Taking care of ourselves helps us cope with trauma, including road trauma.
We often need to go back to basics, looking at our health and wellbeing to get some control and structure back in our lives. But why is wellbeing important and how can we look after it?
So, what is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is basically how you feel about yourself and your life. It is a combination of your physical, mental, emotional, and social health, and has strong links to your life satisfaction and happiness.
Importantly, wellbeing is not related to being ill. You can have an illness or mental health issue and still lead a satisfying and happy life … be in a state of wellbeing.
Equally, wellbeing is not related to your wealth or social status. For example, you may have a lot of money and perceived social status, but miss out on time with family and friends, have no time for yourself, and not feel good about yourself and your life. Alternatively, you may have a chronic illness but be surrounded by amazing friends and family, play sports you love, have hobbies you enjoy, hold a satisfying job, and eat well, so you feel good about yourself and your life.
Wellbeing is very individual. An individual’s wellbeing is largely determined by how they view themselves and their life. What is wellbeing for you may not be for your friend or sibling. We are all different and this applies to our wellbeing.
Wellbeing is not related to being ill or to your wealth or social status.
We hear it all the time – sleep is important for our physical health. But why do we need sleep?
Why do we need sleep?
Sleep helps restore energy, repair injuries and illness; encourage growth; support our psychological wellbeing and growth; boost concentration; improve our memory, enhance our work performance; and helps us get along with others.
How much sleep do we need?
How much sleep we need depends on our age. It’s also a very individual thing. Generally, we need between seven and nine hours, though younger people and those with injuries need more sleep to support growth and repair the body.
If we don’t get enough sleep (or if our sleep is not quality, restorative sleep), we can lack energy, feel low, and be irritable. We can also find it hard to concentrate or remember, have slower reaction times, crave certain foods (sugar and salt), find it hard to deal with stress, and struggle to work or study.
How does road trauma impact our sleep?
Road trauma, like other trauma, can impact the quality and quantity of our sleep.
Trauma adds to the anxiety, tension and stress we feel. We tend to think about the trauma, so we can’t sleep, then we worry about not being able to sleep.
As a result, we often change or adopt bad sleep habits such as watching TV or using phones and other screens in bed. These habits lead to poor sleep, which affects our day-to-day functioning.
It becomes an ongoing cycle and impacts our wellbeing.
What changes can we make to improve our sleep and change how we feel?
What we do throughout the day and at bedtime impacts our ability to get a good sleep.
The Government of Western Australia’s Centre for Clinical Intervention has developed a fact sheet which includes practical and helpful tips for better sleep. Some of the tips include:
- Aim for a regular bedtime and rising time
- If you are having trouble getting to sleep (more than 20 minutes) get up and do something calm and boring (no screens)
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol for 4-6 hours before bed.
- Avoid naps during the day – if you can’t avoid it, make sure naps are less than an hour long, and take them before 3pm.
- Exercise regularly during the day
- Eat a balanced diet and keep your evening meal light.
By making changes throughout the day and into the evening, we can reprogram our bodies, and improve the quality and quantity of our sleep.
Need more information or support?
At Road Trauma Support WA, we provide free information, support, and counselling to anyone who has been affected by a road crash in Western Australia.
Following road trauma – whether you were directly involved in it, lost someone you cared
about or witnessed a crash – your ability to enjoy a good night’s sleep may be affected.
Our fact sheet provides some strategies to assist you to sleep better.