Stress- Related Insomnia And What You Can Do About It

Stress insomnia is more common than you might think. Without the proper intervention, it can even develop into a chronic problem. But what can you do about it? Read on to find out more about the topic.

Nervousness, difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently, racing heart in the middle of the night … And when you finally manage to get an hour or two of sleep, you will have nightmares! Sleep disorders caused by stress are a common condition that can affect your quality of life.

When we reach a certain level of stress, we often feel that there is no point counting sheep, meditating, or drinking infusions. Experiencing enormous stress represents a kind of vicious circle. And the triggers for this are mostly worries and the external pressure that we cannot deal with.

However, if too many days have passed without a good night’s sleep, your mood and energy will only drop further. As a result, it is difficult to find the strength to face life’s most fundamental problems.

Facts About Insomnia

The Spanish Sleep Society (SES) states that almost a third of the population suffer from occasional insomnia. However, between 10% and 12% suffer from it chronically; an exhausting situation that affects health in a variety of ways. Therefore it is necessary to give it the necessary attention.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s a disorder that can have a variety of causes. Among these, for example, psychological states such as fear and stress are the most common.

But what can you do to deal with it?

We’ll go into a little more detail on this topic below.

Stress-induced sleep disorders: symptoms, causes, and strategies to deal with them

If you have insomnia, most of the “old school” tricks that we usually resort to are useless. If we say to ourselves, “I need to fall asleep, I need to fall asleep” it will not work because the brain does not obey these rules.

Especially when it is trapped in that mental hyperactivation mode in which the thoughts do not want to stop coming, in which the labyrinth of worries never comes to rest. Studies like the one done at Laval University in Sainte-Foy, Canada, show that any type of stressor alters our nightly rest.

However, this happens more or less intensely, depending on our ability to deal with it. This, in turn, is an important point to keep in mind: when treating insomnia in these cases, it is imperative to include psychological therapy in addition to the pharmacological approach. Let’s take a look at some more data below.

What are the symptoms of stress-related insomnia?

There are different types of stress. On the one hand, there is acute stress that is related to daily tasks or challenges that rob us of calm and lead us into this state of overstrain, worry and relative despair.

On the other hand, we suffer from acute episodic stress and this becomes a more problematic situation as we cannot keep the daily pressures under control. Hence, we begin to be unproductive at work and suffer from increased health problems.

The most worrying type of stress is undoubtedly the chronic type; it is a state associated with past trauma or very stressful situations that have kept us trapped for years. An example of this would be suffering from burnout syndrome.

The symptoms associated with insomnia caused by stress occur with acute episodic stress and also with chronic stress. They express themselves as follows:

• Trouble falling asleep (it can take hours).
• Frequent waking up and poor sleep quality. Often we wake up more exhausted than we go to bed.
• Heart racing in the middle of the night.
• The mind does not come to rest – negative, irrational and catastrophic thoughts keep popping up.
• If you manage to sleep for two hours at a time, nightmares often arise.
• Tension headaches can also occur at night.
• Muscle pain makes it impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position.

What’s behind insomnia caused by stress?

Why do stressful states affect the rest at night? Many of us have probably asked ourselves this question more than once. The more necessary the rest, the more difficult it is to get it.

The reason lies in what is known as the Monroe Hypothesis, which explains why people who suffer from anxiety and stress have great difficulty sleeping.

• People who deal with these psychological states accumulate high levels of physiological activation due to the high levels of cortisol and adrenaline. This hyperactivation is not switched off at night. It can get even more intense.
• The reason for this? When you calm down at bedtime, your mind starts thinking a lot more and turning and turning things around in your head. This mental energy activates the tension in your body and brain even more.

What strategies should we use to reduce stress-related insomnia?

The first and most crucial step is to know the real cause of insomnia. Hence, you should see your doctor to understand what is behind your sleep disorder. Once the professional rules out organic causes, you can focus on the psychological level to make the necessary changes. Here are some guidelines :

Stick to a strict sleep schedule to avoid insomnia due to stress

Pay attention to your sleep hygiene and try to get up and go to bed at the same time each day.

Reduce the use of electronic devices to avoid insomnia caused by stress

Avoid using cell phones or computer screens two hours before bed; the blue light from these devices acts as a stimulant.

Don’t allow yourself to go to bed with worries, write them down in a notebook

Your pillow cannot be the warehouse of all your worries. Don’t allow yourself to go to bed with a head full of thoughts, fears, and obsessive ideas. It is better to write them down in a notebook. You could even try to write down possible solutions.

Set priorities and make small changes to make yourself feel good

To manage stress and insomnia, it is imperative to make certain changes. To do this, it is best to clarify what your priorities are and identify the secondary aspects that we can eliminate to increase our wellbeing. Remember that self-care is not just about taking care of your physical appearance or your diet. It’s also about taking time for yourself.

Stressful insomnia: exercise, light meals, and breathing exercises help

Walking or running in the afternoon will allow you to relieve the stress that you have accumulated during the day.

After this little training session, you can have a light dinner and then reduce both physical and mental activity. You can improve the quality of your sleep by doing deep breathing exercises or reading a book.

It is important to get professional help

If the above strategies are not working or symptoms tend to get worse, it is best to seek professional help. Insomnia that is not treated in a timely manner tends to affect health and quality of life.

Similarly, uncontrolled stress changes almost every aspect of our lives. If you can’t deal with this, your best bet is to seek help from a psychologist.