Tuesday 14 August 2018

Practical Ways to Help with Male Depression - SLEEP

In Today's issue we are going to focus on the first, of several ways to practically deal with male depression.


#1 Today - SLEEP

SLEEP AND DEPRESSION

Your nights sleep effects how you feel during the day...pretty obvious...I know. But have you ever thought why you sleep? There is of course physical tiredness but, on the whole we sleep to maintain our brain function. Failure to do this is one trigger for depression.

Did you Know? - It's estimated that about 90% of men suffering with depression have sleep issue. (I am one of them!)

A problems with your sleep is one of the first possible indicators that you may have a problem with depression. When you can't get enough sleep you can become irritable, have problems thinking clearly, issue with problem solving, tiredness (obviously) and get stressed.

Did you know? - We spend a third of our lives asleep.

The most common problems related to sleep when depressed:
1) Not being able to fall asleep, 
2) Waking up frequently during the night.
3) Not being able to get out of bed.
During the next couple of day's we will look all three problems, but, today we'll look at:-
Not Being Able to Fall Asleep

Don’t lie around waiting to fall asleep

Lying in bed thinking about not being able to sleep can be a stressful cycle. The more you think
about it, the more it bothers you, the less chance you have of getting back to sleep. If you’re not
able to fall asleep after 15 minutes, try getting up and doing something quiet and relaxing
instead, reading is good... (and if you are looking for something great to read, check out my
'about me' tab...plug plug) . Once you’re feeling sleepy, go back to bed.


Try not to take your worries to bed with you.

I no this can sometimes be easier said than done but.. bed-time is not a good time to plan, solve problems, or anything else that requires mental energy. Before going to bed, make a to-do list for the next day and set it aside. The list will still be there in the morning and you can work on it with a fresh mind in the morning
Relax

May sound obvious but If you’re agitated or wound up for some reason when you go to bed, it’s going to be hard to fall asleep. Try some relaxation techniques like deep breathing to lower your heart rate and calm your body down.

Light 

Bright lights can mess with your sleep-wake cycle. If you get up in the night and need help seeing, try using dim lights to find your way. They won’t disrupt your sleep cycle as much. Oh, and turn your phone off..or, like me, place it on it's screen.

Avoid Caffeine and Ciggies

Both the above can effect your sleep. We all know the effects of coffee. Dr's suggest that we do not indulge in either any later than 2pm!!! 


SO TOMORROW WE WILL LOOK AT WAKING FREQUENCY...although for me that tends to me managed by my 7 year old Jack Russel Dog!

THANKS FOR READING...PLEASE SHARE, YOU NEVER KNOW YOU MAY SAVE SOMEONE LIFE....BE A HERO !





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