Summer Self-Care Series:
The Importance of Quality Sleep
by Taylor Ureta, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts
Sleep is an investment in the energy you need
to be effective tomorrow.
~Tom Roth
Every morning, at exactly 6 am, I wake up to the bright sunlight shining through my windows. Despite having all the blinds closed, my four-bedroom windows still allow enough sunlight to fill my room and wake me up. As a college student, this is one of many challenges I face when getting a good night’s sleep. With distractions keeping me from going to bed, and disruptions making it difficult to stay asleep, I often miss out on quality sleep. This endless cycle started to take a toll on me both mentally and physically. I had trouble concentrating in class, constantly felt unmotivated and sluggish, and my overall mood declined. Even my immune system took a hit. Over time, it became clear that my lack of restful sleep was not sustainable, prompting me to prioritize sleep. Here’s what I learned:
Sleep’s Impact On Your Mind & Body
Sleep is crucial for both our mental and physical health. When we don’t get enough rest, our bodies and minds can’t function at their best. One of the most compelling examples of how sleep affects our body is its impact on the immune system. Adequate sleep strengthens our immune defenses, helping the body to fight off infections and recover from illnesses more effectively. However, when we don’t get enough rest, our immune response weakens, making us more susceptible to illness and infections (Besedovsky et al., 2019). It’s clear that restful sleep is a crucial step when promoting immune defense and maintaining our physical health.
In addition, quality sleep supports brain function by allowing time for restorative processes that regulate mood and stress levels. Without restful sleep, these processes are disrupted, leading to irritability, disregulated mood, and a decreased ability to handle stress (Collier Villaume, 2024). Over time, chronic sleep restrictions can also contribute to worsened mental health, such as generalized anxiety and major depressive disorder. Therefore, it’s important to view sleep as a vital part of your mental health regimen, in addition to regular therapy sessions.
Sleep as a Form of Self-Care
Last week, we discussed how self-care can be a crucial aspect to effectively manage our mental health and promote our overall well-being. Sleep might not seem like a form of self-care, but it most definitely is – maybe even the most important form. The quality and quantity of your sleep can influence both your mental and physical state significantly (Díaz-Ramiro, 2020), and sets the foundation for all other forms of self-care. Without adequate sleep, we lack the energy and mental clarity to exercise, meditate, or even enjoy our hobbies. By prioritizing sleep and treating it as a vital part of your self-care routine, you can better meet your body’s need for rest and recovery. This simple yet powerful step may enhance your mood, boost your energy, and even improve your overall mental and physical health.
3 Tips To Help You Better Prioritize Sleep
The key to prioritizing sleep in your daily routine is to establish stable and realistic sleep habits. Here are a few to get you started!
- Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help you get the right amount of sleep and keep your sleep schedule consistent. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, as recommended for adults by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) (Ramar, 2021). This routine will help you prioritize sleep and support your overall well-being.
- Create a Calming Bedtime Routine: Establishing a relaxing nighttime routine can help signal to your body that it’s time to go to bed. This could include taking a hot shower, reading your favorite book, journaling, or practicing meditation. During your night routine, limit screen time as evening exposure to blue light can make it harder to fall asleep and lower sleep quality.
- Optimize Your Sleeping Environment: It’s important that you optimize your sleep environment to make it as peaceful and comfortable as possible. It can be hard to ensure your room is kept cool, dark, and quiet, especially during the summer months. So consider investing in a fan, blackout curtains, silk sleeping masks, or even a white noise machine to further improve your sleep quality!
Sleep is crucial for your overall health and well-being, and should be prioritized in your self-care routine. To improve your sleep quality and duration, start by following any one of these tips! I personally love taking a hot shower, wearing my silk sleeping mask, and going to bed around 11 pm every night. These simple steps help me to prioritize my sleep and improve my overall mental and physical well-being!
Have more questions about sleep or feel ready to start therapy in California today? Schedule a session with one of our therapists! You can schedule online here!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post! Have more topics you’d like us to blog about? Contact us and we’ll be sure to include your topic in a future post.
References
Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Haack, M. (2019). The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiological reviews, 99(3), 1325–1380. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00010.2018
Collier Villaume, S., Stephens, J. E., Craske, M. G., Zinbarg, R. E., & Adam, E. K. (2024). Sleep and daily affect and risk for major depression: Day-to-day and prospective associations in late adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(2), 388–391. https://doi-org.calpoly.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.08.042
Díaz-Ramiro, E. M., Rubio-Valdehita, S., López-Núñez, M. I., & Aparicio-García, M. E. (2020). Sleep habits as predictors of psychological health in healthcare professionals. Anales de Psicología, 36(2), 242–246. https://doi-org.calpoly.idm.oclc.org/10.6018/analesps.350301
Ramar, K., Malhotra, R.K., & Carden, K.A. (2021). Sleep is essential to health: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 17(10):2115–2119.