It’s FEEL GOOD FRIDAY…let’s Talk SLEEP!
It’s another Feel Good Friday with the Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton Kent.
Every Friday, we explore different things you can do to continue to take care of your mental health.
Today we are talking SLEEP!! One of my favourite things to do. I am pretty lucky in that I fall asleep really fast and it’s only every once and a while that I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep because my mind won’t stop. I will say that I was enjoying “sleeping in” during the 1st part of quarantine after getting up at 4am for a loooong time, sleeping in till 6 was definitely nice!! Nowadays I am getting up around 5 to get my son to work… how about you?? Are you getting your 8 hours a night??? Do you/Can you Nap?? These days I am napping about twice a week 🙂
The Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton Kent sent along these tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
Did you know sleep is really important for our physical AND mental health? Sleep helps to regulate the chemicals in our brain that transmit information. These chemicals are important in managing our moods and emotions. Getting plenty of sleep can contribute to a happier and more positive mood. Starting your day feeling refreshed can give you more energy, gratitude, and overall pleasantness. This can translate to how you feel during the day and how you go about interacting with other people.
Current recommendations in Canada for sleep are 8-11 hours for children and 7-9 hours for adults.
If you have trouble sleeping at night, here are some tips for good sleep hygiene:
- Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day
- Limit naps to 15-20 minutes
- Avoiding stimulants
- When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark
- Regular exercise
I love tracking my sleep on my Fit Bit…it’s cool to see how much of each sleep cycle I get. However I know that it does stress some people out. And of course some people don’t get a good night’s sleep because of Sleep Apnea… if this is you, check out www.restwellsarnia.ca
A good mattress and pillow can help too! www.sleepcountry.ca
