Tips on How to Sleep Better to Feel Better by Maram Barakat, M.A.

Today we are shedding some light on the importance of maintaining good sleep hygiene to preserve your mental health!

Notice how your mood shifts when you don't get enough sleep? When suddenly everything makes you irritable or you feel like you are being "extra emotional"? Lack of sleep can affect our mood, energy and concentration levels, our relationships, and our ability to stay awake and function at work. Who would have thought sleep can be that useful?!

We can all benefit from improving the quality of our sleep. For many of us, it may simply be a case of making small changes in our lifestyle to help us sleep better.

Here are some basic tips on how to improve your sleep and always remember your mental health matters as much as your physical health - if not more!

Rise Up

Try to wake up every day at the same time
Get a lot of morning light even on cloudy days
Refrain from snoozing your alarm clocks

Wind Down

Engage in a relaxing activity before bedtime
Leave your bed if you're not able to sleep after 30 minutes
Avoid heavy meals and smoking at least 2 hours before bedtime

Maram Barakat, M.A., is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She has a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a special focus on global mental health and research methods. She is primarily interested in providing access to quality mental health services in low-to-middle income countries and vulnerable populations. She is especially passionate about working with survivors of abuse and violence. In fact, she has integrated her passion with her academic interests by focusing her master's thesis on culturally adapting and implementing cognitive processing therapy to Syrian refugee women who have experienced sexual violence during and post-displacement. Maram has worked as a mental health professional and advocate in Lebanon, Uganda, and New York for the past six years. At the Lukin Center, Maram will be taking on the role of social media manager. Her main responsibilities entail managing and monitoring the center's social media platforms, creating content, increasing engagement, and more. Apart from her professional interests, she enjoys acting, karaoke, and extreme sports.