Feeling overly stressed in 2020? You are not alone. As we navigate this unprecedented year, we have 3 events that happened over the past 100+ years combined into one: 1918 Spanish Flu, Great Depression, and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. People are dealing with uncertainty like they have never had to deal with before and stress is high. While you may realize the impact stress is having on your life during the day, there is a good chance it is impacting your sleep. Lack of sleep will only exacerbate issues that come from stress....butt here are solutions to help.
If you are feeling overly stressed and not sleeping well, the first thing is to realize the importance of sleep and how much it can help your daily life. Here are a few strategies to try.
1. Make sure you have a routine. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time regardless of the situation. Developing a routine is one of the best ways to improve your sleep patterns.
2. Spend 15 minutes relaxing before you go to bed. No electronics or loud noises. Rather have some soft, quiet music on and focus on your breathing. Meditation is a great relaxation strategy and spending 15 minutes will help you sleep better.
3. While a light snack is fine, avoid heavy meals close to bedtime and limit any fluids at least 2 hrs before you go to bed. Stress can lead to binge eating or excessive snacking so try to be disciplined on when you eat and what you drink.
While these seem simple, we know they can be a challenge to implement. Try them for a week and see what happens. If nothing is improving, it would be good to consult with your doctor or schedule a sleep consultation.
These are challenging times. Don't let lack of sleep make them more challenging and make sure you take care of yourself!