Stress affects sleep by making the body aroused, awake, and alert –making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. After a sleepless night, you may be more irritable, short-tempered, and vulnerable to stress.
So is it stress that causes a sleepless night, or a sleepless night that increases stress? The answer is yes. Quite simply, one usually comes with the other. A good sleep pattern does not only help reduce stress; sleep is when our bodies repair and detoxify.
It is also when growth hormones are released that promote muscle health. The benefits of a good night’s sleep could fill this page, right down to how sleep aids recovery when fighting an infectious illness..
How then, do we get a good night’s sleep, when the day’s stresses, work demands, household finances, and the needs of children get in the way?
1. Don’t oversleep
· It’s tempting to stay in bed longer when you have had a poor night’s sleep. Don’t do it – this is the most crucial rule. Get up at about the same time every day, especially on the morning after you’ve lost sleep. Sleeping late for just a couple of days can reset your body clock to a different cycle — you’ll be getting sleepy later and waking up later.
2. Set your body clock
· Light helps restart your body clock to its active daytime phase. So when you get up, get some light – either go outside, or turn on all those lights!
· Then walk around for a few minutes. The calves of your legs act as pumps and get blood circulating, carrying more oxygen to your brain to help get you going.
3. Exercise
· Keep physically active during the day. This is especially important the day after a bad night’s sleep. When you sleep less, you should be more active during the day.
· Strenuous exercise (brisk walking, swimming, jogging, squash, etc.) in late afternoon seems to promote more restful sleep. Also, insomniacs tend to be too inactive a couple of hours before bed. Do some gentle exercise. A stretching routine has helped many people.
4. Don’t nap
· Do not take any naps the day after you’ve lost sleep. When you feel sleepy, get up and do something. Walk, make the bed, or do your errands.
· While studying, get up regularly (every 30 minutes, or more often if necessary) to walk around your room. Do a gentle stretch. That will increase the flow of oxygen to your brain and help you to be more alert.
5. Set a bedtime schedule
· Try to go to bed at about the same time every night. Be regular. Most people get hungry at 7 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. because they’ve eaten at those times for years. Going to bed at about the same time every night can make sleep as regular as hunger.
With a regular sleep pattern based on appropriate activity and schedules, your body is better able to deal with the stresses of life. In turn, those things that might have “set you off” when in a poor-sleep mode, can be much more easily handled with proper rest.
Sleep Insights 