Stress Insomnia and How to Get Over It

Over the last decade, we’ve seen great developments in society, from shifts in ways of thinking to rapid technological innovation. Unfortunately, many of these developments have introduced new stressors into our lives. In fact, nearly 80% of Americans (according to a recent Gallup poll) now claim to experience stress on a daily basis, an all-time high. We feel it in our workplaces, in our homes, and even in our online lives. This stress can lead to a number of undesirable effects, including irritability, depression, headaches, and, worst of all, stress insomnia.

Most of us know what it feels like to have stress keep us up throughout the night. It happens to everyone from time to time. You spend the night thinking about a presentation coming up at work, or a deadline you’re nowhere close to meeting. Your racing thoughts make you too stressed to sleep. As if stress wasn’t hindering enough to your well-being, a bad night’s sleep can mess you up too. Insufficient or bad sleep can lead to various physical and mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.

The “bidirectional relationship” between stress and insomnia makes it difficult to determine which came first and makes it a tricky cycle to break. Tiresome as stress insomnia may be, it’s not impossible to overcome. This article will outline some of the relaxation techniques for sleep that will get you out of this vicious cycle.

Who Suffers from Stress Insomnia?

If you think you may be struggling with stress insomnia, you’re not alone. Studies show that 46% of people have trouble sleeping when stressed. At nearly half the population, this is an alarming number, especially considering the demographics who suffer most. Younger generations tend to experience more stress-related sleep problems, suggesting an issue that is only worsening over time. 29% of Millennials and 23% of Gen Xers have reported experiencing stress insomnia and its accompanying effects. 77% of those demographics collectively have even claimed to feel depression and anxiety as a result. Even teenagers are having trouble sleeping, with 35% stating that stress has led them to sleepless nights. For teens, getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night is vital to healthy development. Getting inadequate sleep at this critical time can lead to serious health, mood, and behavioural issues.

How to Beat Stress Insomnia: 7 Tips

Sleeping when stressed can be challenging, but it’s not entirely impossible. There are plenty of things you can do to make it easier for you to get to sleep. Whether you choose to remove certain stressors or add soothing rituals to your bedtime routine, there’s plenty to try. You don’t even need to be stressed! Anyone looking to improve their quality of sleep can try one of these helpful relaxation techniques.

1. Relax with lavender aromatherapy

Essential oils have been used for their remedial properties for centuries in a practice that is commonly known as aromatherapy. One such oil that is known to have a strong relaxing effect is lavender. Studies show that lavender is proven to ease stress and anxiety and soothe people to sleep. But not only does lavender help you fall asleep, but it also makes sure you get better sleep. People who breathe in lavender oil before and during sleep, experience a higher percentage of deep, or slow-wave, sleep. As a result, you are more likely to wake up feeling clear-headed and refreshed.

Using an oil diffuser in your bedroom is a great way to use lavender to relax before bed. You can also rub a drop between your palms, cup your palms over your face, and breath it in. To sustain the therapeutic effects of lavender throughout the night, try putting a few drops or your pillow or behind your ears.

2. Calming activities to help you relax before bed

Certain activities were conceived with the intent of triggering the body’s natural relaxation response. Examples of such activities include meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong. Such slow and deliberate movements inhibit the release of adrenaline and cortisol and relax the body and mind. It can take a bit of patience to learn these activities, but you may find them to be quite rewarding.

3. Caffeine in the morning, chamomile at night

For people who are used to drinking cup after cup of coffee throughout the day, cutting down might seem challenging. If you’re struggling with stress insomnia, though, it’s probably worth it. Because of its ability to stimulate the central nervous system, caffeine has been known to cause nervousness and anxiety. On top of that, caffeine stays in the body for 8 to 14 hours after consumption. That means that a coffee at lunch can still be felt well into bedtime. Though caffeine doesn’t affect everyone equally, reserving coffee for the morning is a good way to make sure it’s out of your system by the time you go to sleep.

Try replacing your afternoon coffees and caffeinated teas with an herbal tea instead. Then, finish up the day with a cup of chamomile. Chamomile contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which is known to decrease anxiety and induce sleep.

4. Stay away from screens

Fluorescent and LED lights are low-energy, bright lights found in our homes, televisions, computers, and smartphones. They also emit what is known as blue light, which can elevate your mood and attention. This makes them great for day-time use, but terribly counteractive when struggling to fall asleep. Research has even shown blue light to suppress the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Not only is the blue light fighting for your attention, but the artificial light can mess with your circadian rhythms. Our bodies are naturally wired to rise with the sun and fall asleep once the sun has set. This rhythm is easily interrupted by the bright lights of screens, which trick the body into staying up later. One thing’s for sure, if you’re having trouble sleeping when stressed, don’t reach for your phone!

5. Take a deep breath

Sleep and stress can both be affected by regulated breathing. So, if you’re wondering how to fall asleep when stressed, breathing exercises are a wonderful option. There are multiple ways to go about this. One trick for people with stress insomnia is to try “4-7-8 breathing.” This means breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. Some swear this will put you to sleep in under a minute. It also comes in handy as a way to calm anxiety throughout the day.

Another breathing exercise to try is called “left-nostril breathing,” a practice rooted in Kundalini yoga. According to Kundalini tenets, the left side of the body is a channel for “moon energy,” or calming energy. Left-nostril breathing, then, involves covering your right nostril and taking deep, calculated breaths through the left nostril only. Pair this practice with some meditation and you’ll be off to sleep in no time.

6. Take a warm bath before cooling down

One of the most important factors determining the quality of sleep is temperature. Though we often associate sleeping and coziness with warmth, we actually sleep better in cooler temperatures. Even the tiniest rise in body temperature throughout the night can interfere with sleep. This is especially true for the elderly and people who suffer from stress insomnia. Our bodies naturally become sleepy when our core body temperatures begin to drop, so simulating this process can encourage sleep. A relaxing way to do this is to take a warm bath about an hour before bedtime. The bath will raise your core body temperature, then, once you get out, the evaporating water rapidly cools it. The cooling action will get you to relax before bed and put you in the mood to sleep.

7. Indulge in a great mattress

Your mattress may be part of the problem when it comes to not being able to fall asleep. The wrong materials can mean that you feel too hot to fall asleep or are simply uncomfortable and unsupported. Nectar mattresses are made with an adaptive cooling layer and smart memory foam that is reported to be 30 times more breathable than other types of memory foam. Combined with its pressure-relieving memory foam layer and 7 zone supported base, you’re fast on your way to a good night’s sleep.

Don’t Let Stress Get the Best of You

Occasional stress is inevitable, but if you let it affect your sleep, getting over it will be no easy feat. Be proactive in defeating your stress insomnia by testing out one of these relaxation techniques. Don’t forget to let us know what worked for you in the comments!