Stress and Sleep Deprivation

Stress is a major cause of sleep deprivation in America! The Better Sleep Council recently conducted a survey to learn what keeps Americans up at night and at the top of the list at 65 percent was stress with 32 percent of all Americans losing at least one night of sleep per week and 16 percent complained of stress induced insomnia.

Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, however, from this study 26 percent of women reported having problems sleeping once per week while only 16 percent of men complained of the same problem.

What causes stress in one person may not be stress to another. Stress can be job related, school related, family related or even traffic related. Many people go to bed at night and either go over the day or go over what they plan to do tomorrow before drifting off to sleep. All of these little things can be stress. Do you have a deadline to meet that is looming over your mind? Do you worry about the traffic causing you to be late to work? Do you have to have three children at three different locations tomorrow afternoon for ball practice, dance class, or other activity? Do you worry about paying all your bills on time? All of these if they are on your mind can keep you awake at night.

How to help relieve stress before retiring

• First and foremost – create a schedule for going to bed and waking up. Stay on this schedule every day of the week – do not treat yourself on weekends and stay up to watch the late show if that is not in your regular schedule. Your body needs to be on a routine.
• Create a bedtime routine – soak in a warm bath, read, or listen to a tabletop water fountain such as the Alpine Calming Bamboo Fountain
• Create a bedroom for sleeping – the bedroom should be dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool. Invest in a white noise machine and aromatherapy products. A white noise machine will ensure that all noises that might be waking you up at night are absorbed and you will be able to sleep all night long without any interruptions. A few of the most popular white noise machines include the White Noise Machine-SleepMate 980A, the Marpac Marsona DS-600A, and the European 240 Volt SleepMate 980 Sound Screen. If the bedroom is not quite dark enough, you can also invest in a sleep mask such as the Dreamer Sleep Mask by Dream Essentials.
• Only use the bedroom for sleeping or for sex – Take the television out of the bedroom, the computer, and any other work type materials.
• Eat at least two to three hours before your scheduled bedtime.
• Remember to exercise. You should begin a moderate exercise programs a few hours before retiring every night.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. These items can cause you to have restless sleep patterns.