The Basics of Insomnia

Generally, insomnia is defined by a lack of proper sleep for over a month with symptoms of fatigue, decreased motivation, decreased concentration, and loss of appetite. The cause of insomnia varies, including but not limited to day-to-day stress, psychological illnesses, or side effects of medication.

The hours of sleep required for a healthy lifestyle varies from person to person. Some people will feel sleepy during the day even after 8 hours of sleep and some people will function perfectly fine on just 3 hours of sleep. It’s also known that our necessary sleep time for health changes with age. It’s natural to require less sleep as we age, so sleeping difficulties are less of a concern when we age. These natural changes are not indicative of insomnia.

Check out the article below for more details on the basics of insomnia.

When we experience continuous sleepless nights, many of us try to spend more time in bed to maximize rest. However, this may lead our brain to signal our “place of sleep” (a.k.a the bed) as a place of activity or wakefulness, leading to further sleeplessness.

“Sleep scheduling,” allows the brain to understand the bed as a place reserved only for sleeping. The following points become important to achieve this:
・Spend time outside of bed until you actually feel sleepy
・Do not try and go to bed until you actually feel sleepy
・If you are struggling to sleep, get out of bed

What is Sleep Scheduling?

Sleep scheduling is an effective approach for people who experience daytime discomforts due to long term insomnia. If you are not currently experiencing any symptoms of insomnia, be careful as this may disrupt your sleep cycle.

1. Understand Sleep Efficiency

Before we implement a sleep schedule, we must first understand our sleep habits. It’s important to know how long it actually takes to fall asleep once we get into bed and how long the sleep felt when we wake up the next morning. A good way to do this is by keeping a “sleep journal” to record our everyday sleep habits. Once there’s a good understanding of our sleep habits, we can calculate sleep efficiency (the ratio of our actual sleep over time spent in bed). Use the equation below to calculate your sleep efficiency.

For example, if you got in bed at 10:00 PM and woke up at 8:00 AM the next morning, you will have spent 10 hours in bed. Within that time, let’s say you felt like you actually got 6 hours of sleep. In this case, your sleep efficiency would be 60%. The goal is to achieve an average of 85% or more for adequate weekly sleep efficiency.

2. Go To Bed Later to Improve Sleep Efficiency

Once we grasp a good idea of sleep efficiency, adjust bedtime to 15 – 30 minutes before the actual sleep time in order to get closer to the 85% average sleep efficiency. If, as in the example above, you sleep for 6 hours and wake up at 8:00 AM, you should adjust bedtime to be at 1:30 – 1:45 AM. Until then, spend time outside of the bedroom to condition your body and brain to believe that the bed is strictly for sleeping only.

3. Gradually Lengthen Sleep Hours

Once the average weekly sleep efficiency exceeds 85%, gradually increase sleep time by either going to bed 15 minutes earlier or waking up 15 minutes later. Aim for a sleep duration that will not negatively impact daytime activities. These adjustments to our sleeping habits may temporarily make us go to bed later and wake up earlier. However, concentrated sleep hours can improve our subjective satisfaction towards sleep quality

Sleep scheduling can be an effective way to improve insomnia, but the root cause of it still needs to be addressed. If insomnia is caused by illness or side effects of medication, we should make improvements based on the guidance of a professional doctor. Make sure to carefully determine the cause of sleeplessness, before taking appropriate measures for improvement.

Better Sleep Habits Lead to More Fulfillment

Sleep is a vital behavior to our health that sustains life. Sleep also occupies one-third of our lives. Good sleep habits help us maintain good physical and mental health. It contributes to our ability to reach full potential and further grow.

It’s not easy to change the lifestyle we already have to adjust for better sleep. Although, with its benefits of creating a healthier and more fulfilling life, it will be well worth the effort.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image: Unsplash
References:
Munezawa, T., & Mishima, K. (2009). Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia. Journal of Mental Health, 55, 71-78.

National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. Support Manual for Sleep Disorders and Sleep Problems. Retrieved from: https://www.ncnp.go.jp/nimh/behavior/phn/sleep_manual.pdf

The post Sleep Scheduling: Say Goodbye To Sleepless Nights appeared first on SELF MIND.

The Widely-Used Method of Keeping a Diary

The “three good things” utilizes the popular self-care technique of writing in a diary. It’s very simple in practice. All you have to do is write down 3 positive things that happened that day, every day before bed. That’s all there is to it. What you choose to write down can be anything if it makes you feel positive. It could be little things that happened in your day, such as that your family was in a good mood, or you woke up in the morning feeling rested.

According to a study conducted by the University of California, subjects who practiced this habit for 10 weeks increased their resistance to stress by 25%. The three good things method has many positive benefits, including but not limited to:

・Increased feelings of happiness from reminiscing the positive
・Increased proactivity in finding the good in life, resulting in optimism
・Induces natural sleep when made into a regular bedtime habit

The one controversy experts have about this method is the frequency it’s practiced. Some say its best to practice it every day, while others say it’s more effective if done once a week. Moreover, because it’s a well-known technique, there are so many studies about its various perspectives, some of which claim that its effects on happiness are minimal. Just because it’s a commonly recommended method in self-help books, doesn’t mean that it works like magic for everybody.

Having said that, the three good things is definitely a very quick and easy stress care method that has potential for many good outcomes. The investment required in time and money are very low, so why not give it a consistent try!

Refine Your Ability to Find the Positive

In this world, there are people racked with stress, spending their days feeling gloomy – while there are others who have positive outlooks on everything, seemingly always happy even from afar. What is the difference between these two types of people? Of course, there may be inherent differences in personality, living environment, or social standing. But maybe, people with a higher sense of happiness are just “better at finding the positive in life”.

Many of us focus on negative experiences where we repeatedly remind ourselves of the bad. This leads our thinking to be more negative in general. In order to suppress these negative thoughts and practice positivity, we need to intentionally focus our consciousness on positive events.

The three good things method serves as a practice for turning your awareness to positive events. Once you make a habit out of it, you’ll acquire a strong mentality that’s resilient to stress.

Throw Away the Negative; Turn to the Positive

Practicing the ‘three good things’ method creates the potential to improve our sense of happiness and resilience towards stress. It’s perfect for people who want to build strong mentalities against stress.

Having coping mechanisms on hand, such as the ‘three good things’ method, keeps our mental health in check. This is just one of the many easy stress-care techniques you can try. Figure out what works for you and get into the habit of practicing. One of the keys to living a healthy and happy life is to properly cope with stress.

Image：Unsplash
Reference：
Jeffrey J. Froh , William J. Sefick , Robert A. Emmons

「Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being」

（Nat Hum Behav. 2017 May; 1(5): 0093）

The post Instant Ways to reduce stress – The Three Good Things appeared first on SELF MIND.

Exercise in the Evening for Better Sleep

A study of 99 patients with depression in the United States showed improvement in their depressive state after they had done an hour of exercise, aerobic or anaerobic, 3 times a week in a duration of 8 weeks. Although transient (one day only) exercise did not have much effect on stress relief, people with regular exercise habits had a lot of deep sleep, so-called non-REM sleep.

How and when we do our exercises matters for good sleep. In general, sleepiness occurs strongly when our body temperature begins to drop. Elevated body temperatures gradually fall for a few hours after exercising, and the amount of melatonin, a hormone that controls the sleep cycle, increases at night. The synergistic effects of physical activity and our biological rhythm makes it easier to sleep when we exercise in the evenings. In other words, exercise later in the day can act as an effective stress-reliever. However, experts do not recommend exercising right before bed, as it can cause physical stress. Excessive exercise is also counterproductive because the sympathetic nerve becomes stimulated and excited. As for the appropriate kind of exercise, experts recommend jogging and fast walking for moderate exercise that is effective for stress relief. Soaking in a lukewarm bath is also adequate.

Sleep Deprivation Leads to Mental Crisis?

There seems to be a very strong relationship between sleep deprivation and depressive symptoms. In Finland, a survey of 40,791 non-depressive individuals found that those who experience insomnia more than five nights a week were more likely to develop depression. Experts generally recommend adults to sleep about 7 hours a day. Shorter or longer sleep tends to result in higher mortality rates over the course of 6 years. Chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with our daily well-being through symptoms of constant fatigue, lack of focus, and increased irritation. It’s very important to encourage healthy sleeping habits and moderate exercise for stress relief.

Fun Exercise Improves Brain Function

According to recent research, excessive stress causes thinning of the hippocampus, a part of the brain which can lead to various mental disorders. On the other hand, animal studies have also shown that spontaneous exercise promotes the growth of hippocampal nerve cells while reducing depression, thereby acting as a stress-reliever. Other studies demonstrate that forced activities do not promote hippocampal nerve cell growth as much as willing activities.

17 people answered a survey after they had exercised for 1 hour, once a week. Most people who found the lesson enjoyable had a higher tendency towards improved mental health. Hip-hop dance classes had a particularly high satisfaction rate. Perhaps the participants enjoyed it because they could do their best within a reasonable range by using the basic steps of hip-hop dancing. In order for physical activity to act as an effective stress-reliever, it’s important to exercise with interest rather than being forced to do it.

Incorporate a Little Exercise Into Your Daily Life

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is the summary measure used by the WHO to indicate the overall burden of diseases. Since 2004, unipolar depressive disorder is now the 3rd burden of diseases globally. It’s even projected to become the leading cause of DALYs by 2030. Anyone can develop depression. Working out potentially improves sleep and creates positive change for both our mental and physical well-being. We can say that exercise is an effective means of self-care and stress relief. (Figure 1)

The development of transportation and the internet has made human life more and more convenient. However, as technology develops, we have fewer opportunities to demonstrate our fundamental motor ability. Therefore, it is vital to actively move our bodies. Try some light stretching if you are busy, or try walking a little bit further if you aren’t good at exercise. Regardless of your skill level or intensity of activity, exercise is one of the best natural stress-relievers. The sum of these small efforts will surely help improve your general health in the long term.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELFMIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image：Unsplash
References：

Uchida S., Ganeko M., Shioda K., Takeda N., Umezawa J., Tashiro S., Sato D., Abe T.,(2011).Introduction of Exercise for Depression Prevention in Company Workers Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine, 52, 718-725.

Yoshimoto, Y., Akezaki, Y., Nomura, T., Sato, A. Effects of Therapeutic Exercise Combined with a Behavioral Science Approach for the Treatment of Patients with Mental Disorders.(2009).Japanese Physical Therapy Association, 36(5), 287-294 https://doi.org/10.15063/rigaku.KJ00005654287

Sensui, H., Nagamatsu, T., Ihara, K., Nakagawa, M.(2009).Exercise Therapy for Recovering Psychiatric Patients : A Preliminary Study.Bulletin of the Physical Fitness Research Institute, No.107, 15-22.

The post Stress Relieving Exercises Are Important For Your Wellbeing appeared first on SELF MIND.

‘Sleep Inertia’ May Be Blocking Your Sleep

Have you ever felt muddleheaded or sluggish after a nap? “Sleep inertia” is a phenomenon that causes drowsiness and fatigue immediately after waking up. It reduces work efficiency and adversely affects our lives. We can avoid this by changing how we take our naps. An effective power nap is determined by how smoothly we wake up without having sleep inertia.

3 Keys to the Most Effective Power Nap

1. Keep Naps Within 20 Minutes or Less

We generally reach non-REM sleep (deep sleep) in about 30 minutes after falling asleep. The potential of sleep inertia increases when we reach non-REM states in our naps. This is because we experience less non-REM sleep at night when we achieve non-REM states through daytime naps. Long naps during the day may induce sleep inertia, as well as affect the quality of sleep we get at night, leaving us feeling more sluggish and tired the next day. Keep your nap within 20 minutes for the most effective power nap, and avoid falling trap to sleep inertia.

2. Have Caffeine Before Naps

Coffee before a power nap reduces sleep inertia and improves work efficiency. The secret lies in the time it takes for the caffeine to kick in. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes after consumption for it to work. A cup of coffee, tea, or energy drink right before a 20-minute power nap helps us feel more awake when we come out of it, thus aiding in suppressing sleep inertia.

3. Wake up Naturally Without an Alarm

Waking up naturally without an alarm may sound difficult to some. Research reveals that naturally waking up from our naps at a predetermined time suppresses sleep inertia. Further research also indicates that people who are determined to naturally wake up at a certain time, are more likely to wake up earlier than expected. This is why waking up without an alarm allows for the most effective power nap within a shorter time frame.

A Power Nap is Only a Temporary Measure

A power nap, no matter how effective, is only a temporary coping solution to the drowsiness we feel. It’s not a suitable substitute for proper sleep because it’s too short. If we want to eliminate the fundamental cause of drowsiness and avoid regular sleep inertia, good quality sleep at night is essential. Once an effective power nap helps you get through the day, don’t forget to return home early to catch up on sleep.

Looking to improve your mental wellbeing? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

References:
Kaida, K., Nittono, H., Hayashi, M., Hori, T. (2001)Preventive effects of self-awakening on sleep inertia a short nap. Japanese Journal of Physiological Psychology and Psychophysiology. 19(1), 7-14, https://doi.org/10.5674/jjppp1983.19.7

Hayashi, M., Hori, T. (2007)A short nap as a countermeasure against afternoon sleepiness. Japanese Journal of Physiological Psychology and Psychophysiology. 25(1), 45-59, https://doi.org/10.5674/jjppp1983.25.45

The post The 3 Keys to the Most Effective Power Nap appeared first on SELF MIND.

We all experience anxious nights where we need to sleep, but can’t. Even when we know that looking at our phones won’t help, we find ourselves browsing through interesting topics or scrolling through social media. Some of us might be even searching the web to find solutions for the restlessness they feel on these sleepless nights. These activities, however, may actually exacerbate the insomnia symptoms you are experiencing.

Instead of mindlessly using the internet, we have 8 different suggestions for how to fall asleep on a sleepless night.

How Long Should I Wait in Bed?

No one wants to give up on sleep, only to welcome the next morning feeling restless. There can’t be enough emphasis on how important it is to maintain a regular sleep schedule every day. Keeping a habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, positively influences our sleep quality. However, it’s not always so easy to get into this habit. All it takes is a stress factor or an occasional important event that delays our bedtime to mess things up.

Sometimes, crawling into bed can help us fall asleep even if we’re feeling restless. If that doesn’t work for you, then set a time to stop trying for sleep. Sure, we can lay in bed for hours, but that may not always be the best solution. Instead, if you can’t fall asleep after, (let’s say) 30 minutes, decide on switching things up for a change!

8 Things to Try on Sleepless Nights

Take the time to prepare a dim-lit environment if you can. Make sure you’re comfortable and relaxed before you start.

1. Create a Comfortable Sleeping Environment

Assess your sleeping environment for the quality of your sleep. First, if you’ve got a messy bed, try making the bed nicely. Next, we want to make sure our body is feeling as comfortable too. Change out the air in your room by opening windows or control the settings on your AC / heater to a comfortable temperature. If you don’t have control over the temperature in your room, try the following:

This should make you feel more comfortable and restful in your own bed. Another aspect to consider is your pillow. It may help if you try adjusting the pillow height with a towel.

2. Organize Your To-Do List

The root cause of our restlessness can be due to anxiety. A small worry from today or our worries for tomorrow may be prohibiting us from relaxing. To combat these feelings, try to visualize what it is you’re dealing with. Write out all the remaining tasks you have to do, not only for the next day but also for the near future. Make plans so that you know when to complete them. This way, you don’t need to constantly shuffle through your head about your tasks. The clarity of understanding “what has to be done by when” allows space for us to feel more relaxed.

3. Remember the Good Things in Life

It’s easy to get caught in a negative thinking pattern when we’re feeling heartbroken, down, or exhausted. Reflecting on bad days sets you on a path towards more negative thoughts. However bad your day may have been, there’s always a positive aspect you can reflect on. Cherish the small things that are often taken for granted, such as a pleasant conversation with friends, or getting through a day without any injuries. Try to overwrite your negative thoughts by thinking about happy things.

4. Have a Hot Drink

Some people dislike tea, but caffeine-free hot drinks can induce relaxation. Herbal teas are an excellent choice to accompany our bedtime. Oftentimes it doesn’t contain caffeine so you can enjoy a wide range of aromatic flavors; from those with fruity notes, soothing sensations, to slight sweetness. Most products label their products, ‘caffeine-free,’ if they are so that exploring herbal teas can be fun and easy. If you don’t have any teas, try warm water. Warm water alone can bring comfort and relaxation by heating your body up from within. If you’re too hungry for bed, try some soup. Cooking from scratch would require a lot of energy, so keeping a can of soup in your cupboard can turn handy.

5. Gentle Stretches

Light movements of the body and gentle stretches are helpful in falling asleep and feeling refreshed the next day. There are many ways to stretch, but among them, yoga is an excellent choice. The heart rate doesn’t increase rapidly with slow yoga movements, and there are fewer worries about making loud noises in the middle of the night. At first, you may need to practice while watching instructional videos, but this will strain your eyes. Ideally, we want to learn and repeat practice so we can manage without looking at anything. Practicing this daily will help prevent your insomnia symptoms in the long term, as well.

6. Listen to Calm Music & Nature Sounds

Calm lyricless songs and the sounds of nature in the background, helps us feel relaxed and focused. These days, you can stream all kinds of recorded sounds using different websites. There are sounds of waves, river streams, and forests. Even with the sound of rainfall, we can choose from dripping raindrops to modest or heavy rain with thunder. On a night that you find yourself sleepless, spend some time looking into calming sounds. Hopefully, you find relaxation within the process and alleviate your symptoms of insomnia.

7. Press Pressure Points

Acupressure is an effective form of stimulation used to help relax the muscles. It helps correct functional imbalances and restores flow in the body. A stiff body can cause insomnia symptoms. It may help your sleep to stimulate pressure points that help alleviate these disturbances. Our hands and feet are especially concentrated with important pressure points. Check out the article below to start with:

Pressure points to help you fall asleep
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327274

8. Read a Book

Whether you usually read books or not, following the text and immersing yourself in a story can help you stay away from anxiety. However, if you pick up a book that’s too difficult, you may find yourself bored before finding sleep. Start with books that you’ve read before or short stories with a familiar storyline. Reading electronic books will strain your eyes, so it’s better to avoid it if possible. Audiobooks are also great as you can rest your eyes while focusing on the story.

Gaining Good Quality Sleep

We introduced 8 things to try on a sleepless night. Some involve preparation, but many of them can be tested immediately from tonight. No need to try all of them at once. Start with something that’s within your current capability and prevent symptoms of insomnia in the long term.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

References:
ExploreIM　Acupressure for Beginners
Acupressure for Beginners

The post Sleepless Nights and 8 Things You Can Try to Fall Asleep appeared first on SELF MIND.