5 tips to stop stress from interfering with sleep

We’ve all been there: lying awake in bed thinking about what’s on the to-do list for tomorrow, the big event coming up or that one thing you said to a friend 3 weeks ago. Stress, whether it’s about something good or bad, can have a massive impact on our sleep. And vise versa, sleep can have a massive impact on how we handle stressors. Research has shown that sleep quality is a predictor in the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy. Additionally, insomnia is a risk factor for development of anxiety and depression. As an ND I cannot take things off your to-do list for you, but I can support you in stress management to make sure you are getting quality ZZZ’s. Here are some sleep hygiene tips to decrease those sleepless nights:

Eliminate screen time before bed

The only natural source of blue light that we encounter on a day to day basis is the sun. Fittingly, we are wired to decrease melatonin production and increase cortisol production when we are exposed to blue light. This is what helps us to feel more awake when the sun is out. The light emitted from our devices (smart phones, laptops, TV’s, and tablets) is an artificial source of blue light. Although not as bright as the sun this blue light still has the power to decrease our natural melatonin production. So even if it is dark outside, we are telling our brains that it is time to wake up by looking at these screens. To optimize our internal melatonin production and calm our brain down in preparation for sleep it is advised to avoid screens for 1-2 hours before going to bed.

No clock-watching

Waking up in the night and seeing 3:30am on the clock is not a good feeling. In fact, watching the clock in general can be very counterproductive when it comes to sleep. Seeing the time is likely to elicit an emotional response, and often contributes to feelings of anxiety. Your brain can rush into thoughts like “I really should be asleep right now”, “It’s only been 2 hours since I finally fell asleep”, or “I’m going to get even less sleep than I did last night”. All of these thoughts are going to trigger a response in your nervous system that will just make it even harder to get back to sleep. This is why I always recommend not to watch the clock overnight. Set your alarm before you get into bed, remove any watches or fitness trackers that show the time, and cover or turn away your alarm clock and don’t look at it again until the morning. 

Bedroom is strictly for sleep and intimacy

Imagine this – you are invited to your friend’s home for 6pm on a Friday, when you arrive the home smells like a home cooked meal, the table is set with plates, cutlery and glassware, and your friend offers you something to drink. Without me explicitly saying it you probably guessed that you are at your friend’s house to eat dinner with them. This is because your brain is trained to associate the stimulus of a set table and the smell of food in the air with eating dinner. We want to use the same stimulus control with going to bed. By only being in bed when you are sleeping you are training your brain to associate bed with sleep. This can take time and repetition, but the most important thing is to never use your bed or bedroom for stimulating activities. No working, sending emails, watching TV, or scrolling social media in bed. 

Night time routine

Like the stimulus control of your bed being for sleep, a good night time routine can prepare your mind and body for falling asleep. Whatever tasks you need to do before bed, do them in the same order every day. This may look like feeding a pet, brushing your teeth, washing your face, taking your supplements, pouring a glass of water, getting changed and then getting into bed. Whatever it may be for you, decide an order and repeat that daily! Playing the same calming playlist every evening can add to the stimulus-control effect of your evening routine too. If you want to go a step further you can add aromatherapy to your night time routine. Your olfactory nerves (the ones used for smell) have a direct connection to your limbic system. Your limbic system is the part of your brain that controls behavioral and emotional, which is why smells can be connected to feelings. Diffusing scents like lavender, peppermint or chamomile can be a great addition to your evening routine. 

Limit Alcohol

Although drinking alcohol can make you feel relaxed or fatigued, it actually has a detrimental effect on sleep quality. Alcohol acts as a sedative and when consumed in the evening can make us fall asleep faster. However, in the first half of the night when alcohol is high in the system REM sleep is decreased. REM sleep is the stage of sleep where our brain can rest and repair, decreased REM can lead to waking up feeling groggy and unrefreshed. Later in the night our liver has processed alcohol to acetaldehyde, a compound that alcohol needs to move through in order to be removed from the system. Acetaldehyde is inflammatory and irritating to our system, it also promotes urination. So in the second half of the night when Acetaldehyde is high, sleep is disrupted. This is why you might not be able to sleep in after drinking! If alcohol is part of your daily routine, this may be leading to an altered circadian rhythm and difficulty establishing consistent quality sleep. For sleep quality, and general health, it is a good idea to consider cutting back and opting for non-alcoholic beverages when you can.

Author:
Dr. Carmen Aguayo, ND

References:

• PMID: 24038728
• PMID: 38461462
• PMID: 25307588