Sleep's Impact on Mental Health

Shannon Martin 0:00

Hello , beautiful welcome to today's conversation . We're going to talk about sleep and its effect on mental health . Let's talk about it . I'm your host , Shannon Martin , and welcome to today's episode of this Thing Called Wellness . Hello again , I hope you're doing well . Last time we talked , we talked about finding your calm and the various ways you can work on finding your inner peace With this thing called wellness . Everything takes time , but it can be done . One way you can find your inner peace is through a good night's sleep .

Shannon Martin 0:36

Sleep has become one of those works in progress for me , and I'm sure it's become the same for many of you . No matter how much I try to create this fantastic nighttime routine , sleep has always eluded me . In my early years . Of course , I went to sleep to get up early and to go to school , later to work in college and later to take care of my family without any problems . I wasn't always an early bird or a part of the 5 am club because I wanted to . It was because I had to in order to get the kids and myself up and out Later . When I stayed at home , I was very busy during the day and often stayed up at night to have a little bit of me time . And the older the kids got , the more I seem to stay up later and later with all their extra quick activities and trying to fit in , me time became few and far in between . I think this is when my late night started staying up well past what is considered a decent bedtime , like 8 or 10 pm . I was always up well past that , but that was the time I could pencil me in . On the other side of things . Being in the military and a military spouse , being a stay at home Mom , all those things , just lifing . Makes you forget about what's considered a normal bedtime . You let it do what it do and just make it work for you and your family , and that's what I was doing for so many years .

Shannon Martin 2:05

So when I finally had to address my sleep issues , I didn't know where to start . Do I start with this or that ? Do I start with being diagnosed with depression , where I would get too much sleep , or where my anxiety insomnia kicked in at night , waking me up and I couldn't sleep because I was anxious , couldn't breathe , was jittery and had muscle spasms ? Or my sleep apnea decided it wanted to just disrupt my sleep , along with my restless legs syndrome , because they seem to work together too . It was becoming a nightmare just thinking about going to sleep . I had to talk to my counselors about all these symptoms crossing over until my sleepless nights . I didn't want to go to sleep .

Shannon Martin 2:47

I'd stay up until five o'clock sometimes because I just slept better during the day than at night . But my goal is to go to bed at a decent time so I can wake up and see people , even though I don't people that much . But when I feel like peopling it would be nice to be awake and coherent . Nothing cures insomnia by the realization that it's time to get up . I didn't really notice many changes after seeing the sleep psychologists and receiving my sleep apnea mask . The mask is challenging to sleep in , but I do enjoy breathing at night , so I keep trying it from time to time until , hopefully , I get used to it . At least that's what my doctors are hoping .

Shannon Martin 3:30

Of course my counselors are concerned for me because they're convinced I need to be on a regular sleep routine like the rest of the world . But with all of this I ask myself am I meant to be a regular sleep routine type of woman I know ? The world works at various times of the day , like from nine to five , shift work or other hours of the day . I am on shift work hours and I'm sort of okay with that , especially when I just can't seem to get proper rest . The sleep doctors , of course , have told me that I need to create a sleep routine . I've been told I need to take the TV out of my room or turn it off at night . I can do that , but when you have a husband that needs to have white noise , it's challenging . But sometimes I turn it off and it's unknown , until he falls asleep .

Shannon Martin 4:15

My biggest struggle , as with most , is unplugging from technology a couple hours before bedtime . This is something I really have to set timers for , because I work a lot on the internet and social media , like most of us do , and I need to set a time to unplug yet again . What I have done is begin setting low light settings on my devices . I will slowly start prying them out of my fingers . I'm aiming for one hour before bedtime . My maximum goal is two hours giving me time to unwind and quiet my mind . These are the obvious , right . But I was asked if I have a routine like washing my face , taking a bath , having a snack , drinking tea , turning on the oil diffusers , spraying my pillow with this nice linen spray or any of those things ? Of course , my answer um no .

Shannon Martin 5:07

This is when I began to realize I needed to find my magic routine and what worked for me , as I could see , without it , I am not resting well at all . When we don't rest well . We begin to have all the above symptoms , which I unfortunately have them all . When your sleep is interrupted continuously . You can't go into REM or rapid eye movement sleep . This is where we are refreshed and regenerated . If we don't get the proper amount of rest . Our memory , cognitive functions and physical functions are disrupted . I'm not getting adequate sleep . This is contributing to my muscle spasms , irritability , memory and digestive problems , as well as my current mental health issues . If I don't get my sleep into a better state , I will continue to have a difficult time thriving . I love to sleep . When I'm rested , I am at my best .

Shannon Martin 6:03

Halle Berry , I knew that getting a good night's rest was important . It was taught to me at an early age , as it is with most of us , but I never knew how important it truly was until it began to affect my health . I just know that it has been one of the most difficult aspects of my journey by far . Creating a comfortable sleep environment and establishing and maintaining a healthy sleep routine have been placed at the top of my healthy goals list . For the remainder of this year , I will work on getting into a better routine , taking it into the new year and continuing to tweak it along my journey . I tried , but I really didn't give it my all . Since I have been grieving the passing of my mother , I have had a small relapse and my nights are worse than ever before . So now I have to bring out all the cards and really give it a good old try .

Shannon Martin 6:54

What do you do when you really haven't tried to create something or even thought about it ? You start out by asking yourself what do I want to do ? What do I think will relax me ? Since this is a new to me , I can't just go cold turkey or else it won't work . I have to start out slow and work my way up to the big girl goals . My top three for now are , of course , one to cut back on technology by one hour before bed . I feel that's doable for me . Two turn the TV off and turn on my sleep meditation playlist . I have a countdown that turns the music off at a set time . Three decide what time I want to get in the bed . This is important . It has to be hours before 5am , starting with midnight and working my way backward . This is a reasonable start for me . When I have these three down , I will add in regular beauty routines such as cleans in my face on these days , exfoliating , etc . I sort of do this , but not regularly . I already use my essential oiled fuser when I have anxious nights , spray my bed with my linen spray and have my fluffy , weighted blanket that helps comfort me at night , along with my snuggly pillow .

Shannon Martin 8:08

Mindful moment , have you thought about ways you can create a healthy sleep environment ? What lifestyle changes can you make to get better rest ? Not making sleep a priority can lead to a long list of physical and mental health problems . I never made a connection between my poor sleep habits and the majority of my issues . Now that my health is in disarray , it will take time to get her back on track , but it can be done . I have started on this journey to heal all parts of me , no matter how long it takes . Picking up each piece of the puzzle , showing her some love , nurturing it , healing it and putting it back in place . Creating and maintaining a healthy sleep routine is something I never thought I would have to worry about until now . Thankfully , I have a great support system and I am in a place where I am ready to love on me . I think that this is the most important piece of this whole journey being ready to show yourself love , understanding and kindness will make all the difference when you're on your journey to This thing called wellness .

Healing Through Art

Shannon Martin 9:14

I hope you have enjoyed this week's conversation . I'm your host , Shannon Martin . Join us next Wednesday when we talk about Healing Through Art . If you enjoyed today's episode , please share with someone you think would like to join the conversation . Disclaimer I am not a licensed mental health professional . The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health advice , diagnosis or treatment . If you need help , please consult a qualified mental health professional .