The Connection Between Sleep and Emotional Regulation
Sleep is good for our physical and mental health, yet many people who struggle with mental health concerns also experience insomnia or poor sleep quality. An estimated 25% of adults report dissatisfaction with their sleep, with 10% to 15% reporting symptoms of insomnia and 6% to 10% meeting the criteria for an insomnia disorder
What is insomnia?
Insomnia symptoms include (but are not limited to) difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night with an inability to fall back asleep, and/or feeling unrested after sleep.
For those who suffer from anxiety often this can look like being caught in ruminating cycles of thought and an inability to let the mind quiet and the body relax. People with PTSD may develop a fear of sleep because of recurring nightmares or upsetting dreams that occur when they let go.
The majority of our clients at New Pathways complain of chronic problems with sleep and the experience of rest and restoration eludes them. Something that should be simple and natural, can feel impossible without sleep aids like medication.
Studies show that a loss of sleep disrupts emotion regulation and impacts the brain's ability to discern what is worthy of provoking an emotional reaction and what is not.
This can create a horrible cycle where our mental state disrupts our sleep, which in turn continues to disrupt our mental state, continuing to disrupt sleep and so on. This is why healing from the bottom up becomes so important. We need to train and resource our nervous systems to stay in a window tolerance (and therefore remain regulated).
Sleep Hygiene and Improving Sleep
Strong sleep hygiene means having both a bedroom environment and daily routines that promote consistent, uninterrupted sleep.
Strategies for Better Sleep Hygiene
Regulate Sleep Hunger - don’t nap during the day, we want to crave sleep when the time is right
Ease off Electronics - wind down screen time at least an hour before bed
Remove Temptation - put your phone in a different room, use an alarm clock as the temptation to go on the phone is too strong if in the bed
Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule - this is important for training your circadian rhythms,
Set up Your Room - your bed should be inviting and comfortable for sleep. There should be an association that this is a place of rest and relaxation, not for work and recreation.
Alcohol, Caffeine, and Food - reduce intake after a certain hour (usually in the evening and afternoon
Start a Pre-Sleep Meditation Practice - slow down your nervous system by unplugging from the day and connecting to your breath for 10-30 minutes. This will help slow down the mind and being to relax the body to prepare to shift into sleep. We may need help to consciously relax the body and quiet the mind.
Practice Yoga Nidra - Yoga Nidra is an excellent way to learn how to feel safe enough to drop into sleep and has been studied with different clinical populations including those struggling with PTSD (Richard Miller).
FREE: Yoga Nidra Meditation by Rachael
Our nervous system needs the time at night to rest and restore and yet we need to train the body to shift into a restorative state. This takes intention and discipline, just as we need to train our body to feel strong through physical exercise. There can be a physical toll that builds with the chronic stress of being awake and inability to enter a rest state and this may be expressed in symptoms such as chronic pain, headaches, stomach aches, frequent illness, etc.
Connecting Sleep and Emotional Regulation at New Pathways
Our approach to mental health is based on the importance of balancing the nervous system and sleep plays an essential role in regulating emotions. Good sleep can feel so elusive to many people who are struggling with the long-term effects of anxiety, trauma and stress. We know it is hard to keep up good sleep hygiene and it is essential.
Keeping good sleep hygiene can be easier with regular reminders of the strategies that are recommended by sleep experts (Matt Walker). This is why Coaching and encouragement for better sleep hygiene becomes part of the therapy experience at New Pathways.