Stress and Insomnia – Ten Tips to Help You Cope
Are you just too keyed up and stressed out to sleep? It happens to all of us occasionally, and sometimes it can go on for several days or weeks, or (worse) months. During the holidays, the added tasks of shopping, attending and planning parties and get-togethers, and extra things to do can increase your anxiety and stress levels. People go to bed later and rise earlier to cram in all the extra goings-on. Problem is, you may find that it will take several nights of sleep just to recover from one or two sleep-shortened nights. Here are ten tips to help you deal with stress and insomnia:
Take a walk.
Exercise helps in several ways. It decreases stress, improves stress resilience and helps burn off excess stress hormones. If you suffer from stress and insomnia, you’ll want to do any vigorous exercise (weights, running or jogging) before late afternoon. Light exercise, like taking a walk, helps in the evening.
Relax your mind
Don’t take your worries into your bedroom. If you find it hard to let go of your worries or tomorrow’s “to-do” list, try writing it all down in a notebook, then firmly close the book and declare that you will not think on it again until tomorrow. Don’t use your bedroom as an office or a family room. Don’t use it for anything except sleeping and sex.
Practice progressive muscle relaxation
This is a stress management technique that is quite helpful with stress and insomnia. Lie on your back and consciously tense, then fully relax each muscle, beginning with your toes. Work your way slowly upward. Hopefully, by the time you get to your head, you’ll be asleep.
Use visualization
Imagine yourself, as vividly as possible, somewhere warm and relaxing. Focus on putting mentally putting yourself in that place, and then visualize yourself falling asleep.
Ease into sleeptime
Don’t go right to bed. Give yourself a transition time between any stressful activity and going to bed. Do something that relaxes you for a half hour or so. That helps break the link between stress and insomnia.
Develop a bedtime ritual
This isn’t just for kids. A fifteen or twenty minute bedtime ritual is another way to break the link between stress and insomnia. A ritual signals your body that you are going to bed, and that helps your body shut down stress hormones.
Keep your bedroom dark
Your body produces the hormone melatonin in response to darkness. Melatonin helps you sleep naturally.
Meditate or pray
Meditation and prayer are a good way to relax before going to bed. Both practices cause your body to stop making stress hormones, and help decrease stress and insomnia.
Listen to music
No, not gangsta rap or heavy metal. Leave the radio on and playing soft, relaxing music.
Ma was right…
Finally, try drinking a glass of warm milk. Really. Milk contains tryptophan, which helps you sleep. If it’s warm, it helps you relax. If it’s got a little sugar or honey in it, you absorb the tryptophan faster.
If stress and insomnia are keeping you up at night, try one or more of these tips, and see if you can get a better night’s sleep. Sweet Dreams!
