Sleep and stress

Quality sleep is crucial for our physical, mental, and social well-being. Sleep is essential for the body to function properly. During this Stress Awareness Month, we want to share some tips that might help you get better sleep.

Getting enough sleep is important to maintain good health during stressful periods of life, poor sleep can only contribute increased stress levels. If we skimp on sleep, we probably won’t remember how it feels to wake up fully rested.

While there’s no magical solution to ensure that happens but there are some simple steps we can take to improve our sleep – unwinding to creating the right environment and ways to de-stress will help us to drift off to sleep more easily. 

 

 

 

Tips to improve sleep

Dim the lights when you’re home. Maybe use lamps, a dimmer switch, or candles to create a calmer setting. Indirect light is less disruptive to the body’s natural circadian rhythms.

Consider limiting caffeine and alcohol before going to sleep. Part of the winding down process begins before we go to sleep. It includes exercising early, limiting caffeine, avoiding foods that might upset your stomach, and, avoiding alcohol before going to sleep as alcohol can diminish sleep quality.

Expose yourself to natural light (outdoors, if possible) in the morning or earlier in the day. Getting enough natural light during the day will also keep your body clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

Try some gentle yoga poses before sleep. These 7 restorative yoga poses before bed have been shown to increase relaxation and relieve tension.

Bathe before sleep. Taking a warm bath or shower an hour or two before bed has been shown to relax both the body and mind. Heat relaxes tense, tired muscles, can help regulate heart rate and helps to de-stress.

Read before going to sleep. Reading is a great way to relax.

Declutter your bedroom. What your eyes see when you walk into a room can influence whether or not you’ll have an easy time falling asleep.

“White noise” or an ambient sound can help. 

 

Resources

Headspace

Sleep problems - Every Mind Matters - NHS

Sleep and mental health - Mind

How to sleep better | Mental Health Foundation

 

 Published 24th April 2023