Sleep and Stress: Useful Tips For Better Sleep

Do you ever lay down for bed and find yourself restless? You toss and turn, thinking about something that didn’t go well that day. You wish you had better sleep but you don’t know how.

Do you sometimes look at the clock throughout the night, and count down how much sleep you’ll get until you have to wake up?

If this is the true for you, your stress level may be affecting your sleep. It is a well-known fact that people should get about 8 hours of sleep a day.

When you experience stress and you try to turn in for the night, you likely have a battle with the sheets. Tossing, turning, repositioning your body, huffing and puffing.

Sleep Deprivation and Stress

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), only 20 percent of adults say the quality of their sleep is very good or excellent.

Further, adults who sleep fewer than eight hours a night are more likely to report symptoms of stress, such as feeling irritable or angry, than adults who sleep more than eight hours a night (45% versus 32 % of adults).

Poor sleep can have alarming consequences, such as feeling emotional and quick-tempered, experiencing difficulty concentrating and trouble thinking clearly, feeling sad or depressed, and feeling sluggish.

Poor sleep doesn’t only drain your mental capabilities, there are also physical repercussions.

What’s more, a lack of sleep can negatively impact both short and long-term memory, cause weight gain, and put you at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Back to the connection between stress and sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol.

Cortisol should be lower at night. The more nights that go by with higher cortisol levels, the higher the risk for mood changes.

You now know the effects stress can have on your sleep and why sleep is so important, so what can you do about it?

How To Get Better Sleep With Stress

6 Tips For Better Sleep

1. Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol.

Avoid substances such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

Caffeine is a stimulant that makes it harder for your body to relax. It’s best to have your last caffeinating beverage at least four hours before bed.

Alcohol reduces rapid eye movement (REM) which occurs during dreaming. This is an essential stage for a better sleep.

Avoid drinking alcohol at least 3 hours before bed.

Nicotine is a stimulant as well, so cigarette smokers can easily develop insomnia if they smoke frequently and close to bedtime. Your best bet is to be as natural as possible to avoid stress. 

2. Listen To “white noise” To Decrease Stress and Improve Sleep 

Duet White Noise Machine with Night Light and Wireless Speaker

White noise is far less stimulating before bed than television or browsing social media on your phone.

White noise is “one note,” so to speak. Since we can still hear when we sleep, white noise is an equal amount of frequency that a human being can hear that allows sleep to go uninterrupted. 

A Stanford University study found that listening to relaxing music and sounds serves as a highly effective stress reducer and creates an overall better sleep. 

Using a white noise machine can be helpful to drown out any sudden or sharp noises that might wake you up.

3. Try Using A Natural Sleep Aid For Better Sleep

Many people prefer the idea of natural sleep aids compared to the risks of taking prescription sleep drugs. Melatonin, for instance, is a hormone naturally found in your body, making it perfectly safe to take if you need a boost.

The human brain contains the pineal gland, a gland that produces and releases melatonin. These secretions increase at night, which makes us drowsy. So if they are not occurring naturally as they should be, perhaps try melatonin supplements.

Another helpful natural sleep aid is one containing valerian, which is a type of flower. Valerian has a relaxing effect on the nervous system and promotes relaxation.

Valerian can be ingested as a tablet or you can drink it in a tea.

This natural supplement can even be added to a bath for relaxation. Its sedative effect on the body is surely a good alternative to a potentially addictive medication.

As always, you should check with your doctor before adding even natural sleep aids to your routine as government agencies do not study these supplements conclusively. It is also, good to talk to a doctor so you know if they may not be safe to take with any pre-existing medications.

4. Set Aside “Worry Time” To Avoid Constant Stress

What? Are you actually telling me to worry? Setting worry time has been recommended for years by therapists. Let’s face it, you’re going to worry anyway. Why not do your best to control when?

Scheduling worry time causes you to remind yourself, “Okay, I don’t have to think about it now, I have scheduled the time later.” 

If you’re at work, for instance, reminding yourself there is time carved out later isolates the time you have to worry. This helps you have a better fighting chance at pushing it off, leaving your mind more open to critical thinking and relaxation.

Scheduling this time, especially to address any concerns you may have throughout the day that are unresolved, will decrease the chance of interrupting the potential to get eight hours of sleep.

Try to not schedule worry time right before bed for the potential risk of having a challenging time “shaking off” your worry thoughts.

If worries plague you at night when you are trying to sleep, write them down so that they can leave your head. You’ll feel comforted by knowing you won’t forget to address the matter the next day. Remind yourself there is nothing you can do about it now and that sleep will, in fact, cause less worry.

5. Take A Relaxing Bath For Better Sleep.

 Bathing before going to sleep can be a great way to relieve stress and melt the day away. I know, I know. Some people feel like bathing means soaking in your own filth. So take a 2-minute shower first. Then get out and fill the bath with a relaxing bath product and hot water. Soak for around 20 minutes at least.

If you’re really not a bather, use a relaxation product to lather on you as you shower. Take this well needed time to free your mind and de-stress. Sometimes, the silence causes people to think about their worries.

If this occurs, play some soft music and think about being somewhere truly relaxing and peaceful. This peaceful place could be somewhere like being on a beach or by a waterfall with your favorite person.

Go ahead and create a visually relaxing ambiance by lighting candles.  It is the best place to have some “me time” and relax your mind and body.   

6. Get Out Of Bed

When sleep feel impossible most people tend to lay in bed frustrated and restless. Believe it or not, getting out of bed will help you take a break from your bed feeling like the enemy at the moment.

Do something relaxing and low key.

For instance:

• Read.
• Listen to music.
• Meditate.
• Do relaxation exercises.

Choose tasks that are relaxing so that you can properly wind down and ease into bed more comfortably.

Things To Avoid For Better Sleep

• Using technology (except if it is something calm-inducing such as relaxation music).
• Eating a heavy meal as this will not make you feel restful.
• If you do use technology, do not watch anything violent or sad.
• Trying to get work done as this takes you too far away from “relaxation-mode.”

Cover all bases by having an “anti-stress kit.” Mine contains melatonin pills, relaxing bath products, chamomile tea (caffeine free), a Lavender and chamomile relaxation spray, and anti-stress candles (but do not light right before bed and after you’ve taken a sleep supplement).

This kit covers all of the senses, including taste, sight, touch, smell, and sound. That is, when you add relaxing music or your sound machine into the mix.  Make your own kit according to what works best for you.

Maintain A Structured Sleep Routine

Everyone has a bad night from time to time. Keeping a solid sleep routine all help.

That includes going to bed at around the same time each evening, making your last hour of the day relaxing, keeping your bed for sleep only (not work or entertainment), avoiding caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed.

When all else fails, toss those covers off and get out of bed. Take 10 to 15 minutes to do something arduous outside of bed. This could be sit-ups, cleaning something, or a relaxation exercise in a chair such as progressive muscle relaxation. Ideally, you’ll return bed feeling you worn yourself out more and be ready to sleep.

There are natural ways in which you can relieve your stress. Try these strategies and products and sleep like a baby.

You don’t have to struggle every night to have a good night sleep. Getting a more restful sleep will change your life.

I’d love to hear from you. What have you found helps you get a peaceful night’s sleep?