Go to Sleep! How Quality Rest is Vital for Mental Health

How you sleep plays a pivotal role in your mental health. Most people know that your body recovers while you sleep, but not as many realize that your emotional well-being recovers too. Poor sleep or a lack of sleep can have powerful, negative effects on your mental health, intensifying and aggravating issues like anxiety, depression, and stress. In a high stress job with long and unusual hours – like law enforcement or the military – we learned to live without a lot of sleep sometimes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a healthy way to continue life.

The Connection Between Sleep and Your Mental Health

The brain uses sleep to consolidate memories, process emotional experiences, and eliminate toxins that accumulate during the day. Without proper rest, these crucial processes are interrupted. If you’re the type of person who consistently doesn’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to get angry easily, experience a wild swing of moods and emotions, and be dealing with brain fog and feeling like you’re tripping over words and misremembering important things.

The experts tell us that lack of sleep or poor sleep can make it difficult for the brain to manage stress, which can lead to heightened anxiety or depressive episodes. It can also affect your logical reasoning, decision making, and coping skills. All things that are vital to an effective day to day life.

For people already struggling with mental health, lack of sleep can just worsen the symptoms.

Want to hear it from an expert? Check out this podcast with Dr. Matt Walker, a leading expert on sleep.

Tips for Improving Sleep Hygiene

Just like proper physical hygiene (brushing your teeth, keeping a clean body) is important, good sleep hygiene is also essential. Here are some practical tips for optimizing your sleep routine:

  1. Create a Relaxing Environment: Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. A comfortable mattress and pillows are essential for proper rest. Try using blackout curtains and white noise machines to eliminate external disturbances.
  1. Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up refreshed.
  1. Limit Screen Time Before Bed: The blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and computers interferes with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Try to disconnect from screens at least an hour before bedtime.
  1. Avoid Stimulants: Caffeine, nicotine, and even alcohol can interfere with the ability to fall asleep. Try to limit these substances, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime.

Special Considerations for Shift Workers

Shift workers, especially those whose shifts vary week-to-week, often face unique challenges when it comes to sleep. Irregular schedules disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, making it difficult to achieve restorative sleep. Here are some additional tips just for shift workers:

  1. Create a Sleep Sanctuary: If you have to sleep during the daylight hours, invest in blackout curtains or an eye mask to simulate darkness, tricking your brain into thinking it’s time to sleep. Earplugs or a white noise machine can block daytime noises. You can also use a noise podcast like Sleep Better.
  1. Strategic Napping: If you’re allowed to, taking short naps of 20-30 minutes can be effective in recharging without leaving you groggy (cat nap anyone?). However, avoid long naps late in your shift, as this could interfere with your ability to sleep later.
  1. Stick to a Routine: Even on your days off, try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule as much as possible. This consistency helps regulate your body’s internal clock. If this schedule syncs up with next week’s shifts, even better.
  1. Optimize Your Diet: Eating light meals close to your bedtime and avoiding heavy, spicy, or fatty foods can help you sleep more soundly.

To Sum it Up…

Quality and regular sleep is essential for both mental and physical well-being. By prioritizing good sleep hygiene and making small, sustainable changes, everyone, especially shift workers, can improve their sleep patterns and, in turn, bolster their mental health. Taking care of your sleep is one of the most effective ways to take care of your mind.

Learning About & Overcoming PTSD: Tips & Resources for 10 Common Symptoms

Over the past 10 weeks, we’ve been sharing a collection of tips, tricks, and resources to help those working through common PTSD symptoms. Now, you can see all of those listed out in one place for you below!

At the bottom of this article, we’ve combined the list of books, podcasts, videos, and apps and linked them to their source – making it easy for you to jump over and leverage those powerful tools.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are not therapists! These tips are suggestions only, and are not intended to be a replacement for medical or therapeutic advice. You should consult with licensed medical professionals for specific medical and therapeutic advice relative to your unique situation and symptoms.

Click any title below to learn more.

Hypervigilance

Why it can be a problem:

Vigilance – the act of being aware of your surroundings – isn’t a bad thing, especially in a high-stress job like the military or law enforcement. It’s when you’re hypervigilant in your civilian life, to the point that it messes with your day-to-day choices and activities, that you should consider an adjustment.

How do I know I’m being hypervigilant?

  • Do you always feel like the world is “out to get you?”
  • Do you have to have an exit plan, and sit with your back to the wall when you’re out to eat with friends or family?
  • Do you avoid large crowds and parking garages, because there might be a threat lurking there?
  • Do you startle easily?
  • Do you frequently feel anxious…for no reason at all?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help identify and deal with triggering events.
  • Keep a journal. Write down your day-to-day activities, and then look back with a clear mind to see if there really was a threat, or if you might have some work to do.
  • Try mindful activities. Things like meditation can help you to have more self-awareness, and can help you to deal with anxiety better. Some people find that regular exercise can be a meditative activity, as it can help to bleed off some of the anxious thoughts they struggle with.
  • Do the hard thing. Consciously put yourself into the situations that stress you out, but do it with someone at your side that understands how you’re feeling and what your response triggers are, so they can help you feel better about being there, or get you out if it becomes too much. Then journal about it and reflect!
Isolation

Why it can be a problem:

Feeling overstimulated by the people and events around you is common, and some alone time can be good. But forcing yourself to stay alone for long stretches of time, turning down invitations to socialize, and offers for medical (therapeutic) help, can exacerbate your negative feelings.

How do I know I’m self-isolating?

  • Do you find yourself saying no to your family, friends, and co-workers when they invite you to events?
  • Are you avoiding basic self-hygiene routines?
  • Do you find yourself calling out from work frequently?
  • Do you find yourself “snapping” at loved ones?
  • Do you see the trauma from your past over and over in your mind?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help identify and deal with triggering events.
  • Force yourself to say “yes”, even when you don’t want to. The next time someone extends an invitation to join them, or offers to help you find help, say yes.
  • Understand that not everyone “gets it.” What you went through was traumatizing, and yes, many people will not understand. Those people may be the ones closest to you. And that’s okay.
  • Try re-engaging in an old hobby. Sometimes, while you’re by yourself, you can help yourself to feel normal by doing something “safe” that you used to enjoy.
  • Schedule time to reconnect with people. Even if that is only a text message, phone call, or virtual interaction. Putting it in a calendar feels like a promise to yourself that you can’t break.
Poor Sleep

Why it can be a problem:

Babies show us all the time why not sleeping well can be an issue. In its most basic form, it can lead to irritability & bad moods. But it can also cause slow reaction times, memory issues, concentration, and can even cause you to spiral to thoughts of self harm.

How do I know I’m not sleeping well?

  • You feel more tired in the morning than when you went to bed.
  • You find yourself ‘nodding’ during work and leisure activities.
  • A workout feels impossible.
  • When driving, you end up at your destination without remembering driving there.
  • You find yourself staring at the ceiling at night when you should be sleeping.

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help you get the rest you need.
  • Avoid alcohol and other substances. While they may help you fall asleep, they’re not working toward solving the bigger issues causing you sleep issues in the first place.
  • Create a sleep hygiene habit. Figure out a routine around bedtime that helps your body settle naturally. Avoid caffeine and eating too late, limit screen time, and adjust the thermostat.
  • Consider journaling. Sometimes, just getting the thoughts out of your head that are keeping you up at night can help your mind to rest. Journaling can also be a powerful therapeutic tool to work through the worst days.
Anxiety

Why it can be a problem:

Anxiety is not a symptom that only folks with PTSD folks suffer from. And it’s also not always bad. Anxiety can be your body’s way of alerting you to its “fight or flight” response, which you need, but just not when there’s not actually anything wrong – can you relate? Anxious people tend to be locked in the fight, flight, or freeze mode.

How do I know I’m abnormally anxious?

  • Are you avoiding people, places, or things to keep from “freaking out?”
  • Do you feel constantly on edge?
  • Do you have trouble sleeping or concentrating?
  • Are you dealing with a constant state of dread or worry?
  • Are you getting regular headaches or other body ailments (pain, nausea)?

It’s important to note that everyone experiences anxiety differently, and anxiety from trauma is a category in and of itself.

What you can do about it:

  • Try the 3-3-3 rule when you’re anxious. Cut off the spiraling thoughts by observing 3 things around you, identifying 3 sounds you can hear, and moving 3 parts of your body. Force yourself to be conscious of the three things in each category and it can help to calm your mind.
  • Limit substances. Avoid substances that may aggravate your anxious feelings, like caffeine or alcohol.
  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help you find the calm that’s alluding you.
  • Identify your triggers. Knowing what’s happening that is affecting you and causing your anxiety can not only help you avoid those things in a healthy way, but can also help you learn to cope with them so that they stop stressing you out.
Concentration Issues

Why it can be a problem:

Also commonly referred to as brain fog, concentration issues from traumatic events are common. Not only can ‘not being able to concentrate’ cause you to feel like you’re losing your marbles, it can also result in unfortunate mishaps – like car accidents, miscommunication, or missed events.

How do I know I have brain fog?

  • Do you have a feeling like you can’t clear your mind, or are generally unclear?
  • Are you quick to get emotional?
  • Do you have difficulty completing tasks that used to be easy and quick?
  • Are you feeling extra forgetful lately?
  • Could you take a nap at any moment – even if you slept a full 8 hours?
  • Is it hard to process daily tasks or make a plan?

What you can do about it:

  • Limit substances. Avoid substances that may affect your cognitive abilities, like caffeine, alcohol, or other (legal or illegal) substances.
  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help you refocus and work through the fog. Look for one that specializes in trauma-sensitive therapies.
  • Practice Mindfulness: A term commonly linked to practices like yoga and meditation, being mindful can help you to be more present and feel more alert.
  • Exercise: Being active, especially with a group, can bring your mind back to the present while also helping you to release and work through some of the negative feelings that could be contributing to your brain fog.
  • Consider Your Diet: Eating a healthy, balanced diet of full of protein and vitamins can help give your brain the fuel it needs to find clarity.
(Lack of) Trust

Why it can be a problem:

A lack of trust in relationships can cause the relationships to falter – creating other problems like isolation. Trust is a key element for healthy relationships, regardless of whether those relationships exist at work, at home, or in social settings. If PTS symptoms exist due to an event with someone who was in your “inner circle,” trusting them, or anyone, again can be especially difficult.

Signs of Distrust:

  • Are you constantly suspicious?
  • Do you have an “I’ll do it myself” mentality?
  • Are you avoiding conversations with people because they might “use them against you?”
  • Do you question all of the information you’re given?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help you start to trust again.
  • Surround yourself with good people. If you spend a majority of your time around people that make you feel good/calm/safe/cared for, it can help you heal.
  • Experiment with sharing. If you’re not sure you can trust someone, try telling them something personal, but relatively insignificant. See what happens. How they handle that information can help you to decide if they can be trusted with more/more important information.
  • Know that it’s okay to struggle. Developing trust is hard, and that’s okay. If you value relationships with a deeper connection in your life, you’ll find ways to develop them and begin to trust again.
Guilt & Shame

Why it can be a problem:

Guilt and shame are destructive emotions that can be overwhelming when tied to PTSD. They can make a person feel “deeply flawed as a human”* and can leave them feeling disoriented on where they stand – both in society and with their circle of family and friends. These emotions can be very difficult to leave behind.

How do I know I’m experiencing shame or guilt?

  • Are you ruminating on the trauma you experienced?
  • Do you feel “unlovable” or “unworthy”?
  • Are you thinking about and/or acting on self-destructive behaviors like neglect, blame, or even self-harm?
  • Are you isolating from the people who love you?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help identify and deal with your emotions.
  • Work on Compassion. While you may need help from a therapist to find it, compassion can allow you to combat the feelings of guilt and shame, while increasing your feelings of connection, calm, and trust.
  • Distract Yourself. When you feel the guilt or shame coming on, develop a habit of immediately doing something else that’s healthier for your emotional state – like taking a walk, dancing it out, or calling a friend.
  • Identify Your Triggers. Understanding what brings on these negative feelings – which is often the same thing that makes you relive your trauma – can help you to avoid or work through the hardest times.

*Source: https://questpsychologyservices.co.uk/shame-why-does-it-come-from-trauma/

Flashbacks

Why it can be a problem:

Flashbacks are often incredibly vivid memories that can be triggered by any number of things. They can be so vivid, in fact, that the body can involuntarily react to events that aren’t actually happening in the present – causing harm to yourself or those around you. Experiencing flashbacks can also cause a number of other PTSD symptoms, like avoidance, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and more.

How do I know I’m experiencing flashbacks?

  • Are you experiencing episodes of remembering the traumatic events you went through that feel like they’re happening all over again?
  • Are you “waking up” or coming back to the present somewhere, not remembering how you got there?
  • Do certain sounds – like sirens or helicopters – trigger your fight or flight response?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help identify and deal with the trauma you experienced.
  • Ground yourself in the present. When you start experiencing a flashback, or your body feels like it did during your traumatic event, look for things in the present that you can see, hear, smell, and feel.
  • Use mindful techniques to step away from the flashback. Bringing yourself back to the present using deep, slow breaths, or tuning into the sensation of your feet on the ground, can help break the flashback’s effects.
  • Leverage journaling. Writing about your negative feelings, and about flashbacks when they happen, can help you to better identify your triggers and what you’re feeling so you can start to deal with them in a healthy way.
Emotion Regulation Issues

Why it can be a problem:

When a person has experienced an onslaught of emotions during a traumatic event, future regulation of their emotions and responses to normal life can be off-balance. Events where mild negative emotions are appropriate become overwhelming negative, and events where positive emotions are appropriate can be a source of struggle, with trauma survivors reporting little to no emotion. Oftentimes, emotions can swing wildly and much more quickly than those without trauma experiences.

How do I know I’m struggling with emotion regulation?

  • Are loved ones trying to figure out why you’re so upset “all of a sudden”?
  • Do you find yourself unable to enjoy things that use to bring you joy?
  • Have you recently overreacted to a stressful situation, maybe even causing yourself or others pain?
  • Have you had seemingly unprovoked, intense feelings – either positive or negative – with no idea why?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help identify and deal with the trauma you experienced.
  • Leverage journaling. Writing about your feelings, what’s happening when they appear, and your / others reactions to your feelings can help you start to identify triggers and relearn how to regulate them.
  • Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms. Stimulants and depressors like drugs, alcohol, or self-harm can only aggravate your symptoms, and cannot provide real solutions. Avoid these while you’re learning how to regulate emotions.
  • Explore new things. If you’re having trouble finding joy in things that previously brought you joy, consider exploring new hobbies. Oftentimes, breaking out of a routine or breaking out of the norm can surprise us.

Anger & Irritability

Why it can be a problem:

Feelings of anger and irritability, which are common with PTSD, can cause a person to feel on edge because they’ve gone into fight or flight mode. In addition to these negative feelings, being on edge for a long time can also cause difficulty sleeping and an abnormal sense of hypervigilance (covered in week one). Not only that, but anger and irritability can cause a person to lash out, pushing away those closest to them.

How do I know I’m suffering from PTSD-related anger or irritability?

  • Do you feel a heightened sense of emotion, maybe coupled with a racing heart, or spiraling thoughts?
  • Do you find yourself wanting to hit something or be destructive?
  • Do you commonly think that everyone is “trying to piss you off”? 
  • Have family or friends stopped reaching out or coming around?

What you can do about it:

  • Talk to a therapist or a support group. They can help you with proven techniques designed to help identify and deal with the trauma you experienced.
  • Take a time-out. Not in the sense that you might have experienced as a child, where you go stand in the corner, but rather, intentionally stepping away from a situation so you have time cool off and think with a clearer mind.
  • Refocus on self-care / self-soothing. When you find yourself in an angered state, doing something that is intended to help you feel more calm and mindful can be helpful. Think of things like reading a book, stretching, burning a favorite candle, or listening to soothing music. Incorporate things that force you to leverage your senses and help get you out of your head.

Resources

Books

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? By Julie Smith

Lessons in Cadence by Eric Basek

Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma by Ken Falke & Josh Goldberg

Reconnecting After Isolation: Coping with Anxiety, Depression, Grief, PTSD, and More by Susan J. Noonan

Who You Were Before Trauma: The Healing Power of Imagination for Trauma Survivors by Luise Reddemann

The Soldier’s Guide to PTSD: A No-Shit Guide to Reclaiming Your Life by Virginia Cruse

The Beauty of a Darker Soul: Overcoming Trauma Through the Power of Human Connection by Joshua Mantz

The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks by Dr. Mike Dow

Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, HOw to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken by Dr. Henry Cloud

How Trust Works: The Science of How Relationships are Built, Broken, and Repaired by Peter H. Kim

I Love You But I Don’t Trust You: The Complete Guide to Restoring Trust in Your Relationship by Mira Kirshenbaum

I Shouldn’t Feel This Way: Name What’s Hard, Tame Your Guilt, and Transform Self-Sabotage into Brave Action by Dr. Alison Cook

Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings by Thibaut Meurisse

Triggers: How We Can Stop Reacting and Start Healing by David Richo

What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World by Prentis Hemphill

Healing What You Can’t Erase: Transform Your Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Health from the Inside Out by Christopher Cook

Links to books from Bookshop.org when applicable. We receive absolutely nothing from sending you there, but you get the opportunity to support small, independent bookstores of your choosing!

Podcasts

Get Sleepy

Nothing Much Happens Sleep Stories

Tracks to Relax

Not Another Anxiety Show with Kelli Walker

Focus Toolkit from the Huberman Lab Podcast

Think Unbroken, Episode 132

Happiness 2.0 by HiddenBrain.org

Videos

Focus Toolkit from the Huberman Lab Podcast

PTSD Flashbacks Explained with Dr. Harry McCleary

Apps

Calm – iPhone & Android

Forest – iPhone & Android

Substance Abuse & PTSD Resources

Almost 1 out of every 3 Veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorder also have PTSD. Studies show PTSD and substance use problems are strongly related in people who served in the military and in civilians. Therefore, our organization is raising awareness of co-occurring disorders during May – National Military Appreciation Month as well as June, PTSD Awareness Month. 

Below are just some of our free resources available for veterans and military members suffering from co-occurring disorders and PTSD: 

For those hoping to find help in their local areas they can also use our free directory to locate the nearest treatment facilities or they can use our free text line to start the road to recovery.

Tamarah Ibraheem

American Addiction Centers 

You Deserve Space to Heal

by Carey Duval

You Deserve Space to Heal

Never, ever say “I don’t need help. Other people have had it worse.”

That is the single most dangerous phrase you can say to yourself when you are struggling. In reciting, you have denied yourself the right to healing in any way. You resign yourself to suffer needlessly. Variations on this phrase are how people spiral into pain and addiction and anger. It is why the nicest person you know stays in that abusive relationship. It’s how people justify staying in Cults. This is how you stay in horrible situations when the door is right in front of you.

After getting blown up in Afghanistan, breaking a whole slew of bones and losing my dominant hand, I looked around the Physical Therapy wing at Walter Reed and saw fellow Veterans and a couple from the Boston Marathon Bombing with injuries that – in my mind – far surpassed my own.

Saying “I have no room to complain. My injuries are a papercut compared to these people.” was my way of not wallowing and staying motivated to get back to serving on Active Duty. It became a phrase I would say to allay my fear of getting help from Behavioral Health.

I was afraid of being diagnosed with PTSD. All I wanted was to do my job as an Infantryman, so every time I’d suddenly get claustrophobic in a crowd, or feel myself unable to calm down, I would tell myself that I didn’t have the time to get treatment. I would say it was ridiculous that I was panicking. What had happened to me wasn’t that bad.

But I had been blown up in combat. By a Vehicle-borne IED driven by a suicide bomber that left my several ton armored vehicle utterly totaled. I was lucky to survive at all.

And for years I was still telling myself that I didn’t deserve to heal.

I got Cognitive Processing Therapy eventually, a regimented program of reassessment and reprocessing that left me with a tool I can use any time to bring myself back to the present moment, along with a comprehensive summary of my own narratives of my own traumatic experiences. My life is better because I sought out help and accepted that help once it was offered.

The single most important factor of interpreting your reality is the story you tell yourself. In Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Volume 4: Season of Mists, the story reveals that no one is dragged to Hell. Every soul in Hell sends itself there, believing it needs to be punished for what it believes it has done wrong in life. No one can own or control another soul, they belong only to themselves, they just hate owning up to that fact. Acknowledging that we belong only to ourselves is our responsibility. It means that it is our responsibility to heal for ourselves and for the people arounds us.

You do not deserve torment. Do not give your situation power over you. Do not let anyone take your agency away from you, and do not give it away. You and you alone are the one that can allow you to heal. Don’t put it off for later, because trauma doesn’t stay in a box until you have time to deal with it. Take the time with a professional to manage it. Do this for you. You deserve the space to heal.

Carey DuVal