Sleep is like candy to me; I love it! Snuggled under the covers, it’s dark and peaceful. I don’t have anywhere to be and there are no emails to read, no case notes to write. My pillow cradles my head and whispers to me “Shhhh. There’s nothing to worry about,” as I drift off in the arms of sleep’s loving embrace.

At least some nights.

On other nights, my bedroom is a battlefield. I fight all night long, just for a few moments of rest. Not being able to sleep can feel incredibly frustrating and exhausting. It can be a physical and mental drain, leading to emotional dysregulation.

You might have felt this too. Every noise is an alert to danger. We can feel every aching muscle, headaches. The longer the night drags on, we can feel a sense of dread, worrying about the impact of sleep deprivation on the next day. We toss and turn and feel unable to relax.

The day after disrupted sleep confirms our worst fears: mental fog, difficulty concentrating, making decisions, remembering simple things. On the emotional level, we can feel irritability, anxiety, and even depression.

Why is sleep so important?

Each week it seems I’m reading another article about the benefits of sleep. Up until now, the exact process of sleep has been poorly understood, but that is rapidly changing. Not only do we want our eight hours of sleep each night to feel better the next day, sleep gives us several benefits.

On the Physical Level: During sleep, your body repairs tissues, cells, and muscles. This is essential for growth, development, and recovery from physical activity. This is why athletes prioritize sleep for optimal performance. Sleep helps with hormone regulation, including growth hormone, cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones play important roles in growth, stress response and metabolism. Speaking of metabolism, sleep regulates the hormones that regulate appetite and can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Sleep reduces the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Sleep plays an important role in regulating blood pressure and heart rate. Adequate sleep can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. While you sleep your body produces cells that help fight off infections; sleep is crucial for maintaining a strong, healthy immune system, making you less susceptible to illness.

Of course when we are well rested, we have much more energy throughout the day.

On the Mental Level: Sleep is vital for memory consolidation, learning, and problem-solving. It helps your brain process information and store it for future use. If you are taking a test on Saturday, the best predictor on how well you perform on the test is eight hours of sleep Friday night. Sleep helps you think more clearly. Do you want your surgeon to practice brain surgery on you hung over with two hours of sleep? Me neither.

On the Emotional Level: Adequate sleep can improve mood, reduce stress, and help manage anxiety and depression. Good mental health starts with a good night’s sleep, ideally eight hours.

What causes sleepless nights?

There is a long list of issues that can disrupt our sleep; here are just a few.

Stress. Emotional stress can significantly disrupt sleep patterns. Practice stress reduction techniques like meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, yoga, Thai Chi.

Excessive Screen Time. Blue light emitted from devices can suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. Endless scrolling on social media or news feeds can also stimulate your brain at the very time you want to calm it down. Switch to paper books or relaxing audio books later in the evening.

Medical Conditions. There are a variety of medical conditions like heart disease, asthma, and thyroid disorders that can affect sleep. So can chronic pain, sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder. Some medications can disrupt sleep as well. Talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking that might contribute to sleepless nights and take those medications early in the day.

Rumination and Catastrophizing. Some nights you might not sleep; this happens to everyone. That doesn’t mean the world is ending. You are not going insane or losing your grip. Everything is fine, it’s just part of being human. Sleepless nights happen from time to time. You will recover from it and eventually you will sleep.

Steps for a Peaceful Night’s Sleep

Sleep Schedule. Inconsistent sleep-wake cycles can confuse your body's internal clock. Limit naps to 20 minutes or less as excessive daytime sleep can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Establish a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body's internal clock.

Create a Relaxing Bedtime Environment. Dim the lights: bright light can interfere with sleep. Keep your bedroom cool and quiet. A comfortable temperature and noise-free environment promote relaxation. Invest in comfortable bedding. Ensure your mattress, pillows, and sheets are supportive and inviting.

Diet. Avoid heavy meals, sugar, processed food, high fat content meals close to bedtime, as they can disrupt digestion and sleep. Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Limit alcohol before bedtime. While it might initially make you feel drowsy, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

Engage in Relaxing Activities Read a book: a calming activity can help you wind down. Take a warm bath or shower. The warmth can relax your muscles. Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation. These can reduce stress and anxiety.

Avoid Screen Time Before Bed. Limit exposure to electronic devices. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with sleep. Avoid stimulating material, action movies, murder mysteries. These will rev you up when you want your mind to wind down.

Create and Follow a Consistent Bedtime Routine

A consistent bedtime routine can significantly improve sleep quality when you are struggling with getting and staying asleep. Below is an example bedtime routine. Feel free to modify the times to fit with your schedule, just remember to have your goal be eight hours of sleep per night. Consistency is key. Stick to your routine as much as possible to reap the benefits.

7:00 pm Stop consuming all caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and heavy foods. If you are sensitive to caffeine, only drink coffee or tea in the morning.

8:00 pm Practice Tai Chi, yoga, stretching.

8:30 pm Start dimming the lights. Mimic the sun going down by gradually reducing the lights 20% at a time. I’m a bit of a nerd, so I have programmable lights that gradually dim over the course of the evening.

9:00 pm Put away all screens, including phones, TVs, and computers. Practice meditation, mindfulness, body mapping, deep breathing exercises.

9:30 pm Take a hot shower. While in the shower, practice positive affirmations and gratitude. Engage in a short visualization, releasing negative energy and imagining being covered in positive and loving light.

10:00 pm Light reading, listen to a relaxing audiobook, podcast or sleep story. Have something fun to look forward to instead of dreading going to bed.

11:00 pm Bedtime.

12:00 pm Sleep (goal)

8:00 am Wake up, even on weekends.

Finally

As a bonus, I have decided to write this article in such a boring way, you will become drowsy after reading only a few paragraphs. If I have done my job correctly, you should be asleep right now and you will never read this sentence.

You’re welcome.