The Benefits of Sleep to Combat Stress.
One of the first ways that stress manifests itself is by making it difficult for you to get a good nights sleep. You will either be tossing and turning because it’s difficult to nod off, or you will wake up several times during the night and find it hard to get back to sleep.
Sleep disruption caused by stress is like two unpleasant happenings together. It makes you feel physically and mentally exhausted the next day, which means it’s even more difficult for you to cope with whatever is causing the stress in the first place. It’s like a vicious circle that needs to be broken.
High quality sleep is essential to our overall health and well-being. It is during a proper sleep cycle that the brain and body go into action to repair, restore, heal and grow.
When your sleep is frequently disrupted for whatever reason, brain function is compromised. Hormones get out of balance, cells are not repaired, and a whole host of other natural processes that usually happen inside our amazing bodies do not take place. We also become prone to heart problems and fat retention, and our immune system is compromised.
It’s therefore vitally important that you do everything you can to help yourself get a good night’s rest, not just to fight stress, but for your overall health too.
Firstly, you must understand that there are many factors in play when it comes to the quality of your sleep, not just how stressed you are.
The amount of sunlight and exercise you get; the electronic devices you own and use; your diet and lifestyle; the temperature of your bedroom; even the type of lightbulbs you use can all have a positive or negative effect on how well you sleep at night, and they almost all revolve around three hormones.
Melatonin, which controls your sleep cycle; Serotonin, which is a precursor to Melatonin and Cortisol.
Serotonin is vital for the production of Melatonin, but when Cortisol levels are elevated, Serotonin levels decline. One goes up; the other goes down. So when Melatonin production is restricted because the levels of Serotonin and Cortisol are out of sync for the time of day or night, that is when insomnia rears its ugly head.
ACTION PLAN:
#1 – Go outside every morning so your eyes and skin can receive the amount of full spectrum sunlight they need for proper melatonin production. Don’t wear sunglasses, or spectacles or contacts if you use them. You should look in the direction of the sun, to the side, but do not look right at the sun or you will damage your eyesight. Try to stay outside for twenty minutes if possible for maximum benefit.
#2 – Stop using your smartphone, computer, laptop, and tablet at least two hours before you want to fall asleep. The blue light given off by electronic devices interferes with melatonin levels and tricks your brain into thinking that it’s NOT time to fall asleep.
#3 – Install blackout curtains or blinds on your windows. This will prevent any artificial light from street lights or neighboring properties leaking in and affecting the quality of your sleep. If you can’t change your window coverings, using a sleep mask will have the same effect.
#4 – Try not to force sleep to come. Make sure to relax when you go to bed so you can fall asleep naturally. Read a book for a half an hour, do some deep breathing exercises, or meditate while lying in bed. Consider using an acupressure mat for 15-45 minutes before you sleep. This stimulates the release of feel-good hormones called Endorphins.
