Do you often lie awake at night with a concoction of worries swirling around in your head? It can be very frustrating when all you want to do is get a good night’s sleep, but your mind and body won’t switch off. Stress sends your mind into overdrive, so how on earth are you supposed to fall asleep?
If you are wondering whether stress causes bad sleep, the answer is most definitely, yes. In order to be able to gently drift off into a peaceful sleep, your mind needs to be calm and uninterrupted.
Trouble sleeping caused by stress can result in a vicious cycle – you are stressed so you can’t sleep, but not being able to sleep causes more stress. Why does stress cause bad sleep? Well, stress causes hyperarousal, which can upset the balance between sleep and wakefulness.
Not only does stress cause a lack of sleep, but it also has an impact on the quality of sleep you get. Approximately 42% of adults report getting only fair or poor quality sleep when they’re stressed, according a stress survey.
David Spiegel, director of the Centre of stress and health at Stanford University explains that when you sleep your body goes from its active sympathetic nervous system, to the more relaxed parasympathetic nervous system. But when you are stressed, the sympathetic nervous system doesn’t shut down, leaving your brain in a hyperactive state.
To sum up, that means that worry and stress will mess up your sleep. So you might need to do something about it. Review your lifestyle and find ways to reduce your stress levels. We’ve also got some superstar sleep products that can help you to drift off in the meantime.
Calming scents such as lavender can help to calm you down. Plus doing some things that will help you de stress before bed, such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and getting your thoughts down on paper can really help.
