sleep deprivation can often feel like a chicken-and-egg game of which comes first, and which to prioritize. While there’s plenty of proof for both sides, the good news is that anything productive you do to your mental health can lend well to good sleep, and vice versa. So while finding the best memory foam mattress you can not seem like something that’s going to benefit your day to day mental health, the truth is that’s far from being the case.
Working on building your mental health can be the job of a lifetime, but consistency and discipline can make a massive difference to the ways in which you approach problem-solving. With the help of everything from the best mattress for your sleep, to lighting a few lavender-scented candles an hour before bedtime, unlocking the habits that work for you to sleep better will have you achieving a more rounded, balanced version of yourself.
