15 Mar Sleep and You – Dealing with Sleep Deprivation – Part 1

Sleep & You – 3 Key aspects that will help you deal with sleep deprivation– Part 1

One significant focus in the sight-line of most medical and mental health practitioners is sleep. Though always deemed important, it’s true impact on short and long-term wellbeing is has been reinforced by medical research.

One such study has outlined not only the short- and medium- term effects of sleep deprivation, but also the long-term effects; particularly if the deprivation is chronic. Some of the short and medium-term affects include reduced immunity, weight gain, low mood, increased anxiety as well as hampering proprioception. One of the identified long-term impacts has been an association between chronic sleep deprivation and Alzheimer’s (Slow Wave Sleep Disruption Increases Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-β Levels, Ju et al, Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 2017).

The purpose of highlighting the effects of poor sleep is certainly not to sow panic: that would be self-defeating (or sleep-defeating)! But it is vital to establish the importance of sleep and use that motivation to gently guide our bodies and minds to a better night’s rest.

There are three essential aspects you need to know about to get a good night’s rest.

1. The Body: Tweaks to Help You Sleep

A key psychological myth to bust, right at the outset is to clarify the vital link between our minds and bodies. As a psychologist, many expect me to focus on the mind first, and make that my go-to. For me, based on experience and observation, that is not automatically or consistently the case. Sometimes, it’s important to go to the body first, so let’s start there. Before you start frantically scanning the events of the past, week, month or year to identify psychological stressors, identify lifestyle choices that might be key in impacting sleep. Ask yourself a few basic questions:

• At what time of the day do I have my last caffeinated drink?

Though considered a no-brainer, many don’t realize the proximity between their last cup of coffee and the time they go to bed. Elongating the gap can work wonders and it’s a small but mindful shift to make.

• Am I conscious of stimulants I may be inadvertently consuming that could disrupt sleep, which could include medications, foods and drinks (for example, some analgesia has caffeine)?

Popping that Panadol, sipping that Diet Coke or snacking on chocolate may be what’s disrupting a good night’s rest. Being mindful of what and when you consume any substance that may be a stimulant is another lifestyle change to make.

• If and when I exercise, how much of a time-gap is there between exercise and sleep?

Too short a gap between exercise and sleep and you may be too stimulated to sleep. Too much of a gap or too little exercise and your body may not be tired enough (even if your mind is).

• Have I set up a cycle of poor sleep?

This is the easiest trap to fall into: get a bad night’s sleep, over-caffeinate and over-eat to keep up energy and by nightfall you are so wired and your digestive system so overwhelmed, sleep seems impossible. And the cycle is repeated the next day.

To break that cycle, action needs to be taken the day after the first night of poor sleep. Despite the fatigue, try to fight the urge to boost energy through caffeine, sugar and carbohydrate consumption and eat as you would normally, in terms what and when you eat. Keep the last intake of caffeine a good 5-6 hours before bedtime. Try not to nap, to ensure both mind and body are tired by night. Then try going to bed at your usual time: resist the urge to go to bed too early, you might end up waking up too early and re-setting your sleep cycle again.
It’s a bit of a balancing act to get the mind and body to sync up, but once you become mindful of these changes, making and sustaining them is simply a question of exercising that ‘awareness’ muscle.

2. The Sleep Space

Once you’ve checked in with your body and adjusted what’s needed, then it’s time to check in with your environment (nope, not the mind, just yet; I promise we’ll get to it!).

• Is your room too hot/the air too dry?

In winter especially, heaters tend to dry out the air, which can dry the sinus and mucous membranes which can make sleep uncomfortable, cause disruptive snoring or even thirst. Sleeping in a cooler room with the heater either turned off or low can be helpful. Or getting a humidifier to combat the dryness can be helpful.

• Is there too much light?

Yes, you might switch off the lamps and over-head lighting, but streetlights, pinpoints of light from laptops, computers and mobile phones can disrupt sleep. Try keeping all electronic devices out of your room, even when charging them. Keep curtains closed and try to get it as dark as possible. If your room is street facing, maybe black out curtains to block street lights?

• Is your bed and bedding comfortable?

Again, sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s shocking how lax we can get with our own self-care, especially when caught up in what seem to be more pressing issues in our daily lives. But pillow and mattress comfort is as pressing an issue as any. If it’s been a while since you renewed and refreshed this part of your bedroom, it might be an idea to do it now.

• Is your bedroom only for sleep?

Try and keep your bedroom only for sleep (and sex). Using your bedroom as a work place or a place to watch television or fold laundry then creates a mental association between your bedroom and sleep-negating activity. Also, if you use the bedroom for work, the physical space may start reflecting that, with paperwork, files or associated devices, which creates visual cues which may be linked to those sleep-negating activities. Make sure the bedroom reflects what it should be primarily dedicated to i.e. sleep.

Reference: Ju, Yo-El S., Ooms S. J., Stuphen, C., Macauley, S., Zangrilli, M. A., Jerome, G., Fagan, M. A., Mignot, E., Zempel, J. M., Claassen, J. A.H.R., Holtzman, D.M. (2017). Slow Wave Sleep Disruption Increases Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-β Levels. Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 140 (8), 2104-2111.