If there isn’t a known medical condition that can explain your poor sleep, chances are it is due to a range of psychological, environmental and behavioural factors.
Seeking assistance from a psychologist can be a great way to improve your sleep without resorting to medication, which can cause further difficulties down the track. A psychologist will first determine if it is a specific psychological condition that is causing the sleep disturbance. For example, disorders such as depression and anxiety are closely associated with sleep difficulties. In such cases, treating sleep difficulties in the context of an overall clinical intervention is vital.
Good sleep starts from the moment you wake up. It is related to everything you do in the day from what you eat and drink to the amount of exercise you engage in. Going through an audit of your everyday activities with a psychologist can yield some interesting information about the factors that contribute to the quality of your sleep. Understanding how diet, exercise, work/life balance and drug and alcohol use can impact on sleep will help you to make vital changes to your routine. Understanding the influence of environmental factors such how your room is set up and how clean it is will further improve your chances of achieving good sleep. Next, establishing a good pre sleep routine will ensure that you are ready to read the vital signs of tiredness. Finally, dealing better with the main contributing factor to poor sleep, excess worry, will ensure that you are truly relaxed and ready for a great night’s rest.