Importance of Sleep

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Whenever I see a new client, I always review their sleep pattern. Quality and length of sleep is indicative of general mental health. Inability to have a good night's rest indicates anxiety, which tends to be a close companion of depression. Depression can make one sleep too much or too little; and it can make one eat too little or too much. (Here is a very moving talk on depression.)

Below is a small set of questions I ask my clients at the start of therapy and periodically thereafter to monitor their overall mental health.

• Are you able to fall asleep within a reasonable amount of time?
• Are you able sleep through the night or do you wake up in the middle of the night and find yourself unable to fall back to sleep?
• Do you require alcohol or other depressants like marijuana to become "sleepy"?
• Do you wake up early morning but not able fall back asleep right away, only to fall asleep after a period and then wake up later than planned?
• Do disturbing dreams or nightmares regularly wake you up?
• Do you regularly get less than 6 hours of sleep a night?
• Do you "catch up" on the weekends?
• Do you experience sleep apnea?

Most adults require at minimum 6 hours and at optimum 8 hours of sleep a night. Younger adults require more sleep than older people. It's a myth that you can catch up on sleep. What's actually happening is that your body is resting for a longer period than normal, but sleep itself cannot be made up.

Here are some suggestions to help you re-regulate your sleep to a more healthier routine to help you feel recharged.

• Make the room as dark as possible. An eye mask can do the trick, as well as ear plugs.
• A cooler room is better for sleeping. We all know how it's hard it is to sleep in the middle of a heat wave.
• Remove or cover your clock, or smartphone. Being conscious of time can worsen insomnia. Being a clock watcher during the night can increase anxiety. Even a small amount of light from an alarm clock can affect the production of melatonin, an enzyme released by the pineal gland in the brain that regulates your circadian rhythm, or your natural sleep cycle.
• Keep the bedroom for sleeping, or for sex: Don’t work, use your computer or watch TV in bed, at least not right before going to sleep. (Personally, reading in bed during an off day is one of the greatest luxuries.)
• Stay away from all electronic devices before sleep. We all know why. 
• Stick to a routine: Human bodies work better on a schedule, so try and unwind an hour or two before bed and go to sleep at around the same time each night. We get our best sleep between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., so don’t stay up late.
• Have a spoonful of honey before bedtime. 
• From Tim Ferris: Eat a small snack of celery with almond or peanut butter. He will give you scientific reasons why it works, along with other super high-tech, downright odd hints about getting optimum sleep.
• Take a hot bath or shower. (Tim Ferris suggests a cold bath before bed.) Lavender oil in the water and on your temples will help you relax.
• Journaling before sleep will help you clear your mind and set the agenda for the next day. My suggestions to clients: What 3 things went right today? Or, you can write in a gratitude journal. 
• Make a list for the morning, important things that need your attention right away. If you are anxious about something you have to wake up for, make a check off list and check off everything on that list, so your mind can shut off.

Before reaching for Tylenol PM, or asking your doctor for Ambien or another prescription sleeping pill, try chamomile tea with honey, valerian tea with lots of honey (valerian stinks but is a mild sedative), or melatonin (essential for business travelers). Melatonin is available at drug stores and is a nutritional supplement.

One of the greatest sleep aid is strenuous exercise like running. In addition to promoting good sleep, great skin turns out to be another benefit from running.