Manage stress to improve your sleep.

We all have a degree of stress and anxiety in our everyday lives. And as much as we try ridding ourselves of the issues, we still cannot get any quality sleep. We require several hours of unbroken or quality sleep to function properly the following day. If stress and anxiety are keeping you awake, this is just not possible. A little bit of stress is quite normal for most, however there are some who suffer from anxiety disorders, these can include.

Obsessive compulsive disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Fears and phobias
Social anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Being stressed and anxious at bedtime is going to keep you awake and unable to achieve the rest that your body and mind need. This adds to to the cycle because your inability to function properly is just going to add to your angst.

Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnoea can become more of a problem if you are stressed and cannot sleep. This in turn will leave you sleepy and fatigued during the day. Add this to your anxiety and stress and you will have an even harder time getting good quality sleep.

There are fortunately ways to improve your sleep experience to be able to get the quality sleep you require.

Some tips that the pros recommend are as follows.

Weighted blankets – Unlike regular blankets, weighted blankets are filled with a type of bead that makes it just slightly heavier than a normal blanket. The blanket is essentially designed to be a nice and comforting hug. This provides a calming effect on your body giving you a better chance to relax, fall asleep and get proper rest.
Try some relaxation techniques – Getting your Zen on with meditation, breathing exercises, guided imagery and the likes can most certainly help you clear your mind of all the clutter. This will enable you to get to sleep quicker and get more hours of power sleep.
Create and keep to a sleep schedule – If you want quality sleep, you need to have a consistent sleep schedule. There is a thing called a circadian rhythm (the internal process that regulates your sleep-wake cycle). If you do not have a tight schedule you are going to confuse this cycle. This can have consequences for your mood and can potentially leave you open to depression. So make sure you get to bed at a set hour every night so that your body and mind can tune into a quality sleep process
Get sleep healthy – Sleep hygiene is a reasonably new term and refers to keeping out all the bad stimuli that can cause disruptions to your sleep cycle. These include caffeine, electronics, alcohol, over lit rooms and many more things. Keeping good sleep hygiene is as important as your personal hygiene.
Make the best bedroom environment – A bedroom that is geared up for sleep rather than living is a good start. This is your place to get rest and modelling your room around that is key. The three biggest factors here are noise, temperature, and light. These three factors can really make or break your sleep. So, make sure the bedroom is dark, quiet and that you are comfortable with the temperature.
Your bed – It goes without saying this could have the biggest influence in disrupting your sleep. A good comfortable mattress is vital to getting the best quality sleep. A memory foam mattressfor example is made to provide high levels of comfort and support.

Now that you know you can manage stress to improve your sleep, maybe take a little time to try these steps. It will help you get a better night’s rest.