Sleep and Mental Wellbeing

There is a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Experiencing poor mental wellbeing can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mood and mental wellbeing. Improving sleep quality can reduce depression, anxiety and stress as well as improve concentration and brain function. Studies show that the pattern and quality of our sleep is also closely linked to our immune system, mood, blood pressure, weight and physical health.

In short, sleep is an important foundation for overall health.

When we experience challenges to our mental health and wellbeing, work shifts, or go through big life events, this can have an impact on our sleep pattern.

We have no control over what happens when we sleep but we can control what we do throughout our waking hours to prepare for a better sleep. Sleep habits and the environment that we go to sleep in are really important.

Night Owls and Morning Larks: Sleep and Circadian Rhythm

Our body clock runs by itself – a roughly 24-hour cycle called a Circadian Rhythm. Our environment regulates the clock so that we sleep and wake at the same times each day.

The body clock can run slightly longer or shorter than 24-hours in some people. This means some people go to bed early and wake early and others go to bed late and sleep later.

It can be helpful to know what your sleep preference is. Scientists think that people have natural differences in when they sleep and wake best – called your “chronotype”, which is partly genetic.

There are three different chronotypes:

  • Night Owls (people who go to bed late and want to wake up late).
  • Morning Larks (those who go to bed earlier and get up earlier).
  • Ambivalent (those who are more adaptable to sleep schedules).

It is helpful to know which group you are part of if you are trying to improve sleep. If you try to work against your chronotype you will find it tougher falling asleep at night or staying awake during the day and have more disturbed sleep. If you work shifts it may also impact how you feel if your shift pattern is opposite to your chronotype – if you can, pick shifts that suit your chronotype better.

Sleep habits

Use a sleep tracker if you are worried about your sleep to see what patterns you have. Research shows there are some simple steps that help people to get better sleep. The Mental Health Foundation suggests:

  • Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine that lets you unwind and sends a signal to your brain that it is time to sleep.
  • Have boundaries around work – don’t answer emails or calls outside of work hours.
  • Create a restful environment: bedrooms that are dark, cool and quiet are generally easier to fall asleep and stay asleep in.
  • If you can, go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
  • Exercise regularly but avoid vigorous exercise near bedtime if it affects your sleep.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. They can stop you falling asleep and prevent deep sleep. Did you know the effects of caffeine can last up to 5 hours?
  • Only use your bed for sleep or sex. Unlike most physical activity, sex makes us sleepy.
  • Try apps to help you feel calm, such as HeadSpace (check if your employer offers free membership, such as NHS) or use the Beditation tools available from Every Mind Matters.

  • Avoid using screens before bed, including smartphones and tablets. The light from the screen can have a negative effect on sleep, and social media, news and games can all stimulate your brain and make you feel anxious.

  • Write down your worries if you lie awake worrying about tomorrow. This can help put your mind at rest.
  • If you can't sleep, don't worry about it. Get up and do something relaxing like listening to music or reading until you feel sleepy.

The National Sleep Helpline on 03303 530 541 offers an opportunity to speak to trained sleep advisors. Visit their website for opening hours. Please note you will be charged your standard network rate.

If poor sleep is affecting your daily life or causing you distress, call NHS 111 or talk to your GP.

The NHS has a Helping your baby to sleep guide as well as a useful article on Sleep and tiredness after having a baby.

The Sleep Charity has information and support for children including information on sleep for children with SEND.

The Lullaby Trust provides information about safer sleep for babies.

Hampshire libraries have their ‘When a book might help’ children’s book list on Bedtime Worries and Struggles.

Scope has a Sleep Right podcast sharing knowledge and tips to help disabled children and their families to get a good night’s sleep.

The National Autistic Society has a sleep guide for parents of autistic children.

Hampshire Healthy Families provides information on a range of topics including sleep, and also signposts to the anonymous text messaging support service ChatHealth for parents/carers and young people.

Wessex Healthier Together, a local family health NHS website, lists top tips and resources on sleep from birth to age 11.

Young Minds have a guide for young people with sleep problems.

Teen Sleep Hub has information for young people and parents/carers.

Hampshire Camhs offer some advice on sleep including links to apps that might help.

MindEd for families offers e-learning modules on Children’s Sleep Difficulties or Sleep Issues in Teenagers.

If a recent bereavement is contributing to your child or young person’s sleepless nights, explore our bereavement support page.

Adults aged 18 years+ are recommended to get 7–9 hours of sleep per day. If money worries are keeping you awake, visit our page on mental health and money worries. If you’ve experienced a recent bereavement and this is causing you sleeplessness, explore help on our bereavement pages.

Every Mind Matters offers up sleep tips for everyone and information about sleep problems and insomnia.

The NHS has information about sleep and tiredness and insomnia.

How to sleep better guide from the Mental Health Foundation looks at improving the quality of your sleep, what causes sleep disorders and possible solutions, top tips from a sleep doctor, and a sleep diary template.

The Sleep Charity has information and support for adults, which includes topics such as shift work, ADHD and sleep, or sleep and the menopause.

Mind’s Sleep and Mental Health information highlights the link between fatigue and mental wellbeing, and offers tips to improve sleep. Solent Mind has also produced a Sleep Toolkit.

The National Autistic Society has a sleep guide for autistic adults.

Dementia UK provides information about sleep and dementia, and ‘sundowning’ which is when behaviour changes at dusk.

If you are frequently waking up in the night to use the toilet, read more about Nocturia and how to prevent it.

This leaflet gives a brief explanation about why people feel fatigued during menopause and lists simple tips that may help.

MindEd for older people has an e-learning course ‘I Cannot Sleep’

Shift work includes nights, splits, earlies, lates, rotating or fixed. Many workplaces have shift workers including healthcare, emergency services, transportation, construction, hospitality, security, logistics and more. Roughly one in six workers work shift patterns. Shift workers often have to go against the body’s natural rhythms by staying awake and sleeping when the body expects to be doing the reverse. Many shift workers feel like they haven’t had enough sleep and may find themselves feeling tired and irritable. Poor sleep and poor mental wellbeing are common among shift workers. Using evidence-based tips and small changes to habits can help improve sleep quality which will in turn help improve mood and energy levels. Explore the tips below to help you maximise sleep. Don’t miss out on fun events with friends and family due to exhaustion.

The Mental Health Foundation provides some simple tips to help improve mood in this article specifically for those working shifts.

The BMJ have created a visual summary of strategies for optimising sleep for night shift workers based on the evidence available detailing what works best.

Top tips

Relaxing routines:

  • Wear sunglasses on the way home after a night shift to avoid bright daylight exposure (avoid this if it’s unsafe whilst driving). Daylight wakes up our brain which we need to avoid just before we want to sleep.
  • Consider using public transport to get to and from work, if you can. Or take a quick nap before driving/cycling home if you feel too tired.
  • Keep your bedroom dark, cool and quiet. Use earplugs, eye masks, blackout blinds and do not disturb signs on the front door to help.
  • Have a wind-down routine to help switch off after your shift. Try relaxing with a book, gentle stretching, a bath, calming breath exercises or meditation for beginners.
  • Communicate with friends and family about your schedule so they know when not to call you, and when you are available to socialise.
  • Put your phone on Do Not Disturb whilst you are sleeping. Don’t scroll before you want to sleep – the screen light stimulates the brain and the content you view can also keep your brain buzzing.
  • If you can’t sleep after one hour, read a book or listen to calming music for a while. Then try again.

Drinks:

  • Caffeine affects your body for five hours after drinking so swap out tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks in the second half of your shift. Too much caffeine can also increase anxiety. Try decaf or herbal instead.
  • Avoid using alcohol to help you sleep – it actually disrupts your sleep and negatively affects sleep quality, leaving you feeling more tired. If you’re concerned about drinking too much find out more at Rethink Your Drink.
  • Stay hydrated during your shift. Avoid sugary drinks which will make you feel sluggish later on. Don’t drink loads just before bed as it may disturb sleep.

Food:

  • Digestion follows its own circadian rhythm, and its functions decrease at night. When working shifts, you may eat at times when your digestive tract is ready for sleep and not ready for digesting food. What you eat and drink before, during and after a shift can affect your sleep and energy levels.
  • Eat your main meal early in the day. For night shift workers this may be before your shift starts. Include healthy protein to keep you feeling full.
  • Enjoy a light meal 1-2 hours before bed. Avoid fatty and spicy foods which are harder to digest and can keep you awake. Meal prep on your day off so it’s ready to grab.
  • Healthy snacks or a light meal during your shift, including fibre-packed fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and nuts, keep blood sugars stable and prevent energy crashes. This helps you feel more alert. Take your own if you can’t buy this at work. Find out more about food and shift work in this Nutrition Foundation leaflet about nutrition for shift workers, or if you prefer watching short videos, the Police Federation have pages about Healthy Eating to Support Shift Work and Nutrition, Shift Work and Fatigue with information relevant for anyone who work shifts, not just Police.
  • Night shift work in particular can increase risk of diabetes so it’s even more important to eat healthy meals and snacks when working through the night.
  • For weight loss programmes with healthy eating advice visit Gloji Hampshire.

Physical health:

Tips inspired by: The Sleep Charity tips for shift workers to improve their sleep and The Health and Safety Executive’s hints and tips for shift workers page.

It’s not unusual to experience trouble sleeping as one of the symptoms of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD or phobias. However, sleep can be affected by many things, in many ways, so these services do not offer a generic solution for sleep. Instead, they aim to help you achieve your wellbeing goals in a way that is tailored to you and the symptoms you are experiencing. The NHS services are free for adults aged 16+, registered with a Hampshire GP.

Talking Therapies North East Hampshire is for residents in Rushmoor, Fleet and Yateley. They offer sleep tools to try at home and supported cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for insomnia. You can self-refer online at Talk Plus or call 01252 533355.

Talking Therapies Hampshire is for residents in Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Bordon, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest, Petersfield, Romsey and Winchester. They offer a ‘sleeping soundly’ online wellbeing class. Self-refer and book your initial assessment online at italk.org.uk or call 023 8038 3920.

Or you can get started straightaway with one of their easy-access options. Their SilverCloud online CBT programme is available for people with milder symptoms, without needing an assessment. There’s no waiting list and you do not need to commit to regular appointments - simply sign up online. It is available 24/7 from any device and offers a wide range of content so you can choose the most relevant topics to you – including a module on sleep.

Tiredness impacts productivity and safety. Employers should therefore be concerned about employee sleep. If your organisation runs a rotational shift pattern, shifts should be designed in a clockwise shift rotation, where shifts move forward from days to evenings to nights. This allows people to adapt to sleep pattern changes more easily.

Read the evidence-based guidelines about sleep and shift work from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Waking up to the benefits of sleep report by the Royal Society for Public Health summarises why sleep is so important.

An NHS guide to supporting the wellbeing of shift workers in healthcare.

Read this article: Sleep, breaks and wellbeing for health professionals which has a section on what employers can do to help.

For information on nutrition and fatigue, read Nutrition and shift work, Nutrition and Fatigue and Healthy eating to support shift work. Does your workplace offer healthy snacks for night shift workers? Are staff fridges and microwaves available for workers to bring in their own healthy meals? Do you offer decaf drink options?

Display this poster about optimising sleep for night shifts in staff rest areas. Make sure you discuss how to prepare for night shifts with new staff.

Read this Effects of shift work on health report by Institute of Occupational Safety and Health which contains some recommendations for employers.

Night Club offer evidence-based workplace interventions to educate staff and help change behaviour and environment to benefit sleep. Read their Evidence Progress and Learnings Report for more information. Contact them directly if your workplace is interested in their programme.

The Charter for Sleep Equality by The Sleep Foundation. Pledging your organisations support will show commitment to: Tackling fatigue and sleep deprivation in the workplace, adopting a cultural change within the business, taking appropriate responsibility for employees’ health and wellbeing, and ensuring employees have access to sleep education.