Let’s talk about the importance of sleep. We’ve all heard that the recommended amount of sleep is 8 hours per night. That means, if you live to be 90, you’ll have spent about 30 years of that asleep. That’s one third of your entire life. Sleep, or lack of it, doesn’t only impact our energy levels. It shapes how we think, feel, and heal. So, let’s start prioritising our sleep!

Importance of Sleep

Sleep provides us with both physical and psychological recovery. It occurs in stages:

• We have Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
• NREM Stage 1
  • Moving from wakefulness to sleep
  • Very light sleep and easily woken
  • Temperature and heart rate starting to decrease
• NREM Stage 2
  • Still light sleep, but deeper than before
  • Temperature and heart rate continuing to decrease
  • We spend most of our time in this stage
• NREM Stage 3 and 4
  • Deep sleep that is restful and restorative
  • Sleepwalking/talking and night terrors occur during this stage
• REM
  • Dreaming state where our minds are active, but our bodies are “paralysed” so that we don’t act on anything
  • Emotional processing occuring here
• These stages make up 1 cycle and it takes approximately 90 minutes. We go through 4 – 6 sleep cycles per night

Two Key Sleep Systems

• Adenosine – your sleep pressure/hunger
  • This is a chemical that slowly builds up the longer that you’re awake
  • So, the more adenosine you have, the sleepier you will feel
• Circadian rhythm – your internal body clock
  • It’s a 24-hour cycle that is influenced by light and darkness
  • When the sun rises, this light gets us started. We become more alert, and our body temperature increases
  • When it gets darker, we start to produce melatonin (our sleepy hormone), meaning it’s time to wind down
• We want these systems to align in order to get a good night’s rest

Sleep and Mental Health

It is widely accepted that sleep plays an important role in mental health. In many cases, poor sleep can make our symptoms worse.

• Anxiety can make it hard for us to fall or stay asleep. When we get a poor night’s sleep, it can also increase our feelings of anxiety
• Depression can make us sleep too much or cause difficulties falling asleep. This can worsen low mood, fatigue, and concentration
• Trauma can impact our ability to fall asleep, cause nightmares, and disrupt the quality of our sleep
• Sleep is also critical for our learning, memory, concentration, and decision-making. Poor sleep can impair our cognitive functioning, making it harder to manage everyday life.

Improving Sleep

Here are some tips to help improve your sleep:

• Keep it consistent. Aim for 7 – 9 hours of sleep and have a regular sleep time (e.g., 10:30pm – 6:30am)
• Limit naps during the day. If you are going to nap, try keep it to 15 – 30 minutes
• Make the environment restful
  • Quiet and comfortable is good
  • Temperature is important. We don’t want it too hot or too cold, so that you are able to fall asleep and you do not wake during the night
  • Only use the bed for sleep and intimacy. Avoid other activities such as watching TV, eating, or doing work as you will associate bed with stimulation, rather than rest
  • Remove anything that shows the time. Clock watching can cause more stress and anxiety, resulting in greater difficulties falling asleep
• Create a nighttime ritual
  • Put your phone out of reach and step away from screens
  • Avoid intense exercise
  • Limit caffeine intake (6 – 8 hours before sleep)
  • Eat dinner (at least 2 hours before sleep)
  • Avoid alcohol (at least 2 hours before sleep)
  • Take a warm shower or bath, but give your body time to cool down (around 20 minutes)
  • Do some yoga, breathing exercises, or mindfulness
  • Reading or doing a cross word can help your brain switch off from any day time stress or worries.
• Create a morning routine
  • Avoid the snooze button! When we hit snooze, it interrupts our sleep cycle, making us feel more tired
  • Have breakfast and get changed
  • Try and get some morning sun
  • Engage in physical activity
• Start small when adjusting sleep schedule and habits
  • For example, if you want to sleep earlier, try doing 15 – 30 minutes
  • Gradual changes are more achievable and sustainable!
• Try the 15 – 20 minute rule (longer if you are older)
  • If you have been trying to fall asleep for 15 – 20 minutes with no success, get out of bed and do something calming like reading a book. Do not do anything stimulating like going on your phone, watching TV, eating, or drinking
  • If we stay in bed and keep trying to sleep, it will likely increase feelings of anxiety, stress, and frustration. Every time we get into bed, we’ve made the connection that sleep = hard and stressful
  • However, if we get out of bed and do something that promotes sleepiness, we’ve made a better association, that is, sleep = restful and good

Persistent Sleep Difficulties

If you have frequent and persistent challenges with sleep that impact your functioning (e.g., at school or work), it may be worthwhile to consult with a professional. This could involve your GP, psychologist, and/or a sleep specialist.  Sleep apnoea can be a common cause of disturbed sleep and fatigue, so if you (or your child) regularly snore, go and talk to your GP and get this checked out.

Main Takeaways

• Sleep provides physical and psychological repair
• We have two key sleep systems, adenosine and our circadian rhythm
• Sleep difficulties and mental health are very closely linked
• There are many changes that you can make to your environment and routine to improve sleep. Try some out and see what works for you!
• Make gradual changes and be kind to yourself. Adjusting your routine and building new habits is hard
• Consult with a professional if your sleep is an ongoing issue that impacts your life

Additional Resources

Still interested and want some more information about the importance of sleep? Try watching the Sleeping with Science TED series with Dr Matthew Walker.

Dione Pham, Clinical Psychology Registrar