Your Nights Make Your Days

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Image: Eva Almqvist - Getty Images

Sleeping person

“So, am I depressed?” George asked at the end of our first session.

“No, but you’re definitely sleep deprived,” I answered. 

When we’re not sleeping well, many things—perhaps most things — go awry. Surveys show that sleep deprivation is rampant in America (over a third of us), and its effects on our well-being are far-reaching and decidedly negative. What’s behind our collective blurry-eyed condition? Noise and light pollution take their toll. An average of seven hours of daily screen time doesn’t help. Hurry sickness (also ubiquitous) adds to the problem. Basically, our brains are hyper-stimulated much of the day, so turning them off at night proves challenging. 

Failing to get our requisite winks is associated with an avalanche of bad outcomes—heart disease, accidents, impaired immune response, obesity, diminished productivity, depression, anger — the list goes on. So, whenever I see a client who complains about depression, lethargy or agitation, I closely examine their nocturnal behavior. After all, sleep is “rest, repair and rejuvenate” time for the brain, which needs it far more than the remainder of the body. In fact, our bodies can go much longer without sleep than our gray matter. In cases of extreme sleep deprivation, psychotic-like symptoms emerge, which is a clear message from the brain that “this ain’t working.”

I’ve counseled many folks who, after unsuccessfully treating their depression with medication and psychotherapy, discovered that the underlying problem, or at least much of it, was poor or inadequate sleep. For some, fixing that alone proved sufficient to restore their vitality. Even when it doesn’t, adequate and good quality sleep help lay the foundation for other approaches to treating mood disorders. 

Know What You Need

Now, all of us have a sleep pattern, a habitual way of preparing for, transitioning into and experiencing slumber. And while experts generalize about what constitutes a healthy one, individuals show significant variations. For instance, you’ll often hear that the average adult needs eight hours sleep each night, but the research findings here are mixed and sometimes contradictory. Many of us are not average, so some get along nicely on six hours or less without ill effects, while others need much more shut eye to remain functional. So, knowing your particular requirement is important. The easiest way to figure this out is to simply observe how many hours of sleep you had the night before a good day, one in which you felt emotionally, physically and cognitively on top of your game. There’s your sleep sweet spot.

Of course, quality of sleep can be as important as quantity, so you should also study your truly restful nights for clues about how to improve the depth of your repose. Any given night’s slumber can be profoundly influenced by food, nicotine, alcohol and caffeine intake during the day, activities prior to bedtime, bedroom ambience, and any winding down routines, such as reading, music, meditation, etc. The objective is to recognize our optimal sleep pattern, which includes any actions that prepare us for and sustain good shuteye.

There are plenty of prescriptions for better sleep on the internet (just search for “sleep hygiene”), but these are generalizations that, while helping many, will not do the trick for all. It’s important to study what works for you and, unfortunately, trial and error may be the best approach. But here’s the deal. If you don’t satisfy your unique sleep requirements, just about everything you do and feel will head south. 

Restful sleep is a sanctuary from the challenges and trials of our waking lives, a space where we can renew ourselves in preparation for the next day’s demands. It’s how we call “Timeout!” on existence and catch a vital mental breather. So, our nights truly do make or break our days. And without sound slumber, being awake can feel like a sickness for which one’s bed offers no remedy.

For more, visit philipchard.com.