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Better Sleep Tips For Depressives

by Rena Sherwood

Image stolen from www.cutefolio.comOkay, I fibbed — these better sleep tips should be able to work for anyone who is having trouble sleeping, whether they have depression or not. But getting proper sleep is extra important for those with any type of depression, because being exhausted intensifies the misery and helplessness that you feel. Just being able to get regular sleep can help you learn new tasks, concentrate and make decisions better. When you can do that for yourself, you don’t feel so helpless and hopeless.

The Right Ammount

Remember — better sleep does not necessarily mean more sleep. In some cases, it may mean less. The average adult should only be getting seven hours of sleep a night for a man and eight hours for a woman. More than eight hours of sleep is not recommended, unless you are an infant or fighting off an illness like the flu. When you are first taking an antidepressant, you’ll often need to sleep more for the first week or two until your body adjusts.

Please check with your doctor to be sure of the right amount of sleep for you.

Turn Off The Television

Unless you are watching one something like Raising the Mammoth (perhaps the worst doctumentary ever made by Discovery Channel), it’s best to switch the boob tube off at least one hour before getting into bed and turning out the light. This is because television can be too stimulating or upsetting — especially if you watch the news.

Use The Bed Just For Sleep

If you can possibly help it, use the bed just for sleep. Don’t read in it, play with the laptop or … well… anything else you may often do in bed. By only lying down with your eyes closed in the bed, this conditions your brain into associating sleep with lying in the bed. If the sight of a rest room door suddenly makes your bladder complain, then you already know the power of subconscious conditioning.

Light Snacks Only

About two hours before going to bed, stop eating anything heavy, loaded with protien or full of sugar and caffeine. A bowl of lightly sweetened (or unswetened) cereal is one of the best snacks you can have before going to bed.

Sweet dreams.


One Response to “Better Sleep Tips For Depressives”

  1. Depression Talk » Blog Archive » Is This All There Is To Life? Says:

    [...] now, the more of a hole you’ll dig yourself into. When you have depression, you can’t sleep well and are more prone to illnesses and can’t concentrate. You need to let yourself have the [...]

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