On the Importance of Good Sleep

Hi guys! Dr. Riojas here. Let’s talk about the importance of getting good quality sleep. Sleep is linked to all kinds of important things from our ability to fight off illness, to our ability to focus, to our mental and emotional health. 

So let’s talk about ways to improve your sleep.

I’m sure many of you have heard the old adage: don't use your phone in bed. Let’s talk about why that is. Some believe that it is because of the backlights on your phone that activate your brain and keep you more alert and while that is true, I want to talk more specifically about the conditioning that happens when we use our beds for activities other than sleeping and/or sex. 

Our environment plays a major role in how receptive our bodies and minds are to things like focus and engagement. If we spend time in bed lying awake, scrolling our phones, watching tv, or even reading, our bodies and minds will begin to associate our beds with those activities rather than sleep. To improve our sleep, we should only lay in bed when we are just about to fall asleep. When I treat from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, I recommend that my clients get out of bed if they are not asleep within 15-20 minutes.

Next, if your mind has a tendency to race whenever you go to bed, try something like a worry appointment before bed. A worry appointment is where you give yourself 10-15 minutes to write down, talk out, or feel your frustrations and worries from the day. Once the time is up, engage in an activity that allows you to feel soothed or relaxed. Take this calming energy into bed. While you’re trying to fall asleep, if you experience any thoughts/worries that plague you, remind yourself you have already dealt with that concern for today, and any additional thoughts can be addressed at tomorrow’s Worry Appointment. 

Finally, try really hard to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. I know, this is hard. Our society has us working 40+ hours a week just to barely make ends meet, and this means that we end up holding onto what little free time we have, mostly when we would otherwise be sleeping. But I challenge you anyway, to try and be awake at the same time every day, even if going to bed every night at the same time is not feasible. This will allow your body to feel progressively sleepier when it’s your bedtime. Find the earliest time that you need to be awake and make that your goal wake-up time every morning. On days when you need to be up and at work, do that. On days when you don’t need to be up and at work, get up anyway and use that time as your free-time. Work out, make yourself a delicious breakfast, read your book, etc. 

Hope this helps! Until next time,

Dr. Riojas