Do you find that one of the first casualties of stress is your sleep?  Do you notice that you’re waking up more during the night and then find it hard to get back to sleep?  Or it could be you’re your waking up much earlier than usual?   Maybe you’ve noticed the quality of your sleep just isn’t the same anymore and you’re having to face the day feeling tired. 

Sleep stealers

Like most people, you probably have a busy life – getting up early and staying up late, working, sending emails or spending time on social media, Netflix and YouTube.  Lives have become so busy that even if you’re not caught up doing things, your mind is still working, going over the day in your mind and thinking about all the things you need to do tomorrow.  Add in all the day to day worries everyone experiences, worrying about your job, your children, your relationship, the cost of living and what’s going on in the world, and it’s no surprise that our body’s whole system is in a state of high alert.  This state of high alert makes it difficult to wind down at the end of the day and get good quality sleep.

For more on what happens when your body is under stress check out understanding how your body responds to stress

A good night’s sleep

Everyone needs a good night’s sleep. It’s essential to be able to function properly in daily life. Sleeping is how we store memories and experiences, and how we rest and replenish our body for the day ahead.

Mental Health UK reports that almost 1 in 5 people in the UK aren’t get enough sleep1. In his book, Why We Sleep, sleep researcher Professor Matthew Walker explains how lack of sleep impacts every system in the bodyii

Not sleeping well makes it harder for you to deal with life, make decisions and increases your appetite as well as affecting you immune systemⁱⁱⁱ

Vicious cycle

Lack of sleep can be a vicious cycle.   Sleeping badly can be caused by anxiety and depression, and even when it isn’t, not getting enough time asleep can end up leaving you feeling depressed and anxious.

We’ve probably all experienced the odd restless night. This doesn’t do us any harm as long as we can catch up the next night.

Worry

For those people who can’t get to sleep at night, going to bed and dropping off easily just doesn’t happen. Without a good night’s sleep, it’s difficult to find the energy to do all the things we need to do in our busy lives. Usually, it is worry or stress that keeps us awake. And once a habit of resting badly is in place, it can continue even if the worry that caused it has gone.

If you’re worrying a lot right now, read what to do when you can’t stop worrying for ways to help you.

Ways to improve sleep

Client stories

The good news is there’s no need to suffer from sleeplessness.  

Richard, a 45 year old travel consultant, came to see me because of his sleep problems.  He hadn’t slept through the night for years and was surviving on 4 or 5 hours every night.  After two sessions, he was sleeping right through again.  Richard continued to see me for a few more session.  He is still sleeping through the night, despite all his very real worries about the survival of his travel business.

Philip, a 54 year old GP started seeing me online during lockdown.  He had woken in the night since he was a child.  After his first session, he sent me this email.

“Thank you very much again for the session last night.  I listened to the recording again.  It was very calming.  Perhaps not surprising for you, I had very deep, healthy, undisturbed good quality sleep.  I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

Try my five ways to help you to get a better night’s rest.

1. Be relaxed 

Stop worrying about the amount of sleep you get. Different people need differing amounts of sleep, depending on their age and activity levels. Focus instead on getting the right amount of rest for you, rather than worrying about getting a fixed eight hours. Many people with sleep problems develop anxiety over how much shuteye they are getting and this makes it harder for them to relax come bedtime.

2. Write it down

Keep a sleep diary. Often you are getting more than you think. Keeping a sleep record can help you to find out exactly what is going on at night and make it easier to treat.

3. Practice calmness

Learn to relax and clear your mind. When you lie in bed, try to think about something relaxing such as being on a beach looking at the ocean, or going for a long, leisurely walk in the countryside. Picture it in your mind, including what you would see, hear and smell. Use your imagination to feel what it would be like to be there. Try and focus on your breathing to deepen your relaxation, making it easier to drop off at night. Breathe in through the nose and slowly exhale. Try and make your out breath last longer than the in breath.  Click here for more on how to relax.

4. Be aware of caffeine

Keep an eye on your caffeine intake. Drinking caffeine close to bedtime will make it more difficult to sleep. Try and avoid coffee, tea, chocolate and cola four hours before going to bed.

5. Develop a night time routine

Have a bedtime routine. Try and spend the hour before bed unwinding and preparing for sleep. Turn down bright lights, listen to relaxing music and try not to look at electronic devices. It helps to go to bed and get up at the same time every day so your body knows what to expect.

For more information on how I can help you with your sleep click here.

Would you like to make living life easier, right now? Get your free Live Life on Your Terms recording here and begin to live your life with confidence.

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