A Good Sleep

You Can Sleep Well Again

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Improving Sleep

By Judith Mendoza

Sleep is essential for our overall well-being, yet many Canadians struggle to get the restful sleep they need. Inconsistent, poor quality sleep can significantly impact our ability to perform daily tasks and effectively function in personal and professional roles that are important to us. 

Occupational therapists (OTs) are licensed healthcare professionals that take a holistic approach to addressing the various factors that influence sleep. OTs assess not only the physical aspects of sleep but also the cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors that may impact it. By understanding how sleep fits into an individual’s daily routines, OTs can develop personalized strategies to promote better sleep, reduce barriers to restful sleep, and improve overall well-being. OTs are skillful at tailoring support and modifying traditional recommendations to effectively manage sleep difficulties.

Here’s how occupational therapist can support better sleep:

1. Sleep Education

OTs are well-equipped to educate clients on the importance of sleep, how it works in the body, and strategies for improving sleep hygiene. This can include:

  • Establishing Consistent Routines: Encouraging a regular sleep schedule, mindful light exposure, balanced exercise, and proper meal timing.
  • Relaxation Techniques: Teaching formal and informal relaxation strategies to ease into sleep.
  • Environmental Adjustments: Suggesting changes to the sleep environment (e.g., optimizing lighting, temperature, and noise) to promote restfulness.

2. Sleep Diary and Tracking

A sleep diary helps track sleep patterns and identify disruptions. By understanding when and why sleep is interrupted, OTs can tailor strategies to improve sleep quality and consistency. This tracking provides essential data for making individualized recommendations.

3. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

For clients with insomnia, some OTs are trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), a structured and evidence-based intervention. Key components include:

  • Sleep Education and Tracking: Teaching the fundamentals of sleep and tracking sleep habits.
  • Sleep Consolidation: Helping clients assess their time in bed compared to the actual sleep they’re getting.
  • Cognitive Restructuring: Identifying and challenging negative thoughts and behaviours related to sleep.
  • Sleep Association Development: Supporting the creation of positive associations with sleep and the sleep space.
  • Stress and Anxiety Management: Teaching techniques for managing sleep-related anxiety.

4. Sensory Modulation for Sleep

Some clients struggle with heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli (e.g., light, noise, or touch) that disrupts their sleep. OTs can help by:

  • Identifying Sensory Triggers: Understanding which sensory inputs activate alertness versus those that promote calm.
  • Adapting the Sleep Environment: Using tools like weighted blankets, aromatherapy, and calming lighting to create a soothing environment.
  • Sensory-Based Bedtime Routines: Incorporating calming sensory activities (e.g., soft textures, soothing sounds) into nightly rituals.

5. Behavioural Strategies for Sleep

For clients with conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, or depression, OTs can implement strategies that promote better sleep, including:

  • Daytime Regulation: Encouraging routines that help regulate arousal levels through exercise, structured activities, and relaxation techniques.
  • Balanced Daily Routines: Developing a well-paced schedule that balances self-care, productivity, and leisure.
  • Relaxation Practices: Teaching mindfulness, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation to prepare for restful sleep.

6. Addressing Medical Conditions

OTs support individuals with medical conditions, such as chronic pain or neurological disorders, that affect sleep. Strategies include:

  • Sleep Positioning: Offering advice on sleep positions to minimize discomfort or pain.
  • Adaptive Equipment: Recommending tools like positioning devices to improve comfort.
  • Energy Conservation and Pain Management: Teaching techniques for managing physical limitations and minimizing fatigue.
  • Collaborative Care: Working alongside other healthcare providers to create a comprehensive sleep management plan.

7. Supporting Mental Health

Stress, anxiety, and depression often interfere with sleep. OTs help clients manage these factors through:

  • Mindfulness and Relaxation: Promoting practices like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness to reduce stress.
  • Behavioural Activation: Encouraging routine development and time management to combat anxiety and depressive symptoms.
  • Therapeutic Techniques: Implementing approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), or Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to address underlying mental health issues that disrupt sleep.

Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to support individuals struggling with sleep by offering a comprehensive, individualized approach. By considering environmental, physical, emotional, and cognitive factors, OTs can develop tailored interventions to address the root cause of an individual’s sleep disturbance. Whether through sleep education, sensory strategies, cognitive therapy, or behavioural interventions, occupational therapy can play a vital role in addressing sleep challenges, improving sleep quality and ultimately improving overall quality of life.

Looking to sleep better or shed a few pounds? The two are surprisingly connected.

By Judith Mendoza

There’s a growing body of research showing that sleep and food are closely connected, with each influencing the other. Poor sleep can lead to cravings for unhealthy foods, and what you eat can also impact how well you sleep.

Foods high in sugar, fat, or those that are highly processed can disrupt sleep.

In turn, poor sleep increases the production of hunger hormones, which can lead to cravings for high-calorie and processed foods that further disrupt sleep. Additionally, when we’re tired, we’re more vulnerable to our emotions and may seek food for comfort or pleasure rather than genuine hunger.

Research has also shown that targeting a regular, well-balanced diet—like the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes a variety of colourful fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, and lean meats—has a positive impact on both sleep quantity and quality.

Practicing healthy sleep habits that ensure we get enough rest each night, positively influences the food choices we make throughout the day, especially in the hours leading up to bed.

Curious to learn more about sleep and sleeping well?

Why is waking up so hard!

By Judith Mendoza

Do you find yourself struggling to get out of bed in the morning? 

Here are a few factors that can make it tougher:

1. Not getting the amount of sleep your body needs.

  • Insufficient sleep or poor-quality sleep can lead to feeling tired and having difficulty with waking up.

2. The timing of your sleep may be out of synch with your body clock.

  • Known as sleep inertia, this is a groggy, disoriented feeling that can occur when you wake up from a deep stage of sleep. This can make getting out of bed feel like a huge effort, especially if the alarm interrupts deep sleep.

3. Having an irregular sleep schedule

  • Inconsistent bedtimes or waking times can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm, leading to trouble getting up. This includes shifting your sleep schedule on weekends or after late-night activities. This shift has been termed “social jet lag”.

4. Stress or Anxiety

  • High levels of stress, worry, or anxiety about the day ahead can make it harder to feel motivated to leave the comfort of bed, especially if you’re dreading certain tasks.

5. Overuse of the Snooze Button

  • Repeatedly hitting the snooze button can prolong sleep inertia and make it harder to get up, leading to fragmented, lower-quality sleep in the final stages of rest.

To combat these factors targeting good sleep hygiene along with stress management strategies is useful.  If challenges persist or you’re having trouble putting these strategies into place CBT-I can help.

Are the Dark Days of Winter Messing With Your Sleep? Here’s What’s Happening and How to Fix It:

By Judith Mendoza

The shorter, darker days of winter are here and this seasonal change can definitely impact sleep.

During the winter, we typically get less sunlight, especially if you live in areas further from the equator. This can lead to a decrease in your Vitamin D levels, which is important for regulating sleep and mood. Less exposure to daylight can also affect the production of serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

Your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, is heavily influenced by light. Longer nights and shorter days can throw off your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep or wake up at the desired time. This is particularly true if you’re getting less natural sunlight or if you’re inside under artificial light for most of the day.

Some people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the winter months, which is a type of depression triggered by the change in seasons. SAD can cause symptoms like fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, and a general feeling of low energy. People with SAD may either sleep more than usual (hypersomnia) or have trouble sleeping (insomnia), both of which disrupt normal sleep cycles.

Colder temperatures can also affect your sleep quality. While cooler rooms are generally better for sleep, drastic temperature changes—especially if your environment becomes too cold or too warm—can make it harder for you to settle into a deep, restful sleep.

In winter, we tend to spend more time indoors and may be less physically active, especially if it’s too cold or dark outside. Physical activity helps regulate your sleep, and a drop in exercise can make it harder to feel tired or fall asleep easily.

During the winter months, the longer nights trigger your body to produce more melatonin, the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy. However, when melatonin is produced earlier in the evening due to longer nights, it can make it harder to stay awake until your usual bedtime, and in turn, affect your sleep schedule.

Tips to Improve Sleep During Winter:

Get as much natural light as possible: Try to get outdoors during the day. Morning light is especially helpful even if it’s cloudy or grey outside.

Create a consistent bedtime routine: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This consistency helps to help signal to your body when it’s time to wind down, especially since melatonin production increases during winter.

Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature: ideally a bit cooler, and use appropriate bedding to stay cozy but not overheated.

Exercise regularly: Physical activity can help regulate circadian rhythm and improve sleep, try to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime as this can make it harder to fall asleep.

Talk to your doctor about use of a light therapy box: If you’re prone to seasonal depression or feel like the lack of sunlight is affecting your mood and sleep there is a growing body of evidence that suggests this may be helpful.

While the shorter days and longer nights of winter can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making a few simple adjustments to your environment and daily routine can help maintain healthy sleep patterns throughout the colder months.

Eco-friendly ideas on how to beat the heat so you can get some sleep

By Judith Mendoza

We are in for a scorcher of a weekend. As temperatures climb, finding ways to keep your sleep space cool can make a big difference in your comfort and sleep quality. 

So how can we stay cool in an eco-friendly way that helps to reduce energy consumption and lower our carbon footprint not to mention save money on the hydro bill.

Block out heat

Close the curtains, pull down the shades, consider use of blackout curtains to block out sunlight and keep the room cooler during the day.

Another alternative is to apply reflective window film to windows to reduce the amount of sunlight and heat from entering the room.

Unplug or turn off electronics in your bedroom, as they generate heat.

Replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, which produce less heat.

Focus on improving air circulation

Cool a single room with a localized air conditioner versus cooling your entire home.

Alternately, place a fan in front of a bowl of ice to create a DIY air conditioner.

Consider installing a ceiling fan, set it to rotate counterclockwise to create a cooling breeze.

Cross ventilate by opening windows on opposite sides of the room to improve air circulation.

Consider your bed

Use breathable, moisture-wicking materials like cotton or bamboo.

Invest in a cooling mattress pad or topper that helps regulate body temperature.

Use lightweight, breathable blankets or sheets instead of heavy comforters.

Some additional strategies include:

Taking a cool shower before bed to lower your body temperature.

Wear lightweight, breathable sleepwear made of natural fibres like cotton.

Make a cold water bottle by taking a hot water bottle filling it with cold water, leave it in your fridge for the day and place it in your bed at night.

Try to drink plenty of water throughout the day to support the perspiration needed to help your body stay cool and remain hydrated.

Adopting a few eco-friendly cooling strategies can help you stay comfortable, sleep better and reduce the environmental impact of cooling the sleep space when it is so darn hot!

Why is it so hard to sleep when it’s hot?

By Judith Mendoza

As global temperatures rise, sleeping well is becoming an increasing challenge. So why is it so much harder to sleep when it’s hot?  There are a few reasons:

Body Temperature Regulation:

The body naturally cools down as part of the sleep process. High temperatures interfere with this cooling process, making it harder to fall asleep.

Increased Wakefulness:

Heat can cause restlessness and increase the number of times you wake up during the night, leading to fragmented sleep.

Decreased REM Sleep:

Studies have shown that high temperatures can reduce the amount of time spent in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is important for memory consolidation and overall sleep quality.

Discomfort and Sweating:

Excessive heat can cause sweating and discomfort, making it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Dehydration:

Hot temperatures can lead to dehydration, which can cause discomfort and wakefulness.

Increased Heart Rate:

The body works harder to cool down when it’s hot, which can increase heart rate and make it harder to relax and fall asleep. _________________________________________________________________________________________

By taking steps to cool your sleeping environment and your body, you can reduce these challenges and improve your sleep quality.

So what’s the target?

The ideal bedroom temperature for sleeping well is typically between 16-19°C. Maintaining this temperature range can help facilitate the body’s natural drop in core temperature required for sleep onset and maintenance thereby promoting a deeper and more restful sleep.