How does our relationship with sleep impact our mental health?
Life today is fast-paced. We are always on the go, out and about doing more as well as being connected to our phones, our laptops, and then stimulating our brains further by watching TV to wind down. This interrupts our body’s ability to function as it should, including our body’s ability to sleep.
To have healthy sleep and wake cycles (circadian rhythms), the hormones cortisol and melatonin have to be working properly. Cortisol is what wakes us up, makes us feel energized and ready to start the day, whereas melatonin makes us feel drowsy and ready for sleep. Modern life plays havoc with these hormones and causes us to miss sleep and have interrupted sleep. This can negatively affect our mental health.
If we are constantly on the go, feeling stressed and overworked, our cortisol levels are constantly raised and we can feel wired and eventually if this persists, burnt out. Ideally, cortisol should begin to decrease in the evening, giving our melatonin levels a chance to increase to get us ready for sleep.
However, lots of us are working later, staring at screens for longer and not putting a proper nighttime routine in place. In fact, there is more and more evidence about the blue light emitted from our phone and laptop screens and the impact that it has on our melatonin levels. By living these kinds of lifestyles, we are putting our system into a constant state of chronic stress, making falling asleep and achieving deep sleep very difficult.
why is sleep so important?
A good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Sleep is essential for our mind and body to function properly. Did you know that you would most likely die from lack of sleep sooner than you would from lack of food?
Another significant point to consider is that sleep deprivation has been used as a form of torture. If that doesn’t highlight how crucial sleep is then I don’t know what will.
Even small amounts of sleep loss take their toll on our health, mood, cognitive capacity, and productivity. Lack of sleep deeply impairs our ability to consolidate what we have learned in the day which means it is disastrous for our memory. This is why it’s important we prioritise getting enough kip. Part of this can be working on coping techniques to help us with external factors such as our mental health or physical pain which can get in the way of us getting a good night's sleep.
My top tips to help you get to sleep at night
Whether you’ve got an anxious mind or just lie in bed staring at the ceiling, not being able to sleep is frustrating and can be distressing. It can be difficult not to get agitated if you’re suffering from insomnia regularly, but I urge you to remember that even if you’re not able to sleep, simply being in bed and resting your body is still helping you to recover from the day.
I recommend Yoga Nidra before bed, try spritzing some essential oils around the room whilst you relax for added calm.
Reading before bed is not a new tip by any means, but reading something other than your phone or the news like a good book is a great way to make your eyes tired and calm the mind.
There’s also a wealth of helpful resources online. It can be useful to listen to a calm meditation app or podcast before bed. Apps like Calm, Sleep Cycle, Nothing Much Happens, and Sleep Life can distract the brain and help you drift off if you find that your thoughts are racing at night.
If you can’t sleep, don’t try and force it. Try getting up and doing something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again. Then go back to bed and try again.
Having chronic pain is frustrating at the best of times, and trying to get a good night's sleep with chronic pain can sometimes feel impossible, but good sleep is one of the key ways the body can recover.
The problem is, pain prevents this good quality uninterrupted sleep as chronic pain is stressful for the body and raises cortisol levels. With PGP, there are additional factors related to pregnancy which means the body is doing lots of extra work to keep you and your baby healthy,
Getting comfortable when you’re pregnant is difficult enough, but when you’re also suffering from PGP it’s even harder. You can practice all of the tips mentioned above to help you sleep but I also want to mention some tips for sleeping when you are suffering with PGP.
A great way to feel more supported is pregnancy pillows, they can add some extra comfort to your pelvic area especially.
Some women have found pelvis supporting pregnancy leggings helpful to sleep in. There are also supportive shorts made just for sleeping in if wearing leggings is too uncomfortable. Please ask your GP or midwife about this.
Having a warm bath before bed may ease tired and tight muscles which may help with pain before bed. There are muscle relaxing gels that you can massage into your body that are safe to use during pregnancy . However, always double-check with your doctor or midwife.
A guided meditation before bedtime can really help with relaxing tired and irritable muscles. Visualising your painful muscles feeling soothed and relaxed with what you feel your muscles need. If it’s warmth then perhaps visualise a warm, glowing, healing light flowing through your muscles. There is growing evidence that this visualisation work does indeed activate healing in the cells of your body. If you practice this consistently it can have a significant effect on pain levels. I have had encouraging results with this myself.
If you really can’t sleep during the night, making up for it in the day with naps can be a big help. I am a big believer in naps; they can be very restorative and you should not feel guilty for taking the time for a little sleep. Your body needs and deserves the rest.
If you are going to work during the day then try to prioritise resting when you get home whenever you can, explain to partners, friends, families, and employers the situation you are in so you feel supported. Also, try to ensure weekends are relaxed so you can catch up with rest.
Sleeping when you’re suffering with Pelvic Girdle Pain
I hope these tips help you! If lack of sleep is persistent and starts to get in the way of your daily life, I suggest you make an appointment to see your GP. I’d love to hear how you get on, feel free to drop me a quick message on social media:
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