Relaxation and sleep
Rest is important for everyone. People with mental illness have reported that having times for real relaxation and proper sleep have helped to control their symptoms. Making sure that you get a proper night’s sleep every night is essential.
Regulating your body clock...
Having a regular bedtime and wake up time will help to regulate your body clock. This might sometimes mean resisting the urge for a lie-in: this will make you more alert in the long-run and keep your body in its normal routine. Remember, even after only four hours, the brain has gained many of the important benefits of sleep.
Eating and sleep...
Eating a large heavy meal too close to bedtime will interfere with your sleep. Spicy or fatty foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty in falling asleep and discomfort throughout the night. Foods containing tyramine (bacon, cheese, ham, aubergines, pepperoni, raspberries, avocado, nuts, soy sauce, red wine) might keep you awake at night. Tyramine causes the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant. If you get the munchies close to bedtime, eat something that triggers the hormone serotonin, which makes you sleepy. Carbohydrates such as bread or cereal will do the trick.
Drinking and sleep...
Alcohol can make you restless and stop you getting a good night’s sleep. Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means it encourages you to urinate (never welcomed during the night). Drinking is also more likely to lead to snoring, which can restrict airflow into the lungs. This reduces oxygen in your blood which disturbs your sleep and contributes to your hangover.
It is also a good idea to avoid caffeine before bedtime. Caffeine is present in coffee, chocolate, cola drinks and non-herbal teas.
Tips to help you sleep...
There are some simple things that you can do to help you sleep better:
- Regular exercise is a good way to improve your sleep, but it is important not to do exercise very soon before going to bed.
- Some people find that lavender oil, valerian or other herbs help them to sleep. You could try massage, aromatherapy, or even acupuncture.
- Simple breathing exercises can also help. Breath, using your abdomen (not your chest), through your nose for three seconds, then breath out for three seconds. Pause for three seconds before breathing in again. Practise this for ten minutes at night (five minutes is better than nothing).
- If you do find yourself tossing and turning, abandon the bedroom and find something enjoyable and absorbing to do. Jigsaws are perfect. Don't go back to bed until you begin to feel sleepy.
