When people think about health, they often miss something foundational to their well-being: the importance of sleep. Sleep is integral to all functions of the body and brain. Properly addressing mental health starts with good rest. If your daughter is sleep-deprived, it can make therapy less effective. Lack of sleep can also diminish her cognitive functioning skills and the health of her physical body. Understanding the importance of sleep is a key aspect in taking proper care of oneself. Clearview believes that to treat emotional issues and underlying struggles, girls must also care for their physical health. Finding true healing requires working with each aspect of girls’ lives.
People who struggle with mental health or substance abuse may also struggle with sleep. Some people may feel anxiety about going to bed or they may be unable to shut off their brain. Unfortunately, struggles with sleep exacerbate mental health issues. A lack of sleep makes it harder for your daughter’s brain to process things and harder for her to regulate her emotions.
If your daughter is already struggling with mental health issues, she may have trouble sleeping. This will put her at risk of failing to achieve recovery. It is important to find a care facility or team that will work with her physical health to mend her emotional and behavioral struggles.
The Medical Importance of Sleep
Sleep is important for every single process in the body. While people sleep, their bodies and organs are active in various processes while they rest. The brain works while people sleep to sort things into short- and long-term memory. It also decompresses and works through things that have happened in the day.
If your daughter is at a sleep deficit and constantly losing sleep, this can affect each area of her body. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explained in their newsletter that sleep “affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.” Each system of the body is affected by sleep.
Why Teens Need Sleep
As you can see, it is important to take sleep seriously so that your daughter’s whole being gets the care it needs. Most adults need at least seven hours of good quality sleep on a healthy sleeping schedule a night. For kids, the number of hours is even higher. Teenagers need from eight to ten hours of sleep each night. Their hormones and brain are changing, causing the body to need to replenish and rest each night. If a teenager is struggling with sleep loss, it will affect their processing ability and cognitive thinking skills.
This sleep deprivation will especially cause problems if teens already suffer from mental health issues. For progress to be made in their lives and recovery, a teenager needs to get adequate and healthy sleep. If you are noticing that your daughter is consistently struggling with sleep, it is important to let her care team know. Together they can help you and her work toward a healthier sleeping schedule and sleep health.
How to Work Toward Healthier Sleep
There are a few ways to start to change the way the body responds to sleep. Your daughter can take steps toward healthier sleep with the support of you and her care team.
When trying to change sleeping schedules, it is important to avoid heavy physical activity or movement in the hours before bed. This can include things like working out, as the rush of endorphins makes it harder to sleep. Also, it is important to have the correct environment to sleep. Having a dark and quiet bedroom will help sleep occur faster.
Additionally, avoiding exposure to blue light from screens for an hour before bed will help the brain slow down to prepare for sleep. It is also important to set a bedtime routine and consistently follow it. Your daughter’s sleep can also be monitored by her therapists and care team.
The Importance of Sleep for Therapeutic Advances
Therapy can be a rigorous process that can take a lot of mental energy. To make healthy changes in her life, your daughter needs to have the mental capacity to do so. This includes cognitive functioning and a healthy bodily foundation for making these changes.
If your daughter is struggling with being sleep-deprived, the skills she learns in therapy may not stick and may not be beneficial to her. Her mind needs time to reflect on and implement changes, and sleep allows her mind to do so. In the end, becoming mentally healthy has as much to do with her sleep and physical health as the therapy itself.
Promoting Holistic Health Alongside Recovery
It is important to view your daughter’s health journey holistically. Approaching her care from just an emotional standpoint would leave out a large part of her daily processing. Keeping the body healthy and knowing the importance of sleep is a key to long-term success and mental recovery.
Finding a facility like Clearview Horizon that focuses on academic and athletic health alongside her mental journey is important. Becoming healthier and working toward recovery is a holistic process that should be carefully considered. Working to heal each part of your daughter will create the long-term recovery you desire.
Managing health includes managing every part of the body and mind. When your daughter begins the process of recovery, it is important to have a healthy base. Getting a healthy amount of sleep allows the body and mind to refresh and reset for each day. This is especially important if your daughter is struggling with mental health. She can’t get better until there is a standard of health in her life and room for her mind to process what is going on. Finding a care facility that will employ strategies to care for each part of your daughter is important. Get in touch with Clearview Horizon to learn more at 866-584-4788.
