Understanding the impact of sleep on mental health is essential to helping young adults struggling with mental health issues recover and establish overall well-being. Sleep hygiene is a specialty program available at Yellowbrick that helps to teach young adults about the impacts of not getting enough sleep, the importance of sleep for mental health, and setting healthy sleep routines. But, what is sleep hygiene and why is it essential for mental health treatment in young adults?

What is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is the practice and maintenance of a healthy sleep schedule. It is being able to get a good quality night’s rest by practicing habits that can help you get to and stay asleep. Using sleep hygiene practices allows a person to get the sleep they need in order to not experience the ill effects on the mental and physical health of lack of sleep.

What Happens When You Don’t Get Good Sleep?

It’s common to wake up in the middle of the night and need a glass of water every now and then. Or, get up early because you can’t get back to sleep. However, if you regularly have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep and this is impacting your daily life, you may have a problem with sleep hygiene and you may benefit from learning to practice sleep hygiene behaviors and patterns.

A lack of sleep can have a number of impacts. Some of these impacts can include increased stress and anxiety levels, mood regulation, memory, cognition, and taking care of personal responsibilities. In the long run, not getting enough sleep can lead to issues such as physical ailments including heart disease, obesity, and more.

How do Sleep and Mental Health Affect One Another?

Sleep plays a big factor in mental health for people who are living with mental health issues like mood disorders. A lack of sleep can reduce the brain’s ability to manage moods and can also increase stress and anxiety, making the symptoms of mental health issues worsen. In many cases, sleep issues are seen as a sign and symptom of mental health conditions such as depressive disorders and anxiety disorders.

Sleep Hygiene Behaviors to Practice

Practicing sleep hygiene behaviors as a person struggling with the impacts of mental health issues is important to get better sleep. Sleep hygiene programs can help teach young adults diagnosed with mental health issues how to get the best quality sleep possible and practice skills that can allow for better sleep. Some behaviors for practicing good sleep hygiene can include:

• staying away from sugar and caffeine before bedtime
• working to make your sleep space more comfortable, quiet, and dark
• staying away from screens before bedtime
• setting a time to go to sleep and wake up every day
• setting and practicing a routine every night (wash face, brush teeth, etc.)

Get Help With Sleep From Specialists at Yellowbrick

Yellowbrick offers outpatient services to young adults and their families who are dealing with the effects of mental health issues. One of the specialty services we provide is sleep hygiene in which we provide information and education about sleep so that individuals can get better sleep to help aid their mental healing. Find out more about Yellowbrick, our programs, and the conditions we treat on our website.