How does stress affect our sleep? Tips for stress-related insomnia

It’s well known that stress is a common cause of sleep problems. We’ve all had nights where we’ve lain awake turning our worries over and over, whether they’re related to work, relationships or our health. But how exactly does stress affect our sleep — and what can we do to deal with the insomnia it causes?

Stress and sleep: a complicated connection

Before we look at solutions, it’s worth understanding the complicated link between stress and sleep. When we’re stressed, the body activates the “fight or flight” response. That increases heart rate and triggers the release of hormones like cortisol, which keep us awake and alert. That’s great when we’re facing an immediate threat — but problematic when we’re trying to sleep.

Relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques can be highly effective in helping us reduce stress and improve our sleep. Approaches like deep breathing, meditation and yoga help lower heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce stress hormone levels. By weaving these techniques into our daily routine, we can help the body shift out of “fight or flight” mode and into a calmer, more relaxed state — which makes it easier to fall asleep at night.

Create a sleep-friendly environment

Your environment has a major impact on the quality of your sleep. Factors like noise, light and the temperature of your bedroom all affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. By making your sleep environment dark, cool and quiet, you can make it much easier to drift off. Some practical changes include blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block light, earplugs or a white noise machine to reduce sound, and keeping the bedroom temperature on the cool side.

Reduce blue light in the evening

Modern life often involves many hours in front of a screen, and the blue light from those screens can disrupt our sleep patterns by suppressing the production of melatonin — the sleep hormone. By limiting screen time in the hours before bed, or by wearing blue light glasses, we can help improve our sleep. Nattelyst offers a wide selection of blue light glasses that can help filter out blue light.

Physical activity

Regular physical activity is another effective way to reduce stress and improve sleep. Exercise helps us feel more tired in the evenings and can also reduce the level of stress hormones in the body. That said, try to avoid intense exercise close to bedtime, since the energy boost it provides can actually make it harder to fall asleep.

Sleep aids

For some people, sleep aids can help in periods of stress and insomnia. Options include herbal supplements like valerian root, or using a sleep mask to block out light. You can find a wide range of sleep masks at Nattelyst.

Mouth tape

Snoring can also lead to poor sleep quality and ramp up stress levels. One potential solution is mouth tape. Mouth tape can help reduce snoring and improve your sleep quality.

The link between stress and sleep is complicated. By managing stress, we can improve our sleep — and by improving our sleep, we can better handle stress. If you’re experiencing persistent insomnia or stress, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional.

To learn more about sleep and how to improve it, visit Nattelyst.