While self-care might sound like pampering, it’s a term with medical roots, dating back to Ancient Greece. The term has become colloquial in recent decades — specifically in recent years. Recent stresses have resulted in spiked searches for self-care, notably in the early days of the pandemic, in March and April of 2020. To a lesser extent, searches for self-care spike each holiday season. We all find ways of getting ourselves through stressful times.
Self-care looks a little different for everyone, but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Self-care is the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.” According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. When it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.”
Indeed, a 2018 study of 871 students in medical school — a notoriously stressful setting — found those who self-reported partaking in self-care activities had a lesser correlation between perceived stress and its impact on their quality of life.
Taking care of ourselves is important. It has also never received this much attention, with advocates encouraging self-care practice, whether adhering to an exercise route, meditating, eating well, or enjoying hobbies that spark joy. One critical yet under-discussed element in the self-care discourse is sleep. It turns out that sleep and self-care are deeply linked: Not only can sleep improve our self-care, but self-care can improve our sleep.
Sleep and sleep hygiene as a critical part of self-care
Self-care and sleep are intrinsically linked. Without adequate sleep, it’s hard (if not impossible) to perform, and certainly not at our best. Sleep is critical for our physical and mental health, impacting everything from our cognitive sharpness to our work quality down to safety when performing everyday tasks like driving. This is why it’s so alarming that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three Americans do not get enough sleep.
According to Leah Irish, Ph.D., an assistant professor and sleep researcher at North Dakota State University, one big reason for lack of sleep is a lack of prioritization. Instead of treating sleep as the lynchpin that makes all our other self-care endeavors possible, most of us see sleeping as the very last in a long list of things to “do” each day.
“One way that you could conceptualize self-care is prioritizing things in your life that are going to promote better health,” Irish says, emphasizing the need to prioritize sleep. “But for a large majority of people who don’t get sufficient sleep, it’s just because they don’t go to bed on time. Or they don’t give themselves an adequate amount of time in bed and, as a result, they have short sleep,” Irish says. “It’s not necessarily that a lot of people are incapable of getting healthy sleep; they just don’t because they choose not to.”
By making this choice, so many of us get tripped up. “When we overschedule ourselves,” Irish explains, “the thing that tends to get sacrificed first is our sleep, simply because it’s the last part of our days.”
For some people, that revenge bedtime procrastination even occurs because of self-care, whether binge-watching a favorite show or staying up late enjoying a skincare routine.
Self-care for sleep is an individual effort
Good sleep hygiene can be more about regulating our internal environments. As one recent study showed, it’s not always a physical thing keeping you awake but rather mental stressors. The authors conclude that sleep hygiene, and the self-care practices it promotes, need to be individually tailored and consider negative emotions just as much as physical stimuli.
Rather than strictly following broad guidance about what’s supposed to be best for us and our sleep, it’s about uncovering what works for us as individuals. “One really common recommendation is to avoid caffeine, particularly later in the day. And that, generally, is a totally reasonable recommendation,” Irish says. “However, like some of my own research and research from others has shown, caffeine is something that affects people differently.” If self-care feels more stressful than relaxing, or eliminating certain notorious sleep disruptors causes anxiety, that approach may not be best for you.
Injecting self-care into your sleep routine
Luckily, there are plenty of places where sleep and self-care can meet. Some people, Irish says, like to take warm baths or showers before bed to help them wind down. Not only can this be relaxing, but it can be a great time to soothe any aching muscles and take a needed break from screentime.
Exercise is an important part of self-care, but when it comes to self-care and sleep, just be sure to keep it casual. Vigorous exercise can be great for our bodies, which means it’s not great self-care for a bedtime routine. Rather than hopping on the treadmill for five miles, take a leisurely walk after dinner, which can be good for your blood glucose levels and mental health.
Finally, we all know we’re not supposed to use screens before bed. But it’s a tough habit for many of us to break. And watching a light-hearted show or something funny can actually be a soothing salve for the harshness of the world. If you opt for TV, Irish advises keeping the content light.
Finally, across your entire self-care endeavor, take it slow. It’s about making small, sustainable adjustments rather than running full speed ahead into a complete lifestyle overhaul. After all, your self-care shouldn’t be a stressor keeping you up at night.
