Reducing stress to sleep better

Insomnia is a common complaint in today’s fast-paced society. Many of us find that our minds are racing at night, unable to let go of the day’s problems. Often our bodies are also wound up, and we are experiencing muscle tension or a racing heartbeat. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to fall asleep, and once asleep, stay asleep and rest peacefully. Unless you find a way to reduce stress, you may find yourself experiencing difficulty falling or staying asleep, and may even be plagued by nightmares or stressful dreams.

One way that you can begin to reduce your level of stress is to begin early in the day, by adopting the attitude that whatever occurs at work will stay at work. In other words, make a commitment to yourself that you will not bring problems with coworkers, your boss or workload home with you. You are getting paid to do a task, not to live and breathe your job around the clock. Ask your spouse or roommate to let you know if you continue to rant and rave about work on into the evening hours! Let it go.

If you work inside, another factor that could be contributing to your overall level of stress and trouble sleeping is your lack of exposure to sunlight. If you go to work when it is still dark outside, and work inside an artificially lit building all day, your body will not be in sync with its normal rhythms. Lack of exposure to sunlight can cause SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression. In order to let your body know that you are indeed awake during the day, make sure to get out of your office building and take a short walk once or twice during the workday. You will feel the difference almost immediately!

Exercise of any kind can decrease stress and increase the quality of your sleep. The trick is not to overdo it, and not to exercise within a few hours of bedtime, as exercise can serve as a temporary pick-me-up. The best time to exercise is in the morning, during the day, or immediately after work. Give your body time to wind down after exercising, and chances are, you will enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

Another thing that influences how we feel is what we eat. Especially later in the day, make sure that your meals are healthy and light. Do not eat a lot of sugar or drink caffeine. Be aware that caffeine is in chocolate as well as colas, tea and coffee. The combination of sugar and caffeine in that pint of mocha ice cream you consume at ten o’clock in the evening can certainly be a culprit that contributes to insomnia. Regardless of what type of food it is, you do not want to eat anything heavy right before going to bed. Doing so can result in indigestion and heartburn, and the digestive process may stimulate your body into wakefulness.

Some people believe that drinking a glass of wine will help them to go to sleep. While a glass of wine is certainly relaxing, alcohol actually interferes with the sleep process, resulting in a night of less restful REM sleep, and possible wakefulness. The more alcohol one drinks, the more pronounced this effect will be. Alcohol should never be the solution for reducing stress and inducing sleep.

Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. You may want to take a warm bath. If you do, try adding some lavender essential oil to the water, as lavender is relaxing and can help induce sleep. If you choose to read a book, watch television, or listen to music, make sure that the content is relaxing. It is difficult to fall asleep when you have just heard a disturbing news story, or are reading a thriller. Page-turning thrillers are responsible for many hours of lost sleep! Instead, listen to a classical station at a low volume, watch a light-hearted comedy and read a non-fiction book with interesting content that can be read a chapter at a time without a loss of closure when you set down the book. Some people incorporate meditation and prayer into their bedtime routine. Whatever your routine may be, the key is sticking to it, as the beginning of your routine will signal to your body that it is time to go to sleep. You will also want to begin your routine at the same time each evening, and keep your bedtime consistent, even on the weekends.

Make sure that your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature. Physical stress can be put on the body if it is too cold or too hot. Tossing and turning because it is simply too warm is not productive. Go ahead and turn the air conditioner down if you need to! If your bedroom tends to be too cold, try investing in a nice down comforter. They have different levels of “fill,” so that you are guaranteed comfort in a wide range of indoor temperatures.

You will find that by improving the quality of your sleep, that your daytime stress level will go down, which in turn causes you to sleep better at night. What a great cycle to be in. You can capture this if you break the stress cycle that you are currently in, which certainly can be done. Remember, just stick with it, and soon, restful sleep should come naturally. If after implementing these ideas for a couple of weeks, you are still experiencing difficulty sleeping, you should check with your doctor. There may be an underlying medical reason for your sleeplessness, or you may need to see a counselor to address areas of severe stress in your life. Whatever the case, don’t despair. You will sort out your difficulty and enjoy a good night’s rest soon.