Your Insomnia Could be Due to Stress and Anxiety

Prolonged sleep deprivation can take a punishing toll on almost every part of your body.  For some of us every night is tossing and turning as we wait to drift off.  We begin to dread bedtimes because bedtimes meant hours of anxiety because we just can’t fall sleep.  We are so tired by morning we lack the strength to carry out our usual chores effectively.  With this tiredness can be stress and resultant ill health. Good health and mental well being demands the right balance of food, drink, laughter, exercise and according to controversial wisdom eight hours sleep. Some people can benefit from far less sleep than the recommended eight hours.



So you have cooled your bedroom, had a warm bath and gulped down your warm milk, gone through your relaxation ritual, counted sheep and you still cannot sleep.   What do you do next?



According to controversial wisdom we are meant to spend a third of our lives asleep but for those who struggle to get a decent nights rest, it does not feel like it.    Half of adults have symptoms of insomnia at any given time and causes are various – from hormonal to event related stress and anxiety.



If you have trouble dropping off at night start scrutinising your days.  Sleep problems often happen because of stress or anxiety so be ware of where the problem is coming from and try to find a solution to it, but do not rule out simpler issues either.  It might be an external noise, eating too late or eating the wrong types of food in the evening.  You must ensure that your body gets the right amount of sleep it needs. Learn more : ?offer=AFFILIATEID&pid=arb" ?offer=persevere1&pid=arb



Here are my stress and insomnia busting secrets you might want to try:






  • Invest in a red light bulb – it will help those who wake up in the middle of the night.   Bright lights tell your internal clock that it is time to wake up and stop your brain producing melatonin – our sleep drug, so if you   do get up to use to loo and flick your switch the soft lights wont  confuse your brain.   It is also a good idea to dim all lights a good hour before you go to bed to kick start your melatonin production.



  • Even if you have had an hour’s sleep you must get up at your normal time.   If you sleep late into the morning your brain will think it can sleep when it wants and you will have trouble again at night.   Pattern is extremely important which is why some people have trouble sleeping on a Sunday night after revelling all weekend.  So struggle through the day, do some gentle exercise and go to bed at your normal time.



  • If you have not dropped off after 20 minutes get out of bed and rest somewhere.  Sit on your sofa and read a book otherwise you risk associating sleeplessness with your bed.  If sleep has gone, it’s gone and you cannot force it to come back.   Sleep happens; it is not something that you do.   When you start feeling sleepy go back to bed and focus on your breathing which will help to distract you and relax you.



  • Stop panicking about the magic 8 hours – it is like saying every body needs the same type of clothes or shoes – there is natural variation.   There is naturally a dip in the afternoon but if you are alert and fully awake in the day up to about bedtime then the sleep you are getting is sufficient.



  • Being active as much as you can during the day, and using 3 extremely powerful and effective sound technology ?offer=AFFILIATEID&pid=1" ?offer=persevere1&pid=1 purposely designed to combat insomnia, stress and anxiety, each with a specific purpose of:







  1. Re-training the the brain’s activity during the day so you sleep well at night,





  2. Training the brain to let you be guided gently from being awake to drowsy then to soundly asleep in minutes instead of hours and





  3. Relaxing you during the day to help you combat and relieve stressful situations







  • Drinking lots of still water and avoiding fizzy drinks and drinks with caffeine after 4pm



  • Avoiding having spicy foods and foods that are protein rich after 7pm



  • Finding a quiet place for 10 to 20 minutes duration power naps during the day or at lunch times





Have a wonderful new experience sleeping well and being healthy.  If you need further help please drop me an email.



A Boadu



Sleep and Stress Nurse



mailto:sleepandstressnurse@googlemail.com" sleepandstressnurse@googlemail.com