Tips for Sleeping When Stressed

Published on 31 March 2020

Posted in Blog

These days we are more aware than ever of the importance of good sleep hygiene. However, despite knowing how important sleep is, a huge amount of people around the world are not getting enough of it. The reasons for each individual not getting enough sleep varies but a very common reason that many will state is stress.

We live busy lives, with a lot to do, and stress can come from all different directions including home life, school, or work. The more we go over what needs to be done or worry about if something is going to cause us some kind of problem, the more likely we are to get stressed. As a result, when it comes to bedtime, we feel too stressed to sleep. Thankfully, these are some tips we can take on board to help lead to a better night’s sleep.

Relaxation Strategy

Experts advise we take the mindfulness route. For example, just before bedtime, see if a relaxation strategy might help. Relaxation strategies can include deep breathing exercises, meditation or yoga. These kinds of exercises are very helpful sleep tips to consider as they’re good for both body and mind.

Drink

Even some drinks may help to calm a person down, in turn helping them to reach a sleepy state. A recommendation would be Chamomile tea. Not only does it evoke soothing qualities, but the herb used within the tea can also help lower anxiety. Another practice that may help the body unwind and relax is to take a hot shower or bath. The warming qualities of the shower or bath helps to relax your muscles, and when you go from warm water into a cooler atmosphere such as your bedroom, your body temperature drops helping you to feel sleepy.

Avoid Digital Devices

For better health, it really might be a smart move to turn all tech screens off at least an hour before bed. The blue light that is emitted from digital devices can cause the body’s internal clock to be thrown off, in turn preventing a sleepy state. If you already have stress keeping you awake you don’t want to add another element into the mix that is doing the same thing!

Sometimes it’s a mind game when it comes to sleep health. For example, you might think the counting sheep exercise is something that just works in cartoons, but in real life, many people find this method to be effective. It seems to be that if you are keeping the brain focused on one thing exclusively you help it to power down. Likewise, if you picture yourself in a lovely, peaceful sleep, it may help to lower stress levels and indeed allow that person to fall asleep.

Stop Worrying

So, part of the reason our sleep hygiene often takes a hit is because of the worries that keep us awake at night. So, with that laid out, maybe it would help if, where we could, we work through our worries earlier in the day. This could help prevent our minds from racing, going over one concern to another and keeping us awake. With this in mind, some sleep experts recommend we dedicate 15 minutes to process all these thoughts and worries, with the potential of giving us less to think about come bedtime.

One idea is to write a to-do list during the day of things you need to work through, rather than saving it all up for when you’re lying awake in bed! Some of these sleep tips could prove useful to you. Other tips may be worth looking into as well and remember to try not to feel too disheartened if one tip does not work for you, different things work for different people, and every single one of us has a different relationship with sleep.

We hope this post has given you some new sleeping tips to try out. If you’re looking to hire a bed, Bed Hire has you covered. Call today on 0208 933 8888, or visit our contact page for more details. 

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