Almost everyone suffers from poor sleep due to stress at one time or another. Possibly the biggest cause of poor sleep. In this article, we dive deep into the causes and solutions of sleeping with stress. We are pleased to offer you 4 proven tips to sleep better when stressed.
Negative effects of stress and sleep
Stress and sleep never go well together. Excessive stress almost always causes an inferior night’s sleep: your body is active, your heart rate is high and stress hormones are coursing through your body. Falling asleep at that time is very difficult. If stress becomes chronic, it is necessary to discuss it with your doctor.
Moreover, poor sleep can be a factor in creating burnout. When recovering from burnout, good sleep is also crucial: sleep is recovery.
Lately you’ll find a lot of people on TikTok claiming that low sex drive, anxiety and depression, thin hair and even a round face are signs of too high levels of cortisol. So the stress hormone is trending on socials and you better not have too much in your body. Don’t listen to these nonsense stories! The hormone is useful and helps our body find the necessary energy to deal with stress. This is how your body finds balance and equilibrium again. And when you wake up after a night of sleep, it’s cortisol that kicks your body back into action. So it’s best to have just enough of it, rather than too little. No stress!
4 Mindthebed tips to sleep better when stressed
To sleep better when stressed, it is important to actively address the problem. Just continuing as before will not solve the problem. A planned vacation may help for a while, but not in the long run. Check out our 4 tips to take immediate action:
1. Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Our first tip isn’t actually about stress at all, but rather something that can make your poor sleep due to stress even worse. Alcohol and caffeine have a negative impact on our sleep. By eliminating these factors first, you can continue working on resolving the stress.
You might be tempted to grab a drink in a stressful situation, or reach for the coffee because you slept poorly the night before. As for almost everything in life: use in moderation. Drinking coffee or tea in the morning and moderating from noon is wise. Don’t overdo it with the amounts, either. It takes a while for the effects to leave your body. Scientific studies indicate that not everyone is sensitive to caffeine. But in stressful times, it’s best to limit its use. That includes alcohol and especially in the evening hours.
2. Plan a moment of rest
It may sound like a simple solution, and it is. You mainly have to deal with a mental challenge to actually start doing it and stick with it.
One of the most effective ways to get better rest is to schedule a moment of rest during your busy day. This allows you to completely relax your body. By actively scheduling a moment of rest, such as a short walk, reading a book, a power nap or yoga, your body will be better rested during the day.
Starting is often easy, sustaining is something else. So don’t make your approach too big. Think about what you can easily schedule. And take a moment to think if you could use some help. For example, getting your colleagues something to drink every morning is often feasible. You stand up, move, breathe in and out quietly and interact with your colleagues for a moment. A little break is a fact … and so perseverance often becomes easier.
It also has a side effect. If you think calmly during the day about the things that are causing you stress, they often seem less daunting. At night, things often become bigger and more difficult. It’s quiet, you have no one to talk to, and in the dark, you seem all alone in the world. Your body is designed to process stress during sleep, but if your stress level is so high that you can’t sleep, then the stress just keeps building up. Always being ‘on’ isn’t healthy; press pause every now and then!
3. Constructive Worry method
By thinking about things you worry about before you sleep, you do so less during the night. Thus, you will fall asleep more easily and will also experience a quality night’s sleep.
- Grab a notebook and divide the page into two columns.
- On the left, make a list of things that are worrying you.
- On the right, write down the solution to the problem.
- Is there a solution? Then you don’t have to worry.
- Can’t think of a solution? Then you can work on accepting it or explore how to resolve it by seeking advice, for example.
- Place the notebook on your nightstand to remind yourself that you’ve already written down the solutions, and you can go to sleep peacefully.
This method is best done a few hours before you go to sleep. Do it alone or with a partner or friend.
Download & print this PDF file for example, to fully carry out the exercise.
4. Sports and occupational therapy
Do you have long-term insomnia due to stress? Then you might consider sports or vocational therapy. Exercise has a positive effect on sleep and is almost always prescribed as a complementary treatment for insomnia. Be careful not to exercise intensely in the hours immediately before sleep. Best during the day!
Occupational therapy involves more than just physical activity and we speak of mindfulness, meditation, dancing, music or yoga, for example. Practicing this has been shown in multiple studies to help with insomnia.
Resting and sleeping
Are you tired all day? Then you probably blame your sleep. This is not always the case. You may also simply need to rest rather than sleep in. Below we list the different types of rest.
Do you recognize that you don’t get one or more forms of rest enough? If so, that could possibly cause the fatigue you might blame on your sleep.
1. Physical rest
Physical rest is the rest our body needs. Passive physical rest is sleeping or taking a nap, while active physical rest is, for example, yoga or massage. Both forms of physical rest contribute to a healthy body.
2. Mental rest
Irritable, forgetful, and having trouble concentrating? Then you probably aren’t getting enough mental rest. This ensures that your night’s sleep, even if you sleep 7 or 8 hours, is not sufficient. Meditating, taking breaks, and consciously taking time for yourself and your way of reacting to these moments can significantly reduce our stress levels, according to Dr. Darria Long.
3. Sensory rest
Computer screens, background noise, or a lot of restless light can overstimulate our senses. Deliberately experiencing sensory deprivation for a moment (just nothing at all, silence, no screen) will ensure that you can rest better after a day of being overstimulated.
4. Creative rest
Busy with a creative process or have many ideas in your head about how to tackle a problem? Then you might be lying awake at night due to this creative restlessness. It can help to keep a notepad next to your bed to write down your ideas. This way, you can note what’s going on in your head and let it go.
Conclusion
Sleep stress occurs in many people and it is crucial to actively address it. We’ve put together some great tips to help you with this. It is also important to consider whether your fatigue is purely due to your sleep. In fact, you may also need rest in other ways. You can find mental rest by taking breaks more often. And if it’s for you, take some time to meditate.
Good to know: this article provides general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Have you been sleeping poorly for a while or are you concerned about your health? Talk to your doctor. Read our disclaimer