East Dallas Chiropractor Presents;
Improve Your Mental Health with a Nightly Routine
Shared by Dr. Daniel Hartwell
Why have a Nightly Routine?
The world we live in is a hectic place and it has the ability to take a toll on our mental and physical health and overall well-being. One thing that seems to be trending is that people are not getting enough sleep or getting good quality sleep. Many people will sacrifice sleep for one more episode, one last work assignment, or to get that last bit of studying in before a test. One question is: how does this affect our mental health? According to D. Freedman. Et. Al. sleep treatment leads to improvements in depression, anxiety, prodromal symptoms, nightmares, psychological wellbeing, and function; these improvements were maintained over time as well. This is just one small piece of peer-reviewed research to show how important sleep is to our mental health. In my personal opinion, a nightly routine before bed can calm down the body and brain before hitting the hay.
My Nightly Routine
My personal nightly routine before bed is pretty simple. I like to restrict any screen time (phone, laptop, tv, etc.) 45 minutes before bed. Instead of using those technological distractions, I will read a couple chapters in a book or journal about my day. I’ll do that for about 35 minutes. The last 10 minutes before my set “bed time”, I like to clear my mind of all the stressors from that day and focus on my breathing. To focus on my breathing I inhale deeply through my nose for 5 seconds, hold my breath for 3 seconds, then slowly exhale for 5 seconds. This help me to calm myself. Then it’s off to dreamland for a good night’s sleep so I can be ready for the next day.
The Challenge
I want to challenge you for the next week to give this a try. Follow the nightly routine for a full week. At the end of that week, if you stick to it fully, you will feel much more energy and be healthier for it. From there you can build on your nightly routine to make it fit for you and your lifestyle. Good Luck!
References listed here.
Our Message
Our Doctors at our location near the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd. love to help our patients to stay healthy. The Chiropractic Care team in East Dallas not only relieve back pain, neck pain and headaches, but also teach how reducing stress has been shown to support good health in the research literature. We want to help you know how to be healthy by making good choices on diet, movement and mental health. We are here to help you get out of pain, put the right nutrients in your body and improve you mental health!