The Session: The Impact of Sleep on Our Mental Health

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Sleep, Body and Brain

We spend approximately a third of our lives asleep.

• Sleep is an essential and involuntary process, without which we cannot function effectively.
• The body’s fuel is sleep. Without proper sleep, our minds begin to slow, unable to operate at their full potential. This happens until the mind becomes so deprived of the rest it needs, it breaks down. And without the commander-in-chief acting accordingly, the rest of the body pays the price.
• It is as essential to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing.
• Sleeping helps to repair and restore our brains, not just our bodies.
• During sleep we can process information, consolidate memories, and undergo a number of maintenance processes that help us to function during the daytime.
• Poor sleep over a sustained period leads to a number of problems which are immediately recognizable, including fatigue, sleepiness, poor concentration, lapses in memory, and irritability.
• There is no universal answer to the question of how much sleep a person needs. This varies from person to person. What is important is that people respect themselves enough to find out how much sleep they need and ensure that they achieve it.
• The amygdala is in charge of our emotional responses. But to do its job correctly it needs us to sleep, because that’s the time it’s allocated to process emotion.
• The prefrontal cortex, does as well. The prefrontal cortex does a lot of impressive things. One of which is being “the voice of reason” to our emotions (aka putting the brakes on our amygdala when it’s being a diva). The prefrontal cortex helps control our impulses, attention, inhibition, emotion, and complex learning.

Helps

• Sleep should get as much attention as depression and anxiety prevention gets.
• People with insomnia are 10 and 17 times more likely than those without insomnia to experience clinically significant levels of depression and anxiety, respectively. (National Library of Medicine)

Helpful Sleep Strategies from Mayo Clinic

• Manage Worries
• Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Jot down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.
• Stress Management might help. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Meditation also can ease anxiety.

Sleep killer 1: Anxiety - Compounding the problem is the fact that a lack of sleep can also worsen any anxiety you may be experiencing. (Gale.com)

It shows the importance of managing and working on your anxiety very important.

The Grateful Exercise

Progressive Muscle Strategy

Writing Down The Important things You Will Try To Remember Through The Night

Stick to a sleep schedule

Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Most people don't need more than eight hours in bed to be well rested.

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.

If you don't fall asleep within about 20 minutes of going to bed, leave your bedroom and do something relaxing. Read or listen to soot

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To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.