If you are experiencing stress in your life, there are high chances that you might also be struggling to fall asleep at night. Your anxiety about life and its problems may not allow your brain to settle down, and the sleep disruption may keep you feeling more on edge the next day.
Sleep trouble is one of the most common characteristics of mental health issues, and anxiety is not an exception. You don’t essentially have to be detected with an anxiety disorder to understand what impact stress and anxiety can have on your sleep patterns. More than 40 million Americans experience long-term sleep disorders and some occasional sleep disruption. Around 70 percent of adults experience daily stressors, which makes sense that, on average, they get less sleep than in the previous decades.
According to research, the relationship between anxiety and sleep problems is bidirectional, which means sleep problems can cause anxiety and disrupt your sleep. Just like anxiety, sleep problems can also impact your functioning in all ways—emotionally, mentally, and physically.
As sleep and anxiety have a strong relationship, it is crucial to address both. Sleep issues will place you at risk for missing work, hurting yourself, including developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, as well as diabetes, amongst many others. It’s impossible to treat sleep disorders without first addressing depression and anxiety.
Some Steps from Arash Hadipour NiktarashThat You Can Take to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Everyday Life.
1. Move your body
Exercise helps lower anxiety and improves sleep. However, avoid exercising right before you sleep because it can keep you awake. Moving your body can help you get your waking and sleeping cycle back on track and take care of your insomnia or any other sleep disorder.
2. Calm your mind
Many relaxing exercises will help you relax and sleep more during the day. Yoga, meditation, and relaxation techniques are examples, but a quick stroll in the park or a fast break during work will also suffice. It would be much easier to induce sleep at night if you use these methods to ease your mind during the day.
3. Limit screen time
Your mobile phone, tablet, computer, and TV release light that keeps your brain wide awake at night. Therefore, avoid all these things at least an hour before you sleep. Along with this, also avoid going through emails or working just before bed as these things also induce anxious thoughts, which can make it problematic to calm your mind. You can set reminders to shut off screens at a specific time before bed. Another great way to calm your mind is to listen to music or read books to quiet your mind.
According to Arash Hadipour Niktarash, sometimes managing anxiety and improving sleep is much more complicated than turning off your phone or getting the right amount of exercise. For this, you can also take natural sleep supplements like CBD oil that may help you reduce anxiety and improve sleep problems. These problems are highly treatable, so look for natural sleep supplements online to help you rest your mind and body.
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