Stress is an important part of human biology, allowing people to respond quickly and decisively to different situations, However, too much stress can have a profound affect on your health, well being and sleep.
Stress can take many forms; however, it generally falls into three categories:
- Acute stress – short term stress.
- Episodic acute stress – an accumulation of individual moments of acute stress.
- Chronic stress – stress that lasts for weeks or months.
The link between stress and sleep
Prolonged stress levels and poor sleep are intricately linked…sleep deprivation can cause stress while stress can cause a lack of sleep.
Our body produces natural hormones. Two important ones when talking about sleep and stress are cortisol and melatonin.
Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone. Increasing sugars in the bloodstream, enhancing your brain’s use of glucose and increasing the availability of substances that repair tissues, cortisol also limits functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation.
Melatonin is a natural hormone that helps to control your sleep cycle. Regulating the parasympathetic (fight or flight) and sympathetic (rest and digest) systems, melatonin allows the body to rest and the circadian rhythm to be kept in check.(parasympathetic nervous system = network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger, controlling your fight or flight response).
Typically, cortisol levels fall at night and melatonin levels rise, enabling you to fall into a deep sleep. However, when you are awake longer than your body wants to be, extra cortisol is produced in response to your sympathetic nervous system. If a person is sleep deprived, cortisol begins to flood the brain, turning the body into a fight or flight mode, making it more difficult to fall into a deep sleep.
(Parasympathetic nervous system = network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger, controlling your fight or flight response. Sympathetic nervous system = controls the body’s fight or flight response.)
Impact of stress on sleep
Problems with sleep can have a severe impact on your mental and physical health, and how you feel can also affect your sleep.
Stress can cause periods of restless sleeping. It can also cause you to wake frequently during the night, if you have been lucky enough to nod off in the first place! Stress can also cause you to wake up earlier each morning, often leaving you unable to drift back off. This can result in you losing one or two hours of sleep each day.
Lack of sleep means many people are functioning with lower energy levels, low mood, reduced concentration levels and unregulated emotions. All of which can affect a person’s day to day life. It can also cause a negative impact on relationships, immune system, work, and social life.
Studies suggest almost 1 in 5 people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep. According to the Mental Health Foundation, at some point in the last year, 74% of the UK population have felt so stressed that they have felt unable to cope.
Signs stress could be affecting your sleep:
If you are regularly:
- finding it difficult to fall asleep
- lying awake at night or unable to sleep
- waking up several times during the night
- waking up early and are unable to drift back off to sleep
- finding it hard to nap during the day even though you’re tired
- finding yourself feeling tired and irritable during the day
- finding it difficult to concentrate during the day because you’re tired
- still feel tired after waking up
you could have insomnia, caused by stress.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the medical term for the difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning. In the UK, around 1 in 3 people experience insomnia at some point in their life.
Causes of insomnia:
Insomnia can be caused by many things with the most common causes being:
- alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine intake
- noise
- jet lag
- room temperature – a room that is too hot or cold
- shift work
- stress, anxiety, or depression
- uncomfortable beds
- recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine or ecstasy)
Short term insomnia refers to the issues listed above lasting for less than three months. If your experiences last for longer than three months, it is termed long term insomnia.
De stress and sleep
By lowering your stress levels before bed, you could improve the duration and quality of your sleep.
Possible strategies include:
Establishing a routine.
Your body is a creature of habit and loves a good routine! Without one, the body naturally produces the wrong hormones at the wrong time of day, resulting in social jet lag! (Melatonin – is a natural hormone that helps control your sleep cycle and cortisol is a stress hormone)
Getting enough physical exercise.
A minimum of 30 minutes per day is recommended for adults and two hours for children. (Do not exercise too close to bedtime as this can raise your body temperature too much before bed.)
Maintaining a well-balanced diet.
Studies suggest physical or emotional stress increases the intake of food high in fat, sugar, or both. This is possibly due to increased cortisol levels in the body when feeling stressed. (The NHS Eatwell guide includes useful, further information.)
Watching what you are putting into your body!
Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine elevate levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the body which can then interfere with your sleep. (Studies suggest stopping your intake at least five hours before you go to bed.)
Carry out meditation/mindfulness activities.
Clearing the brain of stresses and stressors alongside some deep breathing techniques can help prepare your mind for drifting off to sleep. It can also improve the overall quality of your sleep.
Create a restful environment.
Make sure your mattress, pillows and covers are comfortable. A weighted blanket can help to ease stress as they distribute an even amount of pressure and weight across the body, making them a popular choice amongst sleepers with an overactive nervous system. (The weight of the blanket may help to relax the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the flight or fight response, reducing cortisol levels (stress hormones), thus aiding sleep.)
Dim the lights! Artificial lighting can confuse the body and interfere with the normal production of melatonin, resulting in you being kept awake at night. (Melatonin (hormone) signals the body to start preparing for sleep and is naturally released in response to light levels decreasing in the evening.)
Turning gadgets off.
Turning off TV screens, phones and gadgets will help your brain signal that it is time for bed. Using gadgets can drive the body to create wake-promoting hormones such as serotonin or cortisol. (Kindles and most other products are fitted with a special filter to allow users to use them in bed without increasing cortisol levels.) Hannah Shore, Silentnight’s Sleep Knowledge & Researcher Manager says, ‘My best advice is to go gadget-free for an hour or so before bed!’
Writing your thoughts down.
If you find yourself lying in bed thinking about everything you have to do tomorrow, set aside time before bedtime to make plans for the next day.
Giving in and getting up if you can’t sleep!
There is no point lying there being unable to sleep – this will just make sleep harder to come by. Instead, get up and do something relaxing then try again!
Additional help and advice
If
- you are experiencing ongoing problems with sleeping,
- after changing your sleeping habits you see no improvements or
- your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope
we recommend seeking professional medical advice.
At Land of Beds, we believe a good night’s sleep starts with a good bed. Research shows mattresses can impact on sleep quality. Our team of award-winning bed experts are on hand to help you discover a mattress that can help you to enjoy a good night’s sleep and wake feeling refreshed, ready to face the day ahead. Give them a call today on 01928 242849 or email sales@landofbeds.co.uk. Alternatively, use the chat feature on our website or pop into one of our stores. A warm welcome awaits and you will receive our award-winning customer service as standard.