Sleep Hygiene : Train Your Brain to Fall Asleep and Sleep Better

Sleep hygiene is an essential mental health skill.
When my clients come in for treatment for some of their challenges like depression, anxiety, or relational problems, one of the most common associated problems that they have is difficulty sleeping. This shows up as having a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep, or just feeling tired all the time. Getting enough quality sleep can make your brain function much better. You’ll be better at solving problems and feel more self-control. In this video we’re going to talk about how to train your brain to sleep well. This is called sleep hygiene

Sleep is essential for good mental health. Lack of sleep can actually cause mental illness. Research is showing that one of the most effective ways to treat depression is by helping people improve the quality and quantity of their sleep. One study of people with depression found that after resolving their insomnia, 87 percent of them experienced major improvements in their depression, and their depression symptoms disappeared after eight weeks of good sleep. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/he...

So how do we improve our ability to get sleep? We can train our brains to sleep better. Sleep hygiene means going through a routine that trains your body to know when to sleep. Like a muscle that strengthens with practice, sleeping well is a skill we can develop. Here are some essential skills to develop better sleep.