April 2019
Mental Health Challenge - Sleep like a Robot
The importance of sleep cannot be understated. We need a healthy amount of sleep every day in order to be healthy both physically and mentally. Unfortunately sleep is often the first thing we let go of whenever we are experiencing any sort of distress. We push aside our sleep for a multitude of reasons from trying to just squeeze in another hour of work, finishing up that Netflix series, or ruminating on negative thoughts that refuse to exit our minds. Here is the thing, if we get good, consistent sleep you will likely find that many of the mental and physical issues that plague you will start to improve or even disappear all together. Studies have found that individuals who are able to get a good nights sleep have overall better mood and a stronger immune system.
So this is our challenge to you this month, SLEEP! It may sound easy, but we think this is something that people so quickly dismiss and will push their sleep back in order to stretch out their day. Here are just a couple tips to help you get to bed at night. Your sleep hygiene routine does not need to be complicated. You will often find an abundance of lists online with sometimes ridiculous "tips" to help you get to to sleep. We have kept things simple to help you get started on establish a healthy sleep schedule.
The key to getting into a healthy sleep routine is to be consistent. Try to have the same routine at night, ideally including something that is relaxing. No matter what day of the week it is, wake up at the same time (yes, this also means weekends). The more boring and perdictabe your sleep schedule, the better your mind will be trained to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Your bed is a place for only one (ok maybe two), activities: falling and staying asleep. What this means is that you are only getting into bed when you are tired and ready to fall asleep. You do not want to associated your bed with watching television, playing video games, eating, or any other activity as this will add to the difficulty of being able to fall asleep.
Try these simply tips and let us know if you have found a change in the quality of your sleep, and if your seeing any other positive side effects! Happy sleeping