Sleep is an integral part of your health and well-being. Many of us will probably be aware of how it feels when we’ve not had a lot of sleep in the night. You wake up groggy, irritable, and in need of some caffeine.
For those who have ADHD, that can add another layer of complexity when you don’t get enough sleep. It can also influence how effectively you fall asleep and how much quality sleep you get as a result.
With that being said, if you’re looking to get better with your bedtime routine, then here’s everything you could have known sooner when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
Why doomscrolling is bad for your sleep
Doomschooling is bad for sleep, and a lot of people do this, particularly when they’re in bed. It’s that time of the day when you want to decompress, and so a lot of people opt to check their phone and inevitably end up scrolling on social media.
The combination of physiological and psychological arousal that doomscrolling on your phone causes will lead to poor sleep quality and even potential daytime fatigue. Here are some of the ways doomscrolling is bad for your sleep.
Heightened arousal
Engaging with distressing or emotionally stimulating content will often keep your brain in a state of alert or alertness. As such, it can prevent you from getting into that relaxed and restful mindset required for sleep.
Disrupts circadian rhythm
Staring at a blue screen can often suppress melatonin, and that blue light disrupts your natural circadian rhythm. Your internal body clock, therefore, will find it harder to feel tired at night.
Suppresses melatonin
The blue light emitted from your tablets, computers, or phones often interferes with the brain’s production of melatonin. As such, a hormone that’s crucial for regulating your sleep-wake cycle
The blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and computers interferes with the brain’s production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for regulating your sleep-wake cycle.
Increased anxiety and stress
With social media and news being so easily consumed on your phones, this can trigger a lot of feelings of worry and anxiety. That can make it hard to fall asleep.
The tiny changes that made the biggest difference
There are small changes that you can make to your bedtime routine that will make a big difference in the quality of sleep that you get every night. Here are a few examples to try for yourself.
A consistent bedtime and wakeup time
Be consistent with your bedtime and wakeup times. This is an important step when it comes to making those changes within your nighttime routine. Setting the same bedtime and wakeup time will help train your body so that you’re taking control of how much sleep your body gets most nights. Of course, it’s not always something you can stick to completely.
Try to set a time that works for you and the rest of the household, if applicable. The more you can adapt it to fit into your household routine, the more it’s likely going to be something you can stick to.
Limit evening light exposure
Evening light exposure is something you want to limit, especially when it comes to your bedtime environment. Try to avoid looking at your phone for at least half an hour to an hour before you intend to go to sleep.
This will ensure that melatonin isn’t suppressed, and as such, you go into that relaxed state needed for a good night’s rest. Try to lock away your phone and tablet, so that they’re out of sight and don’t entice you to doomscroll.
Be mindful of eating well
It’s always good to try and eat well where you can. Although that’s not always realistic, especially during celebrations where you might eat more food than usual, for the majority of the time, being mindful can make a big difference to how well you sleep at night.
With that being said, look at what you’re eating currently and whether there’s anything you’re consuming that could be making it hard to sleep. You may also find that when you eat too much, you struggle with falling asleep because you’re uncomfortable from being too full.
Incorporate exercise into the evening, especially
Exercise should be something that you’re incorporating into the evening, where possible, as this will likely help you fall asleep quickly when you’ve depleted all of your energy.
However, incorporating exercise into your day-to-day life is a great way to help lose weight, increase your energy in the day, while also helping to get a better night’s sleep.
Keep your mind clear by journaling
Journaling is a great way to help relax and to process any and all emotions or thoughts you might have. If you’re looking to get a better night’s sleep, it’s a good idea to keep your mind clear by having a journal close by. That way, you can write down everything you’ve got in your head so your mind is clear for a peaceful night.
Why routines matter even when ADHD makes them hard
For those with ADHD, routines are important and which is why these tips are beneficial to incorporate. There are also ADHD sleep supplement options that can help improve the quality of sleep you’re getting every night.
Routines matter because they help to regulate the body’s internal clock. Without it, it can make it harder to fall asleep and harder to wake up.
Routines are helpful for those with ADHD because they provide structure and predictability. Those with ADHD will often struggle with transitions and a lack of structure.
Managing emotional overload can be helpful with a structured routine and optimizing your sleeping habits. Your hormones are influenced a lot by the quality of sleep you have, so it’s not just about benefiting yourself but also others around you.
If you’re looking to improve your bedtime routine, then these tips will help greatly. Not only to get more sleep but to get better quality sleep as well.
Thank you for reading!
lyndsinreallife