Have you ever tucked yourself into bed and realized your brain’s still buzzing? The stress you feel during the day might be keeping you awake. From financial worries to coping with difficult situations, it’s easy for your mind to carry those thoughts late into the night. At Guidelight Health, we know how important sleep is to your physical and mental well-being. In this article, we’ll explore the link between stress and insomnia and provide some tips to help you sleep better at night.
How does stress keep me awake?
It’s perfectly normal for life’s stressors to affect your routine sometimes and even keep you up some nights. It’s the body’s natural response to a perceived threat. When you feel stressed, your brain triggers the fight-or-flight response and your body releases hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, to prepare to take action.
This evolutionary response makes sense for basic human survival in dangerous situations, but it isn’t doing you any favors when you’re trying to get a good night’s rest. Plus, your lack of sleep could be contributing to the stress you feel during the day, creating a challenging anxiety-insomnia cycle to work through.
6 stress management techniques for better sleep
Learning healthy ways to manage stress is a good first step toward better sleep. Here are some techniques you can try to help lower your anxiety and gain more restful nights:
1. Stick to a daily routine.
A reliable routine can help lower your stress throughout the day. Routines create structure, adding elements of predictability to your day and reducing decision-making fatigue. Waking up and going to sleep on schedule can also help reinforce your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm).
You can also use your routine to maintain the healthy habits that combat stress easily for you, like an 8 p.m. reading time or a hot bath before bed.
2. Set the mood.
When you’re ready to sleep, your bedroom should feel like a sanctuary that calms your mind and body. Create an atmosphere that welcomes rest. Some things you can do to create a restful space include:
- Dimming the lights — In the evenings, dim the lights to send a signal to your body that it’s time to relax.
- Reducing unwanted noise — Wearing earplugs or using a sound machine can help reduce auditory disruptions throughout the night, whether it’s passing cars or your partner snoring.
- Setting the thermostat — Temperature can contribute to sleeping troubles, so try to keep your room at a cool setting (between 60 and 67 degrees).
- Making your bed feel cozy — There’s nothing quite like sleeping with your favorite blankets and a stack of fluffy pillows at the perfect height.
3. Take some time to meditate.
Mindfulness meditation has several benefits, like improved memory, greater self-compassion and better mental health. Research shows that it can also shorten the time it takes you to fall asleep while promoting better sleep quality.
It’s not always easy to quiet your mind, but sitting quietly isn’t the goal of meditation — it’s to bring mindfulness into your everyday life. Fitting a regular meditation practice into your routine can help minimize the racing thoughts and negative feelings that commonly cause stress and anxiety. Best of all, you can do it just about anytime, anywhere. Try it while walking the dog, doing the dishes or even brushing your teeth.
Start with a five-minute meditation goal and build from there. During each session, focus on your breathing. As thoughts pop into your mind, notice them without judgment and let them float away. And don’t worry if they distract you for a few minutes (it’s completely normal). Simply switch back to your breathwork and begin again.
4. Exercise regularly.
Studies show that regular exercise helps improve sleep quality, lowers the time it takes you to fall asleep and reduces stress. It also improves your mood, cognitive function and bodily temperature regulation — all things that can affect your ability to handle stress and sleep well. Physical activity may even promotes melatonin production (a hormone that plays a role in regulating your body’s sleep-wake cycle).
One thing to keep in mind when exercising is your timing. Pay attention to how it makes you feel. If you feel wide awake after exercising, try working out at least a couple of hours before bedtime to give yourself enough time to relax. If you feel tired afterward, make it an end-of-day activity.
5. Avoid electronics right before bedtime.
As tempting as it is to scroll until you fall asleep, your screen could be working against you. Experts warn that the blue light emitted by your devices could disrupt melatonin production and actually keep you more awake. Not to mention, doomscrolling can elevate your stress and anxiety levels.
Try snoozing your smartphone at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. Also, be sure to avoid social media, online news sources and any other triggers before bed that usually raise your blood pressure.
6. Moderate your caffeine intake.
Some people find that limiting stimulants, like caffeine, helps them feel more relaxed throughout the day. The effects of these ingredients can make you feel more awake or jittery when your body should be winding down and may even exacerbate the stress you feel. If you can limit them throughout the day — or at least avoid caffeine six hours before bedtime — you might find it easier to relax enough to sleep well.
Learn how to manage your stress with Guidelight
If stress and anxiety are negatively impacting your mental health or the health of a loved one, consider talking to a therapist. The team at Guidelight can help you navigate those thoughts and feelings that keep you up at night. Serving adults and adolescents, our dedicated team provides personalized mental health care that meets the unique needs of each client.
Everyone has a seat at Guidelight. Contact our team online or call us today for more information about managing stress or to schedule an initial evaluation. We provide treatment across the country — and we’re always expanding. See if we offer care in your state, either online or at one of our local clinics.