Page 42 - Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry

42 | Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments in Psychiatry

possible for individuals to find at least one exercise—aerobic,
anaerobic or flex-training—where they can truly enjoy
themselves and be empowered to treat their mental illness.

Sleep: Nature’s Mood Management System

Another factor in lifestyle effects on mental health is sleep.
Along with the negative consequences of fast food, loss of sleep
causes more problems than simply lack of concentration, energy,
and creativity (Kemper 2010). Typically in the field of mental
health sleep was considered a symptom and not a causal agent in
mental disorders, but recent studies have found that sleep issues
seem to contribute to anxiety, depression, ADHD and bipolar
disorder (Harvard 2009). Essential sleep restores all of the major
mind-body systems, including the ability to relax, release stress,
and regulate emotions. Lack of sleep plays a role in the growing
obesity rates, which are also linked to growing rates of
depression. Exercise increases sleep time, which leads to
improved overall mental health (Landers 1997).
Connecting back to the introduction, achieving proper sleep
begins with a decision to do so and to adjust one’s schedule and
lifestyle in a way that prioritizes the mental health care role of
sleep. Although many elements of sleep continue to elude
scientific understanding, we do know that limiting alcohol and
nicotine before bed improves sleep. Aerobic exercise during the
day and meditation before sleep can improve sleep, and thus
mood (Harvard 2009) (Kemper 2010).

Being in Nature
As technology has progressed, people have become more
sedentary, spending more hours indoors. This has taken a toll on
mental health. Recent research has investigated the impact of
greenery and green outdoor spaces on various mental disorders
and negative states. For example, Sugiyama et al examined the
relationship between perceived neighborhood “greenness” and
mental health and found a stronger correlation between