Top Sleep Hygiene Habits

Miramont Behavioral Health is a trusted psychiatric hospital servicing the Middletown and Waukesha communities. We offer support and treatment for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder (SUD), and other mental health illnesses that severely impact individuals and families across Wisconsin. We wanted to share with our readers how frequently we see sleep deprivation and poor sleep habits worsen symptoms related to these disorders and others like them. 

Like many Americans, you’re probably a hard-working person who tries to keep up with an impressive amount of tasks, daily work, and familial, social, academic, professional, and financial responsibilities on minimal amounts of sleep and proper nutrition. The sad news is that sacrificing sleep to keep all of your life’s bases covered can trigger the following:

• Poor moods, unpleasant shortness, and impatience
• Increased negativity and pessimism
• Fatigue, added stress, higher probabilities of chronic somatic stress, and lowered immune function 
• Compromised ability to pay attention and become aroused cognitively and sexually
• Weakened memory and compromised capacity to create and work with insights 
• Blocked relaxation, learning, and creativity 

Whether you’re personally struggling with a mental health disorder or you’re supporting a loved one who is, keep reading to find out what role sleep plays in your life and why it should be prioritized—even at the expense of getting ahead.

Why Aren’t People Sleeping?

The widespread lack of sleep in the United States, especially among caucasian Americans, appears to be cultural, with higher-income families reporting less quality sleep in general. Here are the top reasons why Americans report poor sleep:

• Proper sleep interferes with making money and earning more income 
• Healthy living characteristics like lower body weight, exercise, and proper health care services are not culturally prioritized in the United States 
• High levels of anxiety, insomnia, and other mental health issues prevent proper sleep
• Dual-income families are unable to find the time and resources to manage finances and proper childcare without losing sleep

What’s That Maslow Guy Got To Do With It?

In psychology, a prominent idea in mental health treatment is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who realized that people couldn’t attend to more abstract needs, like participating in cognitive behavioral therapy, increasing self-esteem levels, or addressing a substance abuse issue, without first meeting their most basic physiological needs. 

Basic psychological needs include proper shelter, food, water, and sleep. According to Maslow’s ideas, people who are underfed, dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and exposed to the elements have little to no chance of overcoming an addiction or managing a mental health disorder. You can see this more clearly when you observe the hierarchical levels of basic, psychological, and self-actualization needs that every human being has:

1. Securing the basic needs of proper nutrition, sleep/rest, shelter, and water 
2. Securing the basic need for a living environment that is physically and emotionally safe  
3. Securing the psychological need for intimate relationships and/or close friends
4. Securing the psychological need for feelings of prestige, importance, and personal accomplishment 
5. Securing the overall self-actualization need for reaching your full potential and exercising your creative talents to their maximum capacity

Based on the above, it’s easier to see how our higher-level needs can never be met unless the basic ones are addressed first. In the simplest terms and to borrow an analogy from traveling by plane, you must put your oxygen mask on first before completing any other action, especially during emergencies and crisis moments. 

When sleep is compromised, your brain becomes more susceptible to depression, feelings of suicide, impaired problem-solving, and risky impulsivity.  Chronic poor sleep also puts your body at risk of inflammation, heart disease, and diabetes.

The Best Healthy Sleep Habits and Tips

We understand life is hectic, but we hope that our patients and their friends and family can find ways to gradually implement these great sleep hygiene habits into their daily lives:

• Try to create and stick to a regular sleep schedule (while avoiding long naps)
• Make sure to perform physical activity/workouts every day for at least one hour. Aim to finish the activity at least 5-6 hours before bedtime
• Start to introduce healthier eating and drinking habits, with minimal sugar and processed ingredients
• Avoid drugs, alcohol, excessive social media use, and high-stress environments as much as possible
• Avoid snacking, big meals, and screen time in those last 1-2 hours before bedtime
• Prepare your sleeping environment to be as quiet, dark, and peaceful as possible

If you have any questions or concerns about your sleep hygiene, don’t hesitate to contact us today! Our multiple mental health and recovery programs are equipped to train you in the art of sleeping deeply and well!