To kick off the new year, the SMSC Health and Wellness Department will focus the next few months on helping you establish or improve healthy habits. Most people know from personal experience that, for better or for worse, stress levels and quality of sleep often go hand in hand. As a busy holiday season draws to a close, the Health and Wellness Department is here to offer some tips and resources that may help you improve both.
Rethink your TV choices. If an action-packed thriller, a heavy emotional drama, or even the news gets your blood pumping, that might be a sign those shows are better to watch earlier in the day instead of before bed, or you may decide it’s best to limit them overall.
Consider all screens, not just the TV! Many electronic devices have nighttime light dimmer modes to help limit brain-stimulating blue light. Take it a step further and completely turn off screens at least one hour before bed. This will relieve your brain from extra information leading up to sleep and make you feel more relaxed.
Check your alcohol intake. Although alcohol can make some people fall asleep easier, it tends to negatively impact a person’s overall quality of sleep. If you tend to crave a drink after a stressful day, try practicing other ways to wind down instead, such as meditation, going for a walk, or connecting with friends.
Keep a notepad by your bed. Whether it is writing down the to-do list that is running through your head or journaling about your worries from the day, the act of putting it on paper tells your brain that it does not have to think about it anymore that night.
Get moving! Exercise can be a great stress reliever and helps the body crave sleep at night. Just make sure if your workouts are in the evening, they don’t awaken your body too much before bed. Visit Dakotah! Sport and Fitness and get started on your fitness journey.
Practice slow, deep breathing. Try to do this throughout the day and as you lie in bed preparing to fall asleep. Picture the “box breathing” technique when you are working on calming your breath.
Remember ASPIRE is on-site to assist you! Staffed with licensed behavioral clinicians, ASPIRE offers counseling services to tackle a wide range of issues that may be causing your stress and poor sleep. Call to schedule an appointment at 952.403.5241.
Resources
- Dakotah! Sport and Fitness – Visit dakotahsport.com to learn about fitness classes and personal training options.
- eM Life – Search the words “stress” or “sleep” for targeted mindfulness sessions.
- Fitbit – Track your sleep and learn how much time you spend in each sleep cycle. Fitbit also has a library of meditations. Within the Fitbit app, click “Premium,” then select “Mindfulness Sessions.”
- Mazopiya – Sign up for the Better Sleep class on January 11 at mazopiya.com/classes. Plus, take 25% off melatonin in the month of January!
