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9. Vierra J, Boonla O, Prasertsri P. Effects of sleep deprivation and 4‐7‐8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in Healthy Young Adults. Physiological Reports. 2022;10(13). doi:10.14814/phy2.15389. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9277512/. Accessed April 19, 2024.
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1. New Oxford study shows brief sleep therapy delivered by nurses improves insomnia. Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford. August 11, 2023. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/news/new-oxford-study-shows-brief-sleep-therapy-delivered-by-nurses-improves-insomnia.  
2. Kyle SD, Siriwardena AN, Espie CA, et al. Clinical and cost-effectiveness of nurse-delivered sleep restriction therapy for insomnia in primary care (habit): A pragmatic, superiority, open-label, Randomised Controlled Trial. The Lancet. 2023;402(10406):975-987. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00683-9. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00683-9/fulltext. Accessed April 19, 2024.
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5. Worley SL. The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep: The Detrimental Effects of Inadequate Sleep on Health and Public Safety Drive an Explosion of Sleep Research. P T. 2018;43(12):758-763. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281147/. Accessed April 19, 2024. 
6. Yu DJ, Recchia F, Bernal JD, et al. Effectiveness of exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and pharmacotherapy on improving sleep in adults with chronic insomnia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Healthcare. 2023;11(15):2207. doi:10.3390/healthcare11152207. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10418444/. Accessed April 19, 2024.

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How Sleep Stats Can Inform Your Care

When Poor Sleep is a Warning Sign

While lack of sleep and poor sleep quality can cause mental health symptoms, it can also be caused by them

The sleep-mental health connection is what’s called bidirectional. Not only does inadequate sleep contribute to poor mental health, it can also be a sign of a mental health condition—depressive symptoms and anxiety can [also] lead to reduced sleep.

Talkspace psychiatrist Dr. Dion Metzger, MD

Having access to your detailed sleep data can help your provider understand if you might need a different type of treatment or benefit from medication. It can also indicate if a medication is working or might need to be adjusted.

A Special Offer From Talkspace and Oura

The Oura ring is a great tool that can make tracking sleep much easier and it can provide more detailed data around sleep. But even without it, people can keep a sleep log so that the therapist and client can track sleep patterns over a period of time. With personal sleep data we can partner with you to connect sleep to mental health issues and work toward solutions.

Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LMHC

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To cope with his heart health problems, my 82-year-old grandfather sleeps much of his days away, as would be expected for someone his age and in his condition. But as a young professional in my prime of life, why is it that I sleep as much, if not more than him? As a result of living with two mental illnesses and battling their symptoms daily, I deal with chronic fatigue. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve been exhausted since 2016.

No matter how much sleep I get, I am always tired. Not just tired but exhausted. Sleep helps, don’t get me wrong, but I am exhausted regardless. And getting only 7 hours of sleep won’t cut it, I’m a walking zombie. My roommates have gotten used to my 12-hour sleeping habits, but trust me, no one in my life thinks it’s normal (especially my mental health providers). Because of depression, when I wake up my body feels like dead weight and getting out of bed in the morning is the hardest part of my day. I’ve also gone through phases of insomnia that lead to chronic fatigue. This level of fatigue is not normal for most adults, especially when experienced for extended periods. 

Lack of sleep is a reality for many people, so how do you know when feeling tired becomes feeling exhausted? And what can you do to decrease or relieve chronic fatigue?

What Constitutes Being Exhausted?

Sleep is deeply connected to optimum physical and mental functioning. When our health is suffering, our sleep is impacted. If tiredness impacts your ability to get through the day, this could be a sign of actually being exhausted. Feeling exhausted cannot be cured with a good night’s rest, rather it is a state of constant long-term fatigue. This chronic fatigue is persistent and impacts normal daily functioning.

Exhaustion is all-encompassing, impacting how we interact with others in all parts of life and how we feel while doing so. Talkspace therapist Dr. Meaghan Rice, PsyD, LPC, says being exhausted makes us “more irritable, frustrated, not as open to accepting responsibility for our contribution, defensive, critical,” and “our physical bodies take a hit.” It feels like a weight on your shoulders that you must carry while completing daily tasks; it’s something hard for anyone no matter their previous level of functioning. 

Are You Tired or Exhausted?

Tiredness is typical for many adults living a busy lifestyle. CDC research finds as many as 35% of adults do not get the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night. However, tiredness passes into feeling exhausted when it comes with more severe symptoms and a deeper cause, rather than just typical sleepiness from a poor night of rest.

When hardships occur in your life, it’s easy to become exhausted. Dr. Rice says “tiredness is certainly something that we all experience, but for me, exhaustion is what takes over when I’m not being mindful of hardships occurring in more than one category [of my life].” She adds that no amount of sleep cures this kind of fatigue because it is rooted in deeper issues that must be addressed.

There are tell-tale signs that you might not just be tired, but are exhausted. When you’re experiencing more than tiredness with additional physical and mental symptoms, it may be time to consult a doctor. If you have many of the following symptoms frequently, you likely are exhausted.

Signs of being exhausted include:

• Waking up still feeling tired
• Small tasks are draining
• Emotional dysregulation
• Constant feelings of stress
• Irritability 
• Trouble focusing
• Forgetfulness
• Indecision
• Headaches
• Eating too much or too little
• Dry skin and lips, acne
• Difficulty falling asleep and/or getting quality rest
• Dizziness
• Catching a cold or illness often

Causes of Feeling Exhausted

Being exhausted is associated with many different mental and physical illnesses. This means the causes of fatigue vary from person to person. Exhaustion commonly occurs because of mental stress from overworking or burnout. Often this is related to stress from the workplace, but it can be stress of any kind and can be a combination of stress from multiple areas of life.

In particular, for many people, mental illness is closely tied to feeling exhausted. Anyone with a mental illness can tell you that living with their condition is exhausting. Being exhausted is especially common among those dealing with major depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorders. Dealing with any mental problem is exhausting, thus, for many people it’s a symptom of poor mental health.

Naturally, many physical illnesses are also associated with feeling exhausted. When you’re fighting off an ailment, the body is devoting its energy to survival. This means there is less energy left for normal functioning, so our bodies become easily exhausted. Being exhausted is also commonly connected to high blood pressure, heart disease, anemia, hypothyroidism, and fibromyalgia, according to Mayo Clinic. There are also sleep-related illnesses that cause exhaustion, such as sleep apnea and chronic fatigue syndrome. 

When exhausted we often think, “if I could just sleep longer and harder, the exhaustion would go away,” Dr. Rice says. “But while that’s the easier route, it’s not actually all that effective. Just like with weeds, we have to get to the root in order for the weed not to grow back, we have to get to the root of the exhaustion if we want to feel like we have a full cup.” Consulting a medical professional is the best way to understand why you’re exhausted and how to address it.

Ways to Manage Feeling Exhausted

Different people will require different strategies to manage feeling exhausted, so explore what helps you feel better when seeking help from a professional. One way to address feeling exhausted is to prioritize getting quality sleep to help with any fatigue directly resulting from lack of rest. 

Here are key tips for better sleep from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Tips for better sleep:

• Aim to get quality sleep for at least 7 hours each night. 
• Maintain a consistent sleep routine, going to bed and waking up at the same time daily. Schedule it into your day if needed.
• Develop a relaxing sleep routine before bedtime. This could include habits like taking a shower, lighting candles, dimming the lights, and reading a book before shuteye.
• Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol before bedtime.
• Only use your bed for sleeping and sex.
• Put down electronic devices 30 minutes before bed, the light can impact your ability to fall asleep.

While sleep can help with managing feeling exhausted, it’s not a panacea. Many of us still have responsibilities, which are harder to complete when exhausted. 

Here are some tips for managing your day while exhausted.

Ways to cope with being exhausted during the day:

• Eat balanced, energizing foods throughout the day. Incorporate foods with sustaining energy, such as nuts, whole grains, and leafy vegetables. And don’t forget your 6-8 glasses of water!
• Practice techniques for reducing stress, such as meditation, getting outside, and deep breathing exercises.
• Prioritize the most important tasks for the day. Make sure the amount of work is feasible for your level of energy.
• Take the day one step at a time and listen to how you’re feeling. Don’t push yourself to do more tasks than you’re able because that will only further deplete you.
• Incorporate breaks throughout the day so you don’t get drained as quickly.
• Find hobbies that relax you and incorporate them into your routing, not just on the weekends, to create more balance and additional recharging time. This could be as simple as watching a comfort show, listening to music, or playing with a pet.
• Be gentle with yourself because it is hard to function at full capacity when you’re exhausted. It can be helpful to leave reminders to take a break or to practice positive affirmations.

The most important step you can take to help when you’re exhausted is to seek out expert medical advice and treatment. This is the best way to address why you’re exhausted. From there, you can understand what is causing your chronic fatigue and work towards solving the issues.

Mental health professionals continue to help me work through the deeper issues connected to why I’m exhausted. Thankfully I’ve found ways to incorporate more rest and ways to re-energize myself into my lifestyle to meet my needs. And a morning dose of cold brew to compliment my antidepressants never hurt anyone. Prioritizing meaningful work that I am passionate about also gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning and push through the fatigue. 

Seeing an expert mental health professional can help you unpack the underlying issues making you exhausted and learn strategies to cope with it. Speaking with a Talkspace therapist is a great place to start. Talkspace offers affordable, convenient online therapy so you can start your journey towards recovery today.

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This phenomenon occurs when a person starts to wake up and experiences a temporary loss of muscle function, typically during transitions into and out of REM sleep. While the condition is not dangerous, sleep paralysis can be terrifying if you suffer from it, especially if you find yourself awake in the darkness of night, completely paralyzed and unable to speak or fully open your eyes.

What is Sleep Paralysis?

Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis is a parasomnia occurring when undesired events happen during sleep. When a person experiences sleep paralysis, they are unable to move their body when falling asleep or when waking from sleep. In normal circumstances, your brain signals your muscles to relax and remain static while you sleep, but during episodes of sleep paralysis your muscles remain immobile, even once you are awake.

Sleep paralysis can also be a sign of a different type of sleep disorder, narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes overwhelming drowsiness and can result in a person suddenly falling asleep multiple times a day. It is important to note that many people who do not have narcolepsy can still experience sleep paralysis, but in some cases, there is a connection between the two conditions.

Why is Sleep Paralysis So Scary?

It can be incredibly scary to find yourself unable to move during a sleep paralysis episode, and it is common to feel anxious and afraid.

The most frightening aspect of sleep paralysis is typically the fact that you are “awake” for a few moments or a few minutes — which can seem like an eternity —while your body transitions into a state of full wakefulness. You might imagine this brief period of lucidity as your brain moving faster than your body. During a “normal” sleep-cycle your brain and body awake simultaneously and almost instantly. When this doesn’t occur, and you are awake, but unable to move your body, the resulting anxiety levels can rise precipitously. It may feel as if you’ve lost control, even as your body is functioning as it should, though slightly delayed. This anxiety can be heightened by the occasional accompanying hallucination or dream-like visions during these episodes.

Despite the fear and anxiety that sleep paralysis induces, you should still be able to breathe normally and are not in immediate danger. These episodes may occur just once or throughout your lifetime.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Paralysis?

The most common indicator of sleep paralysis is a person’s inability to move or speak during an episode from anywhere between a few seconds to about two minutes. While sleep paralysis is not a medical emergency and does not put you in danger, understanding the signs and symptoms of sleep paralysis can help demystify the experience.

Common symptoms include:

• Inability to move arms, legs, body, and head when falling asleep or waking up.
• Sensation of something pushing you down.
• Feeling like someone or something is in the room.
• Being frightened and fearful.
• Hallucinations that can occur during, before, or after sleep (in rarer cases).

Episodes of sleep paralysis are typically short and generally end on their own or when another person touches or moves you. In the moment, you may be aware that you are experiencing sleep paralysis, and in some cases, you might even be able to remember the details of the experience once the episode is over.

What is a “sleep paralysis demon?”

Some who experience sleep paralysis speak of a “demon” or “presence” in their room, which is a typical audio or visual hallucinatory symptom. The term “sleep paralysis demon” may refer to the feeling of a weight on the chest, but also harkens back to the folkloric traditions of the succubus or incubus — thought to seduce the sleeper into sexual activity — but these notions are now easily explained by more advanced sleep science research. Reports of alien “abductions” and other paranormal phenomena have also been attributed to sleep paralysis.

However momentarily frightening your experience, it is important to remember that sleep paralysis is harmless and does not put you in any real danger.

Who’s at Risk for Sleep Paralysis?

Sleep paralysis is fairly common and can impact men and women of any age. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, individuals suffering from sleep paralysis typically start experiencing the condition between the ages of 14 and 17, and while the estimates vary, researchers believe anywhere between 5 and 40 percent of the population experience it.

You may be more likely to have sleep paralysis if you meet some or all of the following criteria:

• A relative has had sleep paralysis.
• Sustained lack of sleep or ongoing insomnia.
• A sleep schedule that often changes.
• Prolonged mental stress and/or anxiety.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Sleeping on your back.
• The use of certain medications.
• Diagnosed bipolar disorder.
• Sleep-related leg cramps.
• Narcolepsy.

How is Sleep Paralysis Diagnosed and Treated?

Because it is fairly common and generally does not impact your overall health, recurrent sleep paralysis does not require a formal diagnosis.

Consider talking with your doctor or a licensed therapist if your experience with sleep paralysis is making you anxious, keeping you up at night, or making you feel exhausted during the day. When speaking with your doctor or a sleep specialist, you can expect to be asked about when these episodes started, how often they occur and the duration of each episode, as well as any past or present drug and medication use.

When it comes to treating sleep paralysis, a doctor will aim to address the underlying causes. If sleep deprivation is triggering these episodes, try getting at least six to eight hours of sleep each night. If underlying psychiatric issues or narcolepsy is a factor, it will likely require treatment with medication overseen by a doctor. Meet with an in-person or online psychiatrist to discuss your treatment options. In many cases, lifestyle changes such as reducing underlying stress is something that therapy can help address.

It is important to remember symptoms of sleep paralysis typically resolve within a few minutes and are not physically harmful. While the inability to move your body when falling asleep or when waking up from sleep is frightening and unsettling, sleep paralysis typically does not require treatment unless symptoms interfere with your day-to-day life. This common issue impacts people of all ages and can happen just once or many times a year. If you do experience sleep paralysis, try to remember that you are not in immediate danger and that it will indeed pass.

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I’m a busy mom of two kids, and pre-quarantine, I was waking up at the crack of dawn to get my kids ready for school and on the school bus. Then I’d work all day, tend to my kids when they got home from school, feed everyone again, work some more before bedtime, put my kids to bed,and then usually stay up way too late — nights were my only “me” time.

I was averaging about 6 hours of sleep a night, which may work for some, but it really wasn’t working for me at all. I was always exhausted.

Now, everyone in my home can sleep as late as we want, and while I’m still working (and attempting to homeschool my kids, which is a whole other headache), there is a lot more flexibility in my life. I had been really looking forward to sleeping till 8am, stressing less about the busyness of life, and catching some much-needed ZZZs.

But, instead, I’m finding myself more exhausted than ever. It feels totally counterintuitive, and totally unfair. And yet, I know I’m not the only one. Almost everyone I know who is stuck at home now is abysmally exhausted. Sure, we no longer have to commute, and we barely have other commitments besides working (if we’re been lucky enough to still be employed,) and keeping ourselves or our families fed.

So why are we more tired than we’ve ever been?

Why Are We So Tired?

It turns out that there are a few reasons why so many of us are dripping with fatigue even though we have oodles of time on our hands for rest and relaxation. In a nutshell, living through a global crisis is not exactly good for our stress levels — and stress can permeate all aspects of our bodies and minds.

Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep

I don’t know about you, but it is taking me a lot longer than usual to fall asleep. Even once I’m asleep, the quality of my sleep is poor. I almost always wake up between 5-6am, mind racing, and it takes me forever to fall back asleep, if I even do.

Why is that? Blame stress — more specifically, the hormones that are released when we are stressed: cortisol and adrenaline. Essentially, the stress that so many of us are experiencing during the day affects our sleep at night.

“Stress not only keeps the mind racing, which can get in the way of falling asleep, but it also triggers the release of several hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol,” explains Michael J Breus Ph.D., in Psychology Today. “This activates your ‘fight or flight’ response system and raises your blood pressure and heart rate; it can also lead to sleep disorders like insomnia.”

But increased stress hormones don’t just make it difficult to fall asleep; they make it difficult to stay asleep too.

“Chronic stress raises cortisol levels…and it can certainly cause you to have more awakenings during the night. It doesn’t matter if you have the time to sleep,” Gail Saltz, associate professor of psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill-Cornell School of Medicine, explains to The Washington Post.

Blame “quarantine fatigue”

But it’s not just chronic sleep deprivation that can make us tired — though that’s certainly a huge factor here. It’s also the onslaught of scary and depressing news; the days that bleed one into the other; and the sense of gloom and doom that many of us are experiencing. All of that together can really stress out our bodies, deplete our resources, and leave us feeling completely wiped out.

“A lot of people describe being really fatigued at the end of the day,” Mary Fristad, psychologist from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explained to Healthline.

“[W]e’re all experiencing so much change and unpredictability in our life,” Fristad added. “A lot of people are feeling very anxious, particularly if they’re having financial difficulties, which so many people are.”

Not only that, but some of us are actually feeling overburdened, says Fristad, especially parents, who are suddenly shouldering the dual responsibility of homeschooling their kids while working from home.

But even if you’re not a parent, you may still be feeling over-extended. You may be facing unemployment, or deaths and illness among your loved ones. If you are an essential worker, you may be working extra hours, and experiencing the enormous stress and anxiety of working on the frontlines of the pandemic.

We are less active

It sometimes feels counterintuitive, but extending energy through exercise or movement actually gives you more energy overall. Plus, it can help you sleep better. So many of us are spending endless hours holed up in our homes — which often means we are depriving ourselves of exercise and activity, not to mention sunlight and fresh air, both of which are natural energizers — that, when combined with the shuttering of gyms, we’re finding it difficult to get the exercise we need.

“[S]tudies link time spent out in fresh air and sunshine to a greater sense of vitality,” explains Whitney Christian, a family medicine doctor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Not only does being outside benefit you with more energy throughout the day, but vitality helps our bodies become more resilient to physical illness.”

4 Ways To Cope With Exhaustion

Over the past few weeks, I’ve become more determined than ever to get more rest. I’ve always had migraines, but over the past few weeks, they have been near-constant, which is a wake-up call to me that I need to prioritize sleep and destress as much as possible.

Here’s what I’m doing to maximize my sleep and increase my energy levels.

1. Keep a regular sleep schedule

It may be tempting to use this time to stay up late and sleep in, or to allow yourself to have a sleep schedule that is all over the place, but that only makes your sleep worse overall and can lead to chronic exhaustion. You will sleep better if you keep a regular sleep and wake schedule. If your sleep issues persist, consider taking an online insomnia test to learn whether difficulty sleeping is a symptom of an underlying sleep disorder.

2. Limit news exposure, especially right before bed

As a news junkie, this is a hard one, but experts agree that limiting your exposure to upsetting news right before bed will mean a better night’s sleep. It makes sense when you think about it. If you jack up your system with stress and anxiety right before you go to sleep, how are you supposed to relax and unwind?

3. Get active and get outside

Just 30 minutes of activity a day can help you sleep better — and while it can be hard to get outside the house these days, just getting out a few times a week (while practicing strict social distancing) can work wonders for the body and soul.

4. Work on your stress levels

Besides following safety recommendations, there is little we can do as individuals to make this pandemic go away. This lack of control can feel really scary and anxiety-inducing to many of us, but experiencing stress 24/7 doesn’t have to be our reality. Making time each day to manage your stress can make a huge difference. Maintaining destressing routines — such as meditating each day, making time to share/vent with loved ones, and connecting with a mental health professional — are all ways we can manage our stress levels.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being tired. And at this point, no one really has any idea how long the stay-at-home orders impacting many of us will last, when things will get back to normal, or what that that normal may even look like. We may be in this strange space for the long haul, so it makes sense for us to figure out ways to adapt — being well rested should definitely top our lists.

I’m making this a priority for myself from now on. Are you in?

The post With More Time To Sleep, Why Are We Still So Exhausted? appeared first on Talkspace.

The post COVID-19 & Insomnia: The Impact on Your Sleep appeared first on Talkspace.

Admittedly, therapists have an advantage in fighting sleep problems because we know a little more about how sleep works. Good sleep depends on your routines and habits — known as sleep hygiene — your physical needs, your mental functioning, and sometimes, medical intervention. Let’s look at each of these four pillars of good sleep more deeply and learn more about what therapists try when sleep eludes us.

Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep habits, or sleep hygiene, are among the most important changes you can make if you aren’t getting enough shut eye. There are many different ways you could create good sleep habits, depending on what works best for you. Commonly, the following are good ways to start.

• Set a consistent sleep/wake time
  Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day helps your body know when it’s time to sleep. Trying to get up and go to bed at the same time each day will help you sleep more soundly through the night and eliminate trouble falling asleep. Keeping this routine can be beneficial even on weekends — try to get up at a similar time, even if it means taking a nap later in the day.
• Maintain a sleep-promoting space
  Distractions like a laptop, TV, phone, or anything else that keeps you from sleeping, can signal to your body that you should be doing things other than sleeping. When your bedroom cues you for sleep, not wakefulness, it can be easier to fall asleep at the end of the day. Limiting other activities in the bedroom, such as working on a laptop or watching TV, means your bedroom sends the signal to your brain to sleep, not toss and turn.
• Leave bed when you can’t sleep
  If you can’t sleep, don’t toss and turn too long, instead just get out of bed. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, it’s important to maintain the sanctity of bed as a place of rest, rather than worry and restlessness.

Physical Needs

In addition to creating good habits around sleep, there are physical things we can all do, as well as avoid, in order for our bodies to rest well. While this list of needs may seem overwhelming, start implementing one or two at a time, and over a few weeks begin to layer in more so that they’ll become habit.

Here are six habits to try to improve your sleep:

1. Minimize stimulating activities before bedtime
   Stimulating activities like working out or hanging out with friends too close to bed can disrupt both your ability to get a good night’s sleep. The quality of sleep you experience can also be impacted.
2. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
   Both alcohol and caffeine can disrupt sleep for many people. In addition, caffeine builds up in your system throughout the day. It needs time to diminish. When you cut back, it may be a little while before you see improvements.
3. Limit late-night eating
   When you eat, your body has to process the food — it can’t just wait for a more convenient time. This means if you’re trying to sleep, your body can’t fully rest until it has finished the work of digestion. In addition, eating just before lying down can aggravate acid reflux and keep you awake.
4. Minimize blue light exposure before bedtime
   Blue light from electronic screens appears to reduce melatonin production, which is the brain’s natural sleep-inducing hormone. While limiting these activities is best, it may not always be realistic. The use of blue light filtered glasses is becoming increasingly more common to combat eye strain and promote healthy sleep.
5. Get enough time outside
   Exposure to natural daylight keeps your biological clock ticking properly. This can be especially important in the winter, when daylight is scarcer.
6. Be active
   Exercise improves your overall health, so while it doesn’t guarantee effortless rest, it minimizes problems that could affect sleep. While exercising too close to bedtime can be an inhibitor of sleep, being active during the day is the best way to reap the benefits of exercise without impacting your sleep.

Mental Needs

Sometimes, even for therapists, our thoughts are our biggest barrier to sleep. Maybe it’s a client dealing with significant challenges or just the to-do list — but therapists have a lot on their minds that can keep them from slumber. We all know the feeling though, you feel exhausted, but as soon as you lie down, your busy thoughts ramp up. Before you know it, you worry about being awake, further activating those distracting thoughts. Before you know it, you’re in a loop. Sleep seems impossible. There are a few ways to help settle your mind. You might try relaxation strategies, evaluate your stress management skills, or try working with a therapist.

Relaxation strategies

Various relaxation strategies help you override the brain’s mental activity. Practice several different techniques to find a combination that works for you. Guided meditation and white noise tracks, that can often help with relaxing before bed, are readily available online or via apps. Progressive muscle relaxation might also work for you.

Stress management

See if you can cut back any activities or responsibilities to reduce your mental load. If not, sometimes it can help to spend a limited time period planning your next day. Keep planning time short, though, just to clear your head, rather than obsess about details. If you’re overwhelmed by all you have on your plate, try making a to-do list before bed, so your mind is no longer concerned with forgetting or racing around with these thoughts. Before bed, you might try journaling as an outlet for what’s on your mind or stressing you out.

Work with a therapist

If sleep problems persist despite these efforts, therapy may help. A therapist can give you structured relaxation and stress management strategies individualized to your specific situation. In addition, simply talking to someone, even a friend, can alleviate stress. Often, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with sleep problems by changing your thought patterns regarding sleep.

Medical Interventions

Sometimes medical interventions are necessary, especially if physical conditions disrupt your sleep. If you haven’t found success with other strategies, like the ones mentioned above, the next best step is checking with your doctor to see if there’s something else going on.

A doctor can help you both identify medical conditions that may cause your sleep issues and prescribe medication if necessary. Conditions such as sleep apnea, thyroid problems, restless leg syndrome, or painful conditions such as arthritis can all disrupt sleep. Getting proper medical care is essential in these cases.Some mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression may also affect sleep. Sleep disorders such as narcolepsy or sleepwalking can disrupt nighttime patterns. Medication can address underlying problems or temporarily improve sleep while working to regulate other conditions.

Sleep problems can be miserable even if, like a therapist, you know what to do. Fortunately, many sleep problems are temporary and improve when you address overall physical and mental health. Working with a therapist can help you manage and overcome your sleep problems by discovering and getting at the root of the problem. If you’re ready to start sleeping better, try online therapy today.

The post How Therapists Handle Their Own Sleep Issues appeared first on Talkspace.

What is ASMR?

According to Cynthia Catchings, a Virginia-based Talkspace therapist, ASMR is a technique that creates a feeling of euphoric tingling and relaxation that can come over someone when they watch certain videos or hear certain sounds. Some people describe it as experiencing a mild, but pleasant, electric shock at the back of their head. If you’re familiar with Bob Ross, the Joy of Painting shows featuring his soft voice and gentle paint strokes have pegged him as a godfather of ASMR because his show triggered the experience for so many viewers.

“The sounds create a sedative sensation that comes from what users call a ‘brain massage,’” Catchings said. “When specific sounds are heard or visuals seen, the person experiencing them might enter a state of relaxation similar to the one experienced while getting a regular body massage.”

According to Catchings, these triggers can treat anxiety and/or insomnia. “This goes back to the feelings created by the sounds and the relaxation levels achieved due to sensory manipulation,” she said. “All of them reduce anxiety and promote good sleeping patterns.”

Most popular ASMR triggers

While everyone is different, and it seems like there are new ASMR techniques being test driven all the time, some of the most common triggers for anxiety relief and sleep include:

• Whispering
• Blowing
• Scratching
• Tapping
• Page turning
• Writing with a pencil
• Humming
• Buzzing

These triggers are no secret — there are 13 million ASMR videos on YouTube from creators all around the world — but they do not work for everybody. Some people may experience relaxation, while others might not feel anything at all. It’s still not known what percentage of the wider population experiences ASRM responses.

The Research Behind ASMR Sensations

Catchings explains the reason why these triggers work might have something to do with stimuli and the way our senses work. Since ASMR gained traction in such a short period of time, there isn’t enough concrete data for us to use to gauge its effectiveness to treat anxiety and insomnia. Nevertheless, there’s growing interest amongst researchers in the subject and new tests and studies are being developed and conducted.

“One theory that really calls my attention is the one that states that the whispering or whispering like sounds are what makes it so special,” Catchings said. “It basically takes us back to the time where we were protected in our mother’s womb and the sense of safety relaxed us. Although this has not been scientifically proven, there is research that bases its work on this theory.” Other researchers suspect that the response may be an evolutionary leftover — a remnant of positive physical and emotional responses in primates to grooming behavior.

Some think ASMR might be a fleeting millennial trend, but others aren’t so sure. Researchers are hoping more investigation into it will result in more answers as to how ASMR can benefit a person’s mental health. And, in the meantime, many struggling with stress, anxiety, and insomnia are grateful to have something to turn to when they need to ease their mental health symptoms.

The post ASMR Triggers to Help with Sleep and Anxiety appeared first on Talkspace.

If you deal with disrupted sleep, this may be your nightly routine and it could be more than that extra cup of coffee you drank at the end of the day. In actuality, you could have a sleep disorder. And as it turns out, sleep disorders aren’t just physical — they are considered by experts to be mental health conditions.

How do you know if you have a sleep disorder? There may be some clues hiding in plain sight.

Types of Sleep Disorders

Rachel O’Neill, Ph.D., LPCC-S and Talkspace therapist, defines a sleep disorder as “a diagnosable mental health condition in which an individual struggles with either being able to fall asleep, stay asleep, maintain restful sleep, or experiences sleep-related disturbances.” These disturbances can include nightmares, night terrors, and breathing problems while sleeping.

Just like the varied types of depression and anxiety that people experience, the same goes for sleep disorders. The most common sleep disorders include insomnia, breathing-related sleep disorders, and parasomnias, another word for sleepwalking, night terrors, and other undesirable physical or verbal behaviors during sleep.

If you find yourself awake for hours on end regularly, it might be time to meet with your doctor to discuss the possibility of insomnia, which can include symptoms of:

• Problems falling asleep
• Problems staying asleep
• Problems maintaining restful sleep

Do you frequently wake yourself up with heavy snoring? Or perhaps your partner has nudged you after hearing labored — or interrupted — breathing. Sleep apnea, when breathing repeatedly stops and starts, is an example of a breathing-related sleep disorder, these conditions often being marked by disturbances in your breathing patterns during sleep.

Your partner may think it’s humorous when you start talking in your sleep or even walk around the room, but these instances can point to a diagnosable sleep condition. Parasomnias include :

• Problems with the sleep/wake cycle
• Sleepwalking
• Sleep terrors
• Nightmares
• Restless legs

These disruptive disorders usually occur during arousals from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or arousals from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and they can take place during specific stages of sleep, or when waking or falling asleep. Parasomnias can be stressful for both the person experiencing them and a partner sharing the bed.

What Are Some Common Causes?

Maybe you’ve experienced troubled sleep for as long as you can remember. Or, perhaps you can pinpoint a recent time in your life in which your sleep problems began. Either way, sleep disorders can be brought on by a number of sources.

“For some, it may be due to issues within the environment, such as sleeping in a bedroom that’s not conducive to sleep,” Dr. Rachel O’Neill says. “For other individuals, biological factors may contribute to the sleep-related issues.” For instance, some medical conditions can bring on problematic sleep.

Sleep issues may also simply be caused by an atypical sleep schedule. “For example, this can include being required to do shift work that impacts the individual’s circadian rhythm,” Dr. Rachel O’Neill adds.

What Should You Do About It?

Maybe some of these points are hitting home for you and you’re currently reviewing the last few nights when sleep was fleeting — or perhaps barely happened at all. Don’t lose hope. There are ways you can find help, and in the process, finally achieve quality sleep.

Talk to your doctor

Your first stop should be to see a professional, such as your doctor. “Having a complete evaluation can help rule out medical causes for sleep-related issues and can help determine the best course of treatment,” Dr. Rachel O’Neill advises.

Create a healthy routine

After that, it really comes down to changes you can make in your routine and your habits. Sleep loves a routine, and that means sticking to a set bedtime, waking up consistently at the same time every day, and avoiding evening distractions that can impact your sleep.

When working with your doctor or a therapist, they may suggest practices that promote good sleep hygiene. Be intentional with your sleep routine and make it a high priority.

When working with sleep-deprived individuals, Dr. Rachel O’Neill recommends maintaining a set bedtime, avoiding technology such as phones or TV’s for at least an hour before bed, and only using the bedroom for sleep and sex.

You’re Not Alone

As you spend another night staring at the ceiling fan blades whirring overhead or nibbling on that piece of leftover cake, know that you’re not alone and many people out there also struggle with sleep disorders.

Dr. Rachel O’Neill says that sleep disorders are “pretty common” and most people at some point in their lives fight to get good sleep — but there are “tangible things” that can be done to improve sleep quality. So, breathe in, breathe out, and check in with a medical or mental health provider as you navigate a treatment plan that works best for you. There are therapeutic programs specifically designed to help you sleep and if you’re ready to start talking to a mental health professional today, give online therapy a try to help change the way you sleep. 

The post How to Tell if You Have a Sleep Disorder appeared first on Talkspace.