Mental health and sleep quality are deeply interconnected, creating what experts often refer to as a cyclical relationship. 

Or, as Amanda Chocko, Sleep Coach at Mentavi Health puts it, “It’s really a question of what comes first, the chicken or the egg?”

Her answer? “You have to do both at the same time.” 

How sleep affects mental health

During deep sleep phases, our bodies engage in essential maintenance work. “When we’re going through our deep sleep, that’s when a lot of the processes through our glymphatic system are happening. We’re flushing out all the toxins in our brain,” explains Chocko. Research shows that this cleansing process is vital for cognitive health, finding that poor sleep increases the risk of depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

REM sleep plays an equally important role. Chocko describes this stage as “our mind-spa time,” where we process memories and balance emotions, building the resilience needed to face each new day. Without adequate REM sleep, we become more vulnerable to mood disturbances: “If our sleep is poor, we’re more apt to have anxiety and stress — the things that we don’t want to add on to any mental health concerns.

And how mental health affects sleep

The relationship also works in the opposite direction, where mental health conditions like anxiety can significantly disrupt sleep patterns. “If you’re anxious and you’re in fight-or-flight mode and you really have your cortisol whipping up because of anxiety, it’s going to wreck your sleep,” states Chocko.

Breaking the cycle

The best way forward is a comprehensive approach. Chocko notes that therapy and medication can help, but recommends stress management throughout the day as the best approach. “Reframing and really working on healthy habits contribute a lot. [Because] it’s not only sleep — it’s nutrition, it’s movement, it’s getting out in nature. All of these things can really help with mental health. And they can also help with sleep.”

Sleep problems (and solutions) 101

Trouble falling asleep

Stress, anxiety, and caffeine are all factors that have been proven to disrupt sleep. So, managing these factors through daytime habits and establishing a proper wind-down routine can make a significant difference.

Nighttime awakening

Multiple factors can cause you to wake in the middle of the night, including hormonal fluctuations and hot flashes, blood sugar imbalances, nighttime bathroom trips, and digestive issues, as well as other conditions like histamine problems and sleep apnea.

When you wake during the night, some useful strategies for getting back to sleep include:

• Using sound machines: “White noise machines and just that humming of that white noise machine can help.” Not only does this drown out  any extraneous sounds that may keep you awake, it also helps to distract you from ruminating thoughts. There are also many apps that offer various options including nature sounds and relaxing music.
• Avoiding clock-watching: “The minute you look at the clock, it’s gonna be, oh no. I have to get up in two hours. Can’t be tired tomorrow.” This will trigger your stress hormones and make it very difficult to fall back asleep. 
• Leaving the bed if you can’t fall back asleep: “If you find yourself in bed, still awake 20 to 30 minutes and you’re tossing and turning, it is recommended that you get out of your bed.” It is important for your brain to associate your bed with sleeping.  Get out of bed and engage in a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again.

Waking too early

Early morning awakening can become a pattern as “your circadian rhythm can all of a sudden say ‘Oh, this must be the time we wake up.’” This happens when your cortisol level increases too early. One way to reset your circadian rhythm is to set a regular bedtime, even on weekends. Be sure to expose your eyes to early morning sunlight and dim the lights in the evening. You may even try incrementally setting a later bedtime to see if that helps you to extend your waketime.

Sleep Coaching can help

Fixing your sleep can be a challenge. It often requires habit change and getting to the root cause of your insomnia. Working with a sleep coach can help you to identify what is keeping you up at night and offer strategies to help you reclaim your nights and conquer your days.

A hallmark characteristic of ADHD, self-regulation impairment creates issues in all lifestyle routines — and sleep is no exception. Many people living with ADHD find themselves stuck in a vicious cycle where lack of sleep exacerbates the very symptoms that catalyze their inadequate sleep. 

For people living with (and without) ADHD, a lack of restful sleep and feeling tired during the day can have devastating effects that are far-reaching, be it in work, school, relationships, or personal responsibilities. These inevitably lead to compounding stress and anxiety — additional triggers for the ADHD brain — potentially making it even harder to accomplish things.

Without the sleep that you need, you may adopt habits to feel alert during the day. But more often than not, these strategies backfire. Amy Marschall, PsyD, a licensed psychologist who treats patients with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, explains, “You might take a nap, you might drink more coffee … The ways you compensate to stay alert during the day cause you to not feel as rested and ready for bed the following night. It becomes that ongoing cycle.”

Naming the struggles

Whether absorbed in a task, struggling to transition from one activity to the next, or overwhelmed in cognitive hyperactivity (i.e., racing thoughts), there are many aspects of ADHD that contribute to problematic sleep.

“People with ADHD experience hyperfocus periods where they get really into what they’re doing and don’t realize how late it’s gotten,” says Dr Marschall, “[They think] ’I’m doing this, so I might as well keep going,’ and it’s harder to shift into that rest, getting ready for bed.”

And for those who do make it to bed at a reasonable hour, the sole act of crawling into bed and the intention to fall asleep often succumb to the ADHD stream of constant thoughts, making it difficult to relax. “Sometimes you have what we call cognitive hyperactivity, which is the racing thoughts,” Marschall says. “It’s really hard to fall asleep because you lay down and your thoughts are still going on.”

Intentional environmental cues

If you experience time blindness, adding cues throughout your environment can help you maintain a more accurate awareness of time, whether in the form of displaying more clocks in your home or setting an alarm on your phone to signal you to get ready for bed. Some opt to connect a timer(s) to table or floor lamps in rooms that they frequent; light turns off—time for sleep.

Environmental cues could also include finding a schedule-oriented family member or roommate whose routine you can shadow, overtly or not, and then personalizing it based on your interests and needs. “It’s less about what you do and more about doing the same thing,” Marschall says. “Your brain pairs it, like, ‘Okay, when I do this, that means it’s starting to be time to get ready for bed.’”

Some people spend the last half hour of the day in dim lighting, while others take a warm shower. Still others lie down and read a book (but opt for a real book with paper pages, not a tablet or smartphone, to avoid light stimulation from the device). By following a set schedule and bedtime routine every night, your brain can start associating those behaviors with winding down and falling asleep. 

The no-phone zone

Once you’ve made it into bed, eliminating distractions might help you to fall asleep more quickly. For many, an ever-present smartphone is a temptation at bedtime, and texts, notifications, emails, and the like may wake you up through the night.

Though do-not-disturb settings are somewhat helpful, sleep experts recommend removing your phone from the bedroom completely. They suggest replacing the smartphone alarm with a digital or analog alarm clock to unchain your brain from the common, unhealthy habit of excessively scrolling through the night—or waking only to continue the doom scroll.

Eliminate (or incorporate) background noise

For some with ADHD, any kind of noise in a sleep environment can trigger psychological or even physical activity, making it challenging to drift off. But for many who experience racing thoughts at bedtime, background noise, such as music or television, is essential.

Marschall, who herself has ADHD, finds it helpful to play TV reruns that she’s seen multiple times, citing them as an effective distraction from her thoughts. “My brain is saying, ‘Nope, we’re focused on the storyline. We’re listening to the show,’” she says. “It’s something that is familiar enough, because I’ve seen it many times, that it’s not stimulating me to stay awake.”

Easy-to-rise methods

If sleeping in a dark room encourages sleep, arising in a dark room also encourages sleep or a lack of motivation to get up and moving (at the very least). If you’re groggy every morning, consider adding morning light to your routine, even before you get out of bed.

Instead of using room-darkening blinds or blackout curtains, choose sheer window coverings that let in some natural light. “Having light come in can help your brain to make that adjustment,” Marschall says. “Sunlight can help your brain to say, ‘Okay, it’s time to be awake. It’s time to be alert.’” Many people living with ADHD also find success in using a sunrise alarm clock, which gradually brightens during the 20 or 30 minutes before the alarm goes off so that you wake up in a pleasantly lit space.

The value of sleep coaching

The relationship between ADHD and sleep is both complex and common, with up to 75% of adults with ADHD experiencing difficulty sleeping. But inadequate sleep (and the extensive effects of it) doesn’t have to be your reality. By working with a professional sleep coach, you’ll gain tailored strategies to manage your sleep struggles, practical tools to develop and maintain a consistent routine, and an understanding of the connection between sleep and mental health for positive, lasting change. 

Whether you awaken feeling groggy or struggle to drift off, meet with our sleep coach today to transform your sleep and improve your overall well-being.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI. (Newswire.com) – Nearly 37% of U.S. adults – more than one out of every three people – get too little sleep each day. Sleep disorders are also correlated with many mental health conditions: For example, up to 75% of people with ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) also have trouble getting enough sleep. Those statistics illustrate why Mentavi Health is pleased to add sleep coach Amanda Chocko to its diverse team of expert mental health caregivers.

Mentavi Health, a leader in accessible and comprehensive behavioral health services, provides diagnosis and treatment across a wide range of mental health conditions. The clinical team comprises psychologists, physicians, nurse practitioners, therapists, and coaches who guide patients through personalized treatment paths.

Chocko, a nationally known author, therapist and sleep coach, joined Mentavi Health on November 22. She reinforces the Mentavi Health care team’s commitment to offering patients all treatment options, including medication treatment, therapy provided by doctorate-level psychologists, and mental wellness coaching.

“We’re excited to have Amanda Chocko joining the Mentavi Health family,” said Mentavi Chief Medical Officer Barry K. Herman, M.D., M.M.M. “This addition aligns with Mentavi Health/ADHD Online’s strategy to provide comprehensive care for individuals with ADHD and related conditions. By incorporating a Sleep Coach, we are enhancing our ability to offer solutions that address the complex challenges our patients face, further establishing ourselves as a leader in ADHD care.”

Chocko is an experienced sleep coach and functional nutritional therapy practitioner who specializes in helping people improve their sleep quality through evidence-based techniques and practical tools for ADHD patients. Her tailored, evidence-based sleep strategies promote better sleep hygiene, strengthen daily routines, and enhance mental and physical well-being.

She is the author of “Relax Sleep Thrive – Your Five-Week Journey to Peaceful, Restorative Sleep,” which offers a comprehensive, easy-to-follow program designed to help people identify and resolve their sleep issues through personalized, actionable solutions. She has provided personalized sleep coaching to patients nationwide, helping them with insomnia and other sleep disturbances associated with ADHD.

“The science is abundantly clear that sleep is closely linked to our overall emotional and mental health,” Chocko said. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity work with Mentavi Health to help people take control of their conditions and achieve wellness.”

A long-running study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Americans’ sleep problems are becoming more prevalent. In 2013, about 33% of women and 34% of men reported getting less than seven hours of sleep nightly. By 2023, those percentages climbed to about 36% and 38% percent respectively.

Poor sleep can be more common among people with mental health conditions. Research has shown that 55% to 75% of people with ADHD also suffer from sleep disorders. Similar relationships have been found between sleep and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sleep disorders can exacerbate the symptoms of such conditions and interfere with treatment. Mentavi Health supports patients in practicing sleep hygiene to get sufficient sleep. Methods include maintaining a regular sleep schedule, exercising regularly, using relaxation techniques, blocking excess lights, and avoiding use of electronic devices an hour before bedtime.

For more information about diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders or other mental health concerns, visit https://mentavi.com.

About Mentavi Health and ADHD Online

Established as ADHD Online in 2018, Mentavi Health has evolved to encompass a broader range of mental health services. With the mission to make quality ADHD assessments accessible to all, Mentavi has grown to address not only ADHD but also the most common related mental health conditions. The nationwide Mentavi Diagnostic Evaluation and various treatment options showcase the company’s commitment to providing comprehensive, accessible, compliant online mental health care.

Source: Mentavi Health

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With our proven model of separating assessment from treatment, holding ourselves to rigorous clinical standards, and streamlining care, we help patients take control of their lives across a spectrum of mental health needs.

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Original Source: newswire.com