Surprising Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Research suggests that practicing gratitude, forgiveness, mindfulness, and self-compassion may improve our sleep during stressful times

Gratitude strengthens relationships, improves happiness, and improves the quality of our sleep.Lopolo/Shutterstock

A lot of us are suffering from lack of sleep these days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 35 percent of adult Americans regularly get less than seven hours of sleep per night, with African Americans and other minority groups sleeping even less than that.

With the pandemic still in full swing, we may have even more sleep problems than usual. Worries about our health and safety, jobs, kids’ disrupted education, and more are keeping many of us up at night, creating fatigue and stress the next day. This could also lead to more serious mental health issues such as depression and even suicide.