15 minutes
Just like with food and water, we rely on sleep to survive. And just like how getting the right amount of the right foods impacts our overall health, so does the quantity and quality of our sleep.
For example, getting enough quality sleep can boost our mood and make it easier to deal with stress, while poor sleep can cause us to feel irritable and make it harder to deal with stress. If you have a mental health condition like anxiety or depression, poor sleep can also make it harder to manage symptoms.
Sleep and mental health are closely connected, which is why it's common to struggle with your sleep if you're experiencing mental health challenges and struggle with your mental health if you're experiencing sleep problems.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. Nearly half of all Australians report experiencing at least two sleep-related problems. Challenges like financial stress, relationship problems, and the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming. When you're going through a tough time, it makes sense if you’re also finding it hard to sleep at night.
Regardless of what might be negatively impacting your sleep, there are a lot of things you can do to improve it. And when you do, you'll likely notice your mental health and overall wellbeing improve, too.
Scroll down to learn more.
Sleep problems include things like:
Sleep problems occur for all kinds of reasons and impact everyone differently. Not always, but generally, if your sleep problems become a continuous pattern, they can impact both your physical and mental health.
Poor sleep can lead to:
Poor sleep can lead to:
If yes, you may want to visit the SleepHealth Foundation website. You'll find fact sheets on common sleep conditions, such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnoea, and excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as information on where to find further support.
If your condition is making you feel overwhelmed or distressed, you may find other areas of the Support Toolkit helpful. And, of course, you can contact Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via 13 11 14, text, and chat.
It’s normal to have temporary sleep problems if you’re stressed or experiencing significant life events like moving homes, changing jobs, or ending a relationship.
If, over time, you find that those sleep problems stick around, it can be helpful to start looking at your habits, lifestyle, environment, physical health problems, and/or mental health as potential reasons.
While a Coke in the afternoon might not seem like a big deal, the caffeine may be the thing that’s keeping you up at night. Or maybe you have great habits in place to protect your sleep but your mind won’t seem to calm down.
Below, you’ll find lists of common causes of sleep problems. Check them out and see what may apply to you.
There are a number of things that can make it hard to sleep as a parent or caregiver, and it's not your fault if you're struggling to get enough quality sleep. The important thing is that you're being kind to yourself and giving yourself permission to make the most of any sleep you can get.
If you’re struggling to sleep and would like support, you can:
If those don’t feel like options for you at the moment, you can always contact Lifeline. We're here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via 13 11 14, text, and chat. If life is in danger, call 000.
If you’re currently experiencing challenges with your mental health, some of the symptoms associated with those challenges might be impacting your ability to sleep.
For example, your sleep might be impacted by:
It’s really common for mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, stress, psychosis, and trauma to result in sleep challenges, and it’s nothing to feel bad about. The good news is that no matter what symptom(s) you’re experiencing, your sleep can and will get better.
To get a clearer idea of how your sleep might be impacted, you can explore our information and resources on some of the most common mental health challenges by clicking here.
Not getting enough sleep can leave you feeling overwhelmed, distressed, and alone.
If you’re struggling to cope and would like support, you can:
If life is in danger, call 000.
No matter what the underlying cause is, improving your sleep is always possible.
It can be helpful to think of sleep as working for your mind and body in the same way that a phone charger works. The longer you leave it on charge, the better it will perform the next day. So, how much sleep do you need to be ‘fully charged’?
It’s recommended that adults get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
Depending on what’s happening in your life, you may need more than that. For example, if you’re fighting a cold, grieving a loss, recovering from a medical procedure, or in a highly stressful period of your life, you may need to go to bed earlier or sleep in a bit later.
Below, you'll find practical tips for improving your sleep habits.
Zero alcohol is best for sleep. If you drink, try not to have more than 2 standard drinks and consume them at least 3 hours before bed. And if possible, have at least 3-4 alcohol-free nights a week.
Because nicotine is a stimulant, it should be limited or avoided altogether. Remember, withdrawal from nicotine can be something that contributes to sleep difficulty, so make sure you have some of these withdrawal tips to rely on if you are decreasing or ceasing your use of nicotine.
Aim for only one caffeinated drink a day and avoid caffeine 8-10 hours before bed. If you’re still struggling to sleep, try not to consume caffeine at all. It’s a good idea to check food and drink for hidden caffeine as it can be found in things like decaf coffee, tea, green tea, chocolate, and health supplements.
Exercising for 30 minutes a day can increase the quality of your sleep and the total sleep time. This doesn’t need to be intense exercise. It can be anything from a walk around the local park to a gym class.
Ideally, avoid your phone and other devices at least one hour before bed. If you must use it, use night or dark mode, adjust brightness or use silent, flight, or do not disturb mode.
It can be difficult to sleep if you’re too hot or cold. The ideal temperature is 19-22 degrees Celsius.
To create a more comfortable sleep environment, you can try using a fan or heater, choosing different bedding or pyjamas, or opening a window.
Once the sun has gone down, turn off overhead lights, use lamps with warm white globes, and minimise noise in your bedroom if possible.
This creates a calming environment that can help you fall asleep more easily. If you’re bothered by glowing lights from electronics, you can turn them to face away from you.
Eye masks and earplugs can block out additional light and noise, which can help minimise distraction. They're especially good to pack if you need to travel for work or are staying in a new environment.
Try to avoid using your bedroom for work or other stimulating activities. If you live in a small space and need to work in your bedroom, create a boundary between your work area and sleep area. If possible, you can use a room divider or curtain.
When we’re feeling overwhelmed by work, relationships, or other parts of life, self-care is often the first thing to go. However, it’s important to make time for it because it can help reduce stress and lead to better sleep.
You can learn more in our self-care for mental health and wellbeing article below.
On top of making time for self-care activities, you may want to consider taking bigger steps to feel less stressed.
This could mean:
If you’ve experienced something significant in life, like the loss of a loved one, a career change, a traumatic event, or a family breakdown, it makes sense if you’re worrying at bedtime, waking up throughout the night, and feeling generally overwhelmed.
It’s important that you’re giving yourself time to grieve and heal or connecting with people you trust for support. If you don’t feel like you have someone to talk to, you can always contact Lifeline via 13 11 14, text, and chat.
If you think your sleep problems may be connected to your mental health, therapy can be a helpful way to work through your thoughts and feelings.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can give you strategies for coping with stress and reframing experiences, which may help if you’re experiencing sleep difficulties.
Click here to learn tips for finding the therapist that's right for you.
One of the most common challenges of falling asleep is a busy mind. It doesn’t matter how tired you might be; thoughts, to-do lists, and worries about the future seem to love showing up as soon as your head hits the pillow.
If a racing mind is keeping you up, a sleep strategy like visualisation can help you relax.
Scroll down to learn more strategies for falling asleep.
Deep breathing is a grounding technique that can help you feel calm and relaxed. While there are a number of ways to do this, a great one for sleep is the box breathing technique.
You can try it now by clicking play on the video below.
A body scan (sometimes called progressive muscle relaxation) is a grounding technique that helps you relax by intentionally tensing and releasing different muscle groups, making you feel calmer and more at ease.
How to do a body scan:
If you'd like guidance, you can find guided body scans on mindfulness apps like Calm and Smiling Mind.
Whether you’re trying to sleep in a noisy area or have noisy thoughts, a great way to quiet the mind is by listening to something calming.
You can try listening to:
Depending on your preference, you can find many free versions of the above on YouTube, podcast platforms, or apps like Rain Rain Sleep, Calm and Smiling Mind.
If your mind is racing with thoughts, try labelling each one as either ‘past’ or ‘future’ before imagining it go away. You can picture your thoughts as grains of sand washing away, bubbles popping, clouds floating away, or leaves flowing down a river.
For example:
Start at the beginning of the alphabet and try to think of five names for each letter. Keep going until you fall asleep.
For example:
Listing something like the alphabet can help distract your mind from usual stressors, making it easier to relax and fall asleep.
You can try:
If you feel like you’re nowhere close to sleep, that’s okay. Try not to get frustrated. Gently get out of your bed and do something calming for 20-30 minutes.
You could:
Keep in mind that everyone is different. The sleep strategies that work for someone else may not work for you and that’s okay. The main this is that you keep experimenting and ask for help when needed.
Waking up in the middle of the night is one of the most common sleep problems, especially if you’re a parent or caregiver.
If possible:
Parenting is a hugely challenging experience, even when you get enough sleep. Doing it with poor sleep, which is extremely common during this time, can make everything feel extra overwhelming and unmanageable.
Remember, sleep deprivation can heavily impact your mental health and wellbeing. It’s important you’re putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others.
You can:
If you feel like you’ve made significant changes but are still struggling to get quality sleep, you may want to consider speaking with a GP. They can help you rule out any underlying issues or medical reasons and connect you with the right sleep help.
For example, a GP can:
Below, you’ll find tools and apps that can help you create a sleep-friendly lifestyle, build sleep-friendly habits, and find the help you need to manage stress and other mental health challenges.
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