Maybe you’ve stayed up too late in college studying for a test, or you’ve been up all night with a crying baby—the next day, you probably didn’t feel so great, did you? I’m guessing you felt tired, cranky, unfocused, even dysfunctional. That’s what happens when we don’t get enough sleep. And if it can do all of that after just one bad night, imagine what a pattern of late nights and inadequate sleep can do to you.
 

Does Sleep Affect Depression? Does Depression Affect Sleep?

 
The relationship between sleep and depression is far from simple, but the short answer is yes: sleep and depression are related. Depression can cause sleep problems and sleep problems can also contribute to depression. In fact, difficulty sleeping and oversleeping are common symptoms of depression. 
 
But that’s not to say you have zero control over the role that sleep plays in your life. It’s no secret that the harmful habits we adopt ultimately wreak havoc on our lives—one of those being bad sleep hygiene, as explained by Jessica Snyder, Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist: “Much of growing to become the best, healthiest version of ourselves is about what we will do every day to move towards that goal. However, there are many things that we can avoid in order to help ourselves reach that destination. You will notice that many of the things we engage in that are harmful to our mental health are a result of too much or too little…” such as too little sleep.
 
“Most recommendations suggest adults should aim for 7.5 hours of sleep per night,” she explains. “Whether it is because we are unstructured in our schedule, we overindulge in social media or television, or we have a poor sleep hygiene routine, many people struggle to reach this 7.5-hour goal.” The time to prioritize sleep is well overdue.
 

5 Tips to Improve Your Sleep Habits and, in Turn, Your Mental Health

 
If you’re already getting at least 7 or so hours of sleep a night, good for you! You’re doing a lot better than many Americans. If you aren’t, however, at least meeting this bare minimum, it’s time to take another look at your sleep habits and adjust accordingly. Duke University’s Dr. Sujay Kansagra, Mattress Firm Sleep Health Expert, has some valuable tips for doing so:
 
Go to bed at the same time every day. Having a consistent nighttime routine helps get our bodies in the mindset that it’s time for bed, which makes catching some Z’s a breeze. Aim for 8 hours and go to bed at the same time every day to get into a good groove.

Keep the devices out of the bedroom. The technology we often use before bed (computer, TV, phone, etc.) emits a harmful blue light that can actually keep us awake. Stop watching TV or surfing the web in bed before you go to sleep!

Don’t drink caffeine before bed. Even morning caffeine can linger in your system when it’s time to sleep. But you can make a meaningful change by simply cutting out the caffeine you drink in the late afternoons or evenings. Then you might want to consider cutting back on the caffeine you consume in total. 

Exercise. Daytime exercise can lead to sound nighttime sleep. If you exercise late and have difficulty falling asleep, consider moving your workout to earlier in your day.

Shower to unwind at night. The body temperature drops when we fall asleep. Taking a hot nighttime shower just before bedtime artificially raises the body temperature. This drop can make it easier to fall asleep.
 
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, such as a lack of sleep and energy, consider starting depression counseling today. The above tips might help improve your sleep hygiene, but often a professional must step in to help one manage their depression. 

Authors: 

Anthony Centore Ph.D. is Founder and CEO at Thriveworks--a counseling practice, focused on premium client care, with 80+ locations across the USA. He is Private Practice Consultant for the American Counseling Association, columnist for Counseling Today magazine, and Author of How to Thrive in Counseling Private Practice. Anthony is a multistate Licensed Professional Counselor and has been quoted in national media sources including The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Taylor Bennett is a staff writer at Thriveworks. She devotes herself to distributing important information about mental health and wellbeing, writing mental health news and self-improvement tips daily. Taylor received her bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism, with minors in professional writing and leadership from Virginia Tech. She has published content on Thought Catalog, Odyssey, and The Traveling Parent.