[CHAT] ZZZZZZleep!
Imagine you wake up to the sound of your alarm with only 4 hours of sleep - you feel horrible and tired, not ready to face the day ahead.
OR you’re awakened by the tone of your alarm and you’ve had 8 hours of restored sleep, you wake with a smile and jump out of bed ready to face the day. Which scenario best describes your usual morning awakening?
For most people in this day and age, lack of sleep is becoming popular, with all our busy lives quality of sleep is decreasing as is bad sleep hygiene practices.
Sleep is more than just a resting mechanism it is a way your body biologically repairs and prepares you for the day ahead. It is important for a number of reasons including mental sharpness, emotional stability and physical health. Many disorders and diseases are related to inefficient sleep and poor sleep quality.
Sleep involves 2 main stages, NON-REM (rapid eye movement) and REM sleep. NON-REM occurs first and involves 3 main stages, which are followed by REM stage, when dreaming occurs and your eyes are actually moving back and forth.
The quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity. One can have 8 hours of sleep but still wake feeling sleep deprived because the quality of their sleep wasn’t ideal.
Join us to discuss all things zzZzzleeep on Monday 28th at 8pm AEST. We want to hear from you, how you feel when you’ve had a good night’s sleep or a terrible pillow-covers-the-face “I don’t want to get out of bed” sleep.
I found counting back from 100 by 7s is a good relaxation technique when trying to quiet a noisy mind so you cam sleep.
@redhead That is rather bizarre, but interesting. Hey, whatever works.
@redhead that would hurt my brain more than anything! haha
Its funny how different things work for different people hey, have to find your own personal routine when it comes to sleeping I think.
Sleep helps with mood, energy levels, drive, awareness, concentration,
Blocking out light and sound, set your bed as a place for sleep only, have a comfortable pillow.
The first thing my mental health team asks when I'm not doing well is how have you been sleeping. Usually they are right. When there are changes to my sleep my mental health is affected.
Have you noticed changes in your mood or the quality of your day when you have changed your sleep routine?
I notice changes from when I've been having sleep and when I haven't. I'm more irritable, need to be alone more, my MH symptoms are more servere, don't have any motivation to do anything and I don't seem to eat as much.
What prevents you from good sleep habits?
Technology is definitely a big thing. Having an engaging conversation just before bed, excersising, drinking caffeine after mid-day (it has a half life of 5 hours), using alcohol to help you sleep, noise polution, not having a set routine, using your bed as a lounge room, ie for activities other than sleeping and sex.
That is just some of the stuff that I remember.
What prevents you from good sleep habits?
When I get anxious and restless. Or I spend too much time on my phone. Or simetimes I have hallucinations that keep me up all night.
@redhead have you discussed these with your doctor? they dont sound like fun at all!
@stonepixie that does sound like a very interesting appointment with your doctor, very ironic i'd say
@m-y93 Yeah, it's always interesting when he asks how my sleep has been. He usually counts to see who has had the least sleep that week. I must say, it's not a healthy competition, but lots of fist pumps.
If I make a concious effort to set a sleep routine and get the amount of sleep I need I definitely think that my mood and the quality of my day improve. The reverse is true if I don't stick to my sleep routine - I usually regret it the next day.
@delicatedreamer i agree totally, if i also consciously set times for sleep i find it changes my mood for the best and improves my daily mind frame
What prevents you from good sleep habits?
Distractions (like TV, internet, phone), people in my room (I have a hard time telling people 'I want to sleep now, byeee'), if there's something on my mind (good or bad) also my college social life can also really screw up my sleeping pattern. The days are too short, I NEED MORE TIME TO DO ALL THE THINGS!!!! Haha
Hey guys,
Cool topic. I love what you guys are sharing!
What does a good nights sleep mean to you? Everyone is different - how many hours is ideal for you?
Waking up not feeling tired and ready to face the day. Hours for me change depending on mood, where I am and how exhausted I am at th end of the day. I sleep at least 6 hrs but there were times where 4 hrs is enough or more is needed. I'm trying to find my sweet spot again.
How do you feel when you haven’t had enough sleep?
I'm either in a weird happy mood where I'll laugh and giggle and be all merrry (until I crash) or I'm tired, wanting my bed and just not talking to anyone. I find my temper is a lot shorter when I'm tired as well.
I agree with others about technology (phone, internet, TV) if I'm reading a good book or having a convo with my sister I can also get distracted. The biggest thing for me though is definitely anxiety. When I'm anxious I often use the above distractions to avoid sleep.
Do you have tactics to help you relax when and fall asleep when you are feeling anxious @delicatedreamer
Have you tried smiling mind meditation!? its AWESOME! You could give those a go in general not just before bed
I love the smiling mind podcasts @hartley_ they are awesome :). Other tactics I use are making sure I go to bed a while before I actually want to sleep to give myself wind down time, writing down what is stressing me out, and using essential oils (e.g. lavender) to help me relax a bit. I also occasionally drink herbal tea.
How can you improve your sleeping environment?
Remove technological devices, turn off lights, open or shut windows (depending if you want to be warm or cold), shut the door if you want to keep out noise...
@delicatedreamer Yeah I am also guilty of not using it as much as I could or should
Writing your stresses down is a really good idea!
And winding down time is also really important, I think sometimes im busy busy busy and then Im like okay sleep now plz and when I cant instantaneously its easy to get frustrated!
Maybe I should set aside half an hour before I want to go to bed and just chill and do some mindfullness techniques!
wow, there are so many techniques that I've never thought of.
@stonepixie what is sleepytime tea? sorry, if im being ignorant 😛
How can you improve your sleeping environment?
Turning off my laptop and phone notifications before going to brush my teeth. I keep getting distracted and time flies away!
I have my teddy bear for cuddles when I can't sleep or I write in my diary - about whats bothering me and what I could do about it or a pep talk (if its outside my control) but when im anxious about something that's going to happen to tomorrow (assessments or interviews) not much works.
