5 tips from a psychologist to improve your sleep 

Are you tired of long nights struggling to fall asleep? Poor sleep sets us up badly for the day ahead, but more importantly, it can have damaging effects on our long-term health if left untreated.  
 
Sleep deprivation can lower our mood, affect our appetite and even creep into our social lives.
Everyone experiences a bad night’s sleep from time to time, but with approximately one in five Australians suffering from major sleep disorders, it’s time to put an end to restless nights.  
 
Bridget, a psychologist at My Mirror, explains just how valuable good sleep is: “Restorative sleep is super important. There’s a really strong correlation between sleep and our mental health – a bad night’s sleep is often associated with a deterioration in our mental health”. 
 
In this guide we’ll explore five powerful strategies to improve your sleep, and share Bridget’s tips and tricks on how to wake up feeling refreshed. 

1. Brush up on your sleep hygiene 

Sleep hygiene means more than simply brushing your teeth before bed. It’s about adopting healthy habits to set yourself up for the best night’s sleep possible. Do you sleep with the lights off in a comfy bed? Do you drink lots of caffeine in the evenings or stay on your phone till late? 
 
Bridget explains that “sleep hygiene is everything. It’s what we do throughout the day to support a restful night’s sleep and get our bodies into a rhythm”. When we foster a healthy routine, our brains learn when it’s time for bed. 
 
You can boost your sleep hygiene by: 
 
– Making your space sleep-friendly. Invest in an eye mask and some earplugs if you like it nice and quiet. Whatever you need for a peaceful night. 
– Keeping naps to a minimum. If you do have to nap, keep it short to ensure you’re still sleepy at night. 
– Winding down before bed. This could look like brushing your teeth, then getting into your
pyjamas and then reading for 20 minutes before bed – in that same order each night. 
– Seizing the day. Even if you’ve not had the best sleep, avoid the temptation to lie in too late.
This only reinforces the habit of sleeping in the day and staying awake at night. 
 
Anyone can improve their sleep hygiene. It’s all about creating healthy habits that promote sound sleep. 

2. Get your body clock running smoothly 

If you’re consistent with your bedtime routine, your body will start to feel tired at the same time each night. 

For better sleep, Bridget recommends, “avoiding bright lights 1-2 hours before bed. This includes blue light from a screen which interrupts our natural melatonin production.  
 
The same goes for your wake-up routine. Getting up and out the next day will expose you to
sunlight, helping you feel awake and ready for the day. A morning walk outdoors without sunglasses on would do the trick. “Exposure to natural light in the morning boosts our Vitamin D levels, helps us focus better and improves our circadian rhythms”.   

3. Put your worries to rest before you go to sleep 

Have you ever gone to bed with something on your mind, only to find yourself staring at the ceiling still thinking about it an hour later? It could be that you have a big deadline coming up, or a to-do list that won’t stop growing. Whatever the issue, it’s hard to switch off when your mind is worried or
stressed. 
 
Bridget explains that “one of the main reasons we struggle to sleep is when our minds are too busy”. A great way to relieve this is to write your thoughts down in a ‘worry book’. This is an effective way to get thoughts down on paper and remove them from your mind, knowing you can come back to them the following day. 
 
Ironically, worrying about not being able to sleep can prevent us from relaxing and drifting off. It’s normal to have daily stresses and worries, but if there’s a problem that’s getting so big it affects your sleep, you might want to try talking about it with a friend or therapist.   

4. Try mindfulness techniques

Quieting your busy mind is a great way to prepare for sleep. Mindfulness meditation calms your thoughts and brings us to the present moment. One study in 2015 even found that mindfulness techniques are better at reducing insomnia and fatigue than techniques to improve sleep habits. 
 
“Breathwork is a great way to calm our mind. Counting our breaths adds to our cognitive load, giving us something to focus on other than our thoughts.” 
 
Guided meditation apps can be a helpful resource to get into the art of mindfulness. Below are some tips on how to practice mindfulness at bedtime: 
 
– Take deep breaths in and out 
– Use your diaphragm to make your breaths controlled 
– Concentrate on a single point of focus such as your breath or an object 
– Try to keep your mind on that point of focus, and bring your attention back if your mind
wanders 
– Make your bedroom quiet so you can focus without being distracted 

5. Open up about your worries in therapy 

Sometimes, our sleep difficulties go deeper than adjusting our bedtime routine. If you suffer from insomnia, stress and anxiety or severe sleep deprivation, it could be helpful to talk to a professional. 
 
Poor sleep can be a symptom of a bigger issue. It might be that depression is impacting your ability to sleep, or maybe your anxiety symptoms are more severe at nighttime when there are fewer distractions. Often, a quiet space at night can make it harder to ignore unhelpful thoughts or feelings.  
 
Bridget explains that therapy doesn’t just address sleep issues, but it looks at each client as a whole to understand why there are sleep difficulties. “Getting to the root cause of a presenting difficulty is really important. As a psychologist, you need to take a holistic picture of somebody’s life so you can understand the underlying factors contributing to poor sleep.”  

6. Discover online therapy 

Everyone is different and so are the solutions to our sleep problems. Some people sleep with the windows wide open while others need to steal all the covers. If you’re working to improve your sleep routine but feel like your mind is keeping you awake, connect with an online psychologist at My Mirror.  
 
My Mirror offers a matching tool that connects you with a psychologist that works for you and your needs. You can even filter your search to find a psychologist with experience working with sleep difficulties.  

Therapy made easy with InstantScripts 

You can access medicare rebates for your therapy sessions with a Mental Health Care Plan from InstantScripts. Your personalised Mental Health Care Plan not only gives you access to reduced-cost therapy sessions, it helps guide your therapy journey. You can request an online consultation for your Mental Health Care Plan and get talking to a doctor within 48 hours. 
 
Unlike some doctors, your online Mental Health Care Plan consultation can be bulk billed, leaving you with zero out of pocket expenses. Put counting sheep behind you and take the next step to get your wellbeing back on track.

This article was co-authored by Ellie Chalmers and psychologist Bridget McNamara.