We know stress can cause havoc in our lives and it destroys our mental and physical wellbeing. Stress can also affect our sleep patterns and habits; it causes sleep disturbances that can also cause a decline in our mental and physical wellbeing.
Chronic stress when unmanaged can cause serious sleep disturbances and sleep disorders such as: sleep deprivation, sleep apnea (breathing disturbances during sleep), sleep walking/talking (parasomnia), restless leg syndrome (constant movement of the legs during sleep), night terrors, and insomnia.
When you are stressed sometimes it is hard to fall asleep and it is even harder to stay asleep; because you are still thinking and worrying about the issues that is affecting your daily life. This causes us not to sleep or we are not getting enough sleep during the night.
The effects of stress on sleep
Lack of sleep causes: increased irritability, increased weight gain, anxiety, decline of the immune system, lack of concentration and focus, poor academic performance and work performance, memory issues, increased likelihood of making mistakes, low energy.
Sleep is important for our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It is how our body and mind recover from the stresses and issues of the day. Sleep restores our energy, it strengthens the immune system to fight off the germs and bacteria we picked up during the day. It strengthens the circulatory system by increasing blood flow and it repairs the wear and tear on our muscles and brain that we received during the day.
When you sleep, the sleep hormone is released so it can restore and revitalize you from the inside out while releasing the stress you built up during the day. If you are too stressed to sleep your body and mind will not recover from the day because the stress hormone is blocking the sleep hormone. A constant buildup of stress in your body and mind will cause serious health issues and medical issues.
Combating Sleep Stress
Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, while teenagers and children need even more sleep per night. Changing your sleep behaviors and reducing stress before bed can help you get to sleep. It’s not just the quantity of sleep that is important, the quality of sleep is just as important. Learning to how to relax after school or after work is important to reducing and releasing stress on a daily basis; it also helps you prepare for the evening and for sleep. It is important to learn how to manage and reduce stress, so we can live a healthy life. Getting a good night’s sleep is a part of reducing stress and living a healthy life.