May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It was established in 1949 by the National Association for Mental Health, now known as Mental Health America. The month is dedicated to the education and awareness of mental health issues, and encourages families and individuals to prioritize well-being. COVID-19 highlighted the many ways our mental health can be compromised by stress and dramatic changes in life patterns. And in this election year, we’re keenly aware of social media and its impact on our well being. These forces are complicated and challenging to untangle, but another major influence on our mental health is more direct. I’m referring to sleep. 

Scientists find that sleep has a reciprocal relationship to wellness: increasing sleep improves mental health. But unfortunately, more and more Americans are sleeping less and less. The Gallup Poll reported in April that only 25% of Americans sleep eight or more hours per night, while 20% sleep five or fewer hours. This contrasts sharply to data from 1942 showing 59% of Americans sleeping eight or more hours per night, with only 3% getting five or fewer hours. Though the decline in hours of sleep is seen in all age groups, the greatest reductions are found in women between the ages of 18 and 49, and young adults. These groups also report more symptoms of stress and depression. 

In our 24/7 culture, it’s challenging to find and protect additional hours of sleep, but psychologists have this advice for achieving the sleep the CDC recommends at each age:

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule; retire and rise at the same time each day.
• Create a comfortable and conducive sleep environment in the bedroom.
• Limit artificial light (i.e. screens) at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Strive to eat the last meal of the day at least two hours before bedtime.
• Near bedtime, avoid substances that interfere with sleep, including caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.
• Create a consistent self calming bedtime routine to slow the mind and body.
• Engage in ongoing stress management, including mindfulness and physical exercise, to balance the autonomic nervous system.

These recommendations may feel unrealistic if applied all at once. But try the easier ones to start, adding the challenging ones later. The data predicts you’ll feel the difference.

The San Domenico library has numerous books on sleep. Young readers will enjoy hearing The Napping House as they settle into bed. Audrey and Don Wood spin a humorous tale of sleep and surprise awakening when a Grandmother and Grandchild tuck in for a nap. In John Hulme and Michael Wexler’s science fiction novel, The Glitch in Sleep, Middle School students will imagine the impacts of sleep deprivation when a snafu at the Department of Sleep threatens to make slumber impossible. And Upper School students can learn the research findings of Matthew Walker, Director of UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab, in his book, Why We Sleep. 

Wishing you restorative rest, 
Karlyn Strand 
San Domenico Librarian