Sleep Hygiene: Train Your Brain to Fall Asleep and Sleep Better
Improve your sleep quality with therapist Emma McAdam’s sleep hygiene tips in this Therapy in a Nutshell video, and learn to train your brain for better rest.
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Sleep hygiene is an essential mental health skill.
When my clients come in for treatment for some of their challenges like depression, anxiety, or relational problems, one of the most common associated problems that they have is difficulty sleeping. This shows up as having a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep, or just feeling tired all the time. Getting enough quality sleep can make your brain function much better. You’ll be better at solving problems and feel more self-control. In this video we’re going to talk about how to train your brain to sleep well. This is called sleep hygiene
Sleep is essential for good mental health. Lack of sleep can actually cause mental illness. Research is showing that one of the most effective ways to treat depression is by helping people improve the quality and quantity of their sleep. One study of people with depression found that after resolving their insomnia, 87 percent of them experienced major improvements in their depression, and their depression symptoms disappeared after eight weeks of good sleep. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/health/treating-insomnia-to-heal-depression.html
So how do we improve our ability to get sleep? We can train our brains to sleep better. Sleep hygiene means going through a routine that trains your body to know when to sleep. Like a muscle that strengthens with practice, sleeping well is a skill we can develop. Here are some essential skills to develop better sleep.
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Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life’s direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
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31 Comments
Improve your mental health with the free course, https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd
This is why I love YouTube.
Can’t wait for the next upload!
What’s your favorite part of this video?
The pacing was just right.
Amazing production value.
❤❤❤❤
You always deliver quality content.
Such a feel-good upload.
So well presented, thank you!
This is one of my favorites now.
The internet needs more of this.
This is how it should be done.
This was very inspiring.
This gave me new ideas.
This had me hooked the whole time.
Good breakdown of the topic.
I paused my music for this and it was worth it.
I learned something new today.
Did anyone else rewind that part?
Love this! 😌 I totally agree about keeping a consistent routine and a calm bedroom. One thing that’s really helped me is adding some natural sounds like ocean waves, while getting ready for bed. Makes falling asleep feel so much easier. Who else uses calming sounds at night? You can also check out my channel for some ocean wave videos if you want a gentle sleep companion. 🌊
I woke up to a headline telling me scientists have found out what happens if you don't get enough sleep. The brain will compensate by going into a state called microsleep during the day. When this happens, the brain will be flushed with cerebrospinal fluid, just as when you sleep at night, but shorter. The brain does this to allow some cognitive functions to come back after the microsleep. It's a last resort measure by the brain. When learning about such discoveries, I always wonder whether somebody somewhere else already knew this, more or less.
Very helpful thank you. Disappointed that you don't appreciate Time Team.
Eating when energy needs are low increases metabolism and body temperature, which is counterproductive to sleep.
Really informative. I like how hypochlorous acid supports hygiene without that heavy chemical smell. Sterloc could be a great option for daily surfaces.
My bed costs too much money to only be used for sleep and sex….lmbo this is crazy. I was with you with the routine but after that I'm good.
I have been drinking more milk lately as a therapeutic way to alleviate my anxiety. I am in menopause right now with extreme anxiety and hormonal imbalance. Thank you for this very informative video. Emma have a beautiful day.✌🏼☺️💕
daily dislike to useless garbage like sleep hygiene
Sometimes you don’t sleep for 1–2 nights and you start panicking You feel anxious and that anxiety itself keeps you awake It becomes a cycle.What helped me was letting go and accepting everything — “jo hoga, dekha jayega.” Even if the worst happens, even if I don’t sleep, even if something bad happens.Think about the worst possible scenario. Imagine it fully. Then ask yourself- Is it really such a big deal? When you stop fighting and accept it, your brain slowly relaxes on its own.
The real problem is that we try to control everything — sleep, thoughts, future. And that’s why we suffer.
Can you wear nelamant nasal strips with a moisturizer? I want to sleep better but keep my skincare routine.
Can you wear nelamant nasal strips with a moisturizer? I want to sleep better but keep my skincare routine.