Sleep and Stress: How to Break the Cycle
Sleep and stress are undeniably closely intertwined. We’ve all experienced the feeling of being irritable and exhausted when we’re stressed and how much better we feel after a good night’s sleep. But for many of us, they become accompanied by a vicious cycle- stress causing poor sleep, and poor sleep making us more susceptible to stress.
Sleep is crucial to help us keep a clear head and strengthen our emotional resilience. It helps us in navigating challenges in our life better, since we are better equipped to make better decisions when we are well rested. It also allows us to tackle day-to-day situations with more clarity and composure. Without enough or quality sleep, our stress levels increase drastically, making it much harder to cope with life’s pressures.
On the other hand, stress can also disrupt our sleep. It can lead to insomnia, where we toss and turn for hours in bed before eventually drifting off to an uneasy sleep. Stress caused by work can also force us to stay up nights to finish a project or make us constantly anxious about tomorrow’s presentation. Without addressing the underlying stress, no amount of sleep seems enough- thus restarting the cycle.
Identifying Factors of Stress
Identifying and understanding potential stressors in your life is the first and most important step in understanding and breaking the cycle of sleep and stress. Barring any medical conditions, there is usually an identifiable factor in our lives that are the root cause of our stress. It could be anything from our career, relationships, or our social life.
Increased stress levels can lead to higher anxiety and a build up of worries and concerns, which in turn affects our natural sleep cycle. Therefore, it’s important to come to a realization of the source of your stress and manage it immediately.
Seeking Professional Help
If you are unable to identify the root cause of your stress and the cycle of sleep and stress is continuing, then it may be time to seek professional help. This could come in the form of cognitive therapy or talking to a trained psychologist to gain a better understanding of yourself and the underlying issues contributing to your stress.
Being able to talk openly about your problem and feelings to a professional can help you to work out more effective coping strategies for dealing with those issues which in turn can reduce your stress levels, enabling you to sleep more soundly.
If you don’t feel able to access professional support, then speaking with someone you feel safe and comfortable with, such as a family member or close friend could help. A third-party perspective can help you to gain a clearer understanding of your situation and the best way to proactively deal with it.
Taking Care of Yourself
It is important to take time out for yourself. Although it isn’t as simple as flipping a switch, adopting these practices and taking proactive behaviour towards your stress can help you in breaking the cycle of sleep and stress.
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthily
- Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and caffeine
- Take up yoga, meditation or mindful practices
- Set aside ‘me-time’ for yourself and practice relaxation techniques.
Conclusion
A good night’s sleep is essential for our mental wellbeing, yet many of us struggle to get quality sleep due to the stressful circumstances in our life. If left untreated, it can become a vicious cycle of increasing stress and reduced rest. By recognizing the sources of our anxiety and taking the steps to manage it effectively, we can understand better, ourselves and be able to navigate life’s challenging moments with a clear and composed mindset.