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Sleep

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What is it?

Wellbeing Tools
  • Rest is vital for emotional wellbeing in a busy life.
  • Adequate sleep regulates mood & reduces stress.
  • Leisure activities offer relaxation & rejuvenation.
  • Helps manage stress & maintain emotional balance.

Here's more detail

Published: 26/10/23

Description

A child sleeping with an alarm clock

Rest can be an important strategy for nurturing your emotional wellbeing. Life can be a whirlwind of activity, from school demands to extracurricular activities, social engagements and personal growth. While it’s important to learn new things and pursue your interests, it’s equally crucial to make time for rest and relaxation.

Getting enough sleep and taking breaks to rest can work wonders for your emotional health. Adequate sleep can help to regulate your mood, improve your concentration and reduce feelings of irritability and stress. By recharging your mental and emotional batteries, you can face each day with a clearer mind. Additionally, taking breaks and engaging in leisure activities you enjoy, whether it’s reading a book, listening to music or spending time in nature, can provide essential moments of calm and rejuvenation. These breaks can give your mind a chance to unwind, helping you manage stress and maintain emotional balance during the ups and downs of life.

  • Learn more

    Sleeping well is essential for both physical and mental wellbeing

    Sleep is important for:

    • Helping us to repair and restore our brains and bodies
    • Processing information
    • Consolidating memories

    Research suggests that getting adequate has long-term benefits for mental health. However, many of us struggle with sleep, and mental health problems can often have a detrimental impact on sleep. Tips for getting a good night’s sleep:

    • Write down your thoughts and feelings before going to sleep
    • Switch off your phone and practise meditation, breathing exercises or another form of relaxation before sleeping
    • Create a routine around going to bed and getting up the next day
    • Plan for the next day
    • Find calming activities to do before bed

    Researchers have shared five principles for good sleep health, which are that we should:

    • Value our sleep as something crucial to our lives, and take our sleep seriously
    • Prioritise our sleep by putting sleep first when making choices about what we want to do
    • Personalise our sleep by finding the ‘sleep window’ that works best for us
    • Trust that sleep is a natural process and that our sleep will get itself into a good pattern
    • Protect our sleep by avoiding or preventing things that can upset it

    To learn more about sleep and mental health, visit the links below.

Some resources that may help:

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