Unfortunately, avoiding stress is just not possible. We all have to deal with stress that stems from work, our personal lives, lost keys, forgotten dates and traffic from time to time. However, it’s important that we make the effort to not let stress bring us down for long. Check out what The Huffington Post recently shared on how stress impacts your snooze:
It cuts your slumber short: All of the time you spend in bed tossing and turning, worried and restless, does add up. While there is no perfect amount of sleep recommended by physicians, we do know that 7-9 hours of sleep is ideal for our optimal well-being. 43% of adults named stress as the reason they couldn’t sleep, with more than 50% admitting to feeling lazy or sluggish the next day, according to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association.
It brings the quality of your sleep down: Sleep quality is just as important as sleep duration, and stress is great at taking away from your late night satisfaction of shut-eye.
It makes you vulnerable to insomnia: Small amounts of missed sleep can turn into insomnia overtime. One study was able to confirm that fact as it’s participants who experienced ongoing stress were more likely to develop the sleep disorder, with each additional stressor increasing the risk by 19%.
It prevents you from falling asleep: Stress interrupts the body’s ability to switch from its active sympathetic nervous system to the relaxed parasympathetic system, the process of falling sleep. Your brain just won’t turn off in its hyperactive state, keeping you up obsessing about your worries and missed sleep.
It creates vicious cycle: Stress keeps you from sleeping, while your lack of sleep makes your even more stressed! Almost 75% of adults with sleep problems caused by stress, report that it also leads to even more anxiety and stress, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
To relax in times of stress make lavender your favorite scent at night, take up relaxation techniques, write down your worries then put them away, and if suspect stress is leading you into insomnia territory, see a sleep specialist as soon as possible.
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