How To Fall Asleep When You’re Stressed
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Stress can disrupt sleep, but there are several methods you can use to fall asleep when you’re stressed. Good sleep hygiene practices—such as creating a bedtime routine and limiting nighttime activities—have the potential to improve how well you rest.
If you’re preoccupied and restless when you go to bed, you might need a new strategy. Read on to learn what you can add to your nighttime slowdown plan when you’re too stressed to sleep.
Many things can cause stress. Stress can come from daily or weekly demands due to work or family and sudden life changes (e.g., illness or job loss).
Knowing what is stressing you out or what can stress you out can be key to getting the rest you need. You may be able to find ways to get rid of any stressors, like asking for help if tasks become too much or dropping some of your responsibilities when possible.
You could write down your thoughts if you’re constantly thinking about what’s stressing you out. Research has shown that people may be able to fall asleep after writing about worries that are keeping them awake close to bedtime.
Aim for comfortable conditions to get a good rest. Some of the best sleeping conditions include:
- Blocking, removing, or turning off any lights in the room (e.g., by using blackout curtains or shades)
- Having a comfortable mattress and pillow
- Keeping the room at a temperature that’s not too hot or too cold
- Sleeping in the best position based on your health
A quiet sleeping area is also helpful for sleep. You’ll need to make changes if you’re dealing with anything that could be messing with your sleep, “like a spouse who snores or a pet that likes to climb into bed,” Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Cleveland Clinic, told Health.
Minor distractions might be keeping you awake, even if they weren’t bugging you before. If sound is your issue, consider using earplugs. If pets interrupt your sleep, get them their own bed.
Lifestyle changes may help you get better sleep when you’re experiencing stress. You can try avoiding screens before bedtime, limiting certain foods or drinks, staying physically active, and more.
Limit Ultra-Processed Foods, Caffeine, and Alcohol
People may consume ultra-processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol when they’re stressed. All three are culprits for being unable to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Ultra-processed foods usually contain high fat and sugar content, which can prevent good sleep. Eating these types of foods can result in less quality sleep, which can become a cycle, leading you to eat more of these types of foods.
Caffeine can increase the time it takes to fall asleep and decrease the amount of sleep and quality sleep a person gets. It’s possible to feel alert for four to six hours after caffeine.
Alcohol has also been shown to disrupt sleep due to:
- Adding to issues with circadian rhythms and short sleep duration (SSD)
- Causing insomnia
- Disrupting rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, as well as the stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep
Increase the Time Between Bedtime and Eating or Drinking
Having a balanced diet can help with sleep and stress. Choosing foods with enough protein, carbs, and healthy fats (e.g., omega-3s) may lead to better sleep.
Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to foods, drinks, and sleep is when you eat or drink during the day. Save any large meals for earlier in the day whenever possible. Eating too much close to bedtime or late at night won’t help you get good sleep.
Timing also matters for alcohol and caffeine. It’s a good idea to limit alcohol intake right before going to bed or choose to have your last drink earlier in the day. Try to avoid caffeine, including hidden sources of caffeine, in the late afternoon or evening if you’re still having sleep trouble.
Get Physically Active
Research has shown that physical activity can improve the regulation of cortisol and the quality of sleep. Cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in stress. Exercising, or just being more active in general, may help you manage stress levels and get the sleep you need.
Doing a 30-minute workout a few times during the week can be beneficial. Exercises you might consider doing include:
- Doing yard work (e.g., mowing the lawn)
- Playing sports
- Riding a bike
- Walking, jogging, or running
Keep Screen Time and Evening Activities to a Minimum
Watching videos or playing games on a phone or other electronic devices can be tempting when you’re winding down for sleep. Doing so can make it hard to fall asleep because of the light from the screens.
Blue light, which is the kind that comes from electronic device screens, can make the body more alert and think it’s daytime. Consider moving screen time to an hour or more before bedtime to avoid the effects of blue light.
You’ll also want to limit nighttime activities when possible. Aim for your last workout to end at least two hours before you sleep if you prefer to exercise in the evening.
Establish a Sleep Schedule—and a Bedtime Routine
One thing that may help is coming up with a sleep schedule when stress makes it hard for you to fall asleep in the first place. Pick times to go to bed and wake up that you can stick to every day. Ensure that these times allow you to get enough sleep every night.
Putting yourself on a bedtime routine can also help send your body signals that it’s time to sleep. You can do this by doing calming activities, like taking a bath or doing relaxation techniques (more on that below), right before bed.
Any of the tips above can help if you have problems with falling asleep or staying asleep, especially having a regular sleep schedule. There are other ways to help you in either situation.
You can use methods of relaxation for falling asleep or going back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night, such as:
- Biofeedback (learning how to control body functions, like heart rate) to help you relax)
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Progressive relaxation (when you tense and relax different muscle groups in your body)
- Yoga
You’ll also want to get out of bed if you’ve been lying there for more than 20 minutes trying to go to sleep or fall back asleep. You can do something non-stimulating in another room. Go back to bed when you start to feel sleepy again.
Taking a nap can prevent you from drifting off at your typical bedtime. This can especially be the case if you take naps in the afternoon or evening. By avoiding naps, you may find it easier to go to sleep and sleep longer.
Removing light sources from your sleeping area can also be helpful for uninterrupted sleep later if you find that you can’t go back to sleep after waking up. Use a dim, red light if you must have a light—say, because you’ll need to get up and use the restroom during the night. These lights will be less likely to disturb sleep. Making sure that the light and sound from your cell phone are down or off can also make for a restful night’s sleep.
Check with a healthcare provider if you’re having trouble sleeping at night, even after you’ve tried self-management strategies. Sleep issues add to a variety of health problems related to a person’s:
“Some people wait too long,” said Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. “I’ve had some patients come in after 20 years of insomnia. A clinically significant problem exists if insomnia lasts more than three months, so call [a healthcare provider] if you can’t sleep after that time.”
Many healthcare providers have sound strategies for dealing with insomnia. Some may refer you to a sleep disorders specialist or cognitive behavioral therapist.
People may want a quick-fix sleeping pill, but it’s important to first make changes to actions related to sleep. “Some people want a way out of doing the work when they haven’t done any of the basics,” said Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer.
Research has found that sleep medication can be an effective short-term treatment for insomnia, but it can also cause side effects like:
- Amnestic episodes (short-term memory problems)
- Cognitive impairment
- Morning hangovers
Some people continue to experience sleep problems even when taking these medications, leading to higher doses. The higher doses might cause people to depend on the medicines later and build up a tolerance.
Stress can interfere with getting good sleep. There are things you can do to reduce stress and get better sleep. Tips include having a comfortable and quiet sleeping area, establishing a bedtime routine, or trying relaxation techniques.
See a healthcare provider if you’re still having issues with stress and sleep. They can help you figure out what treatments or methods will best work for you.
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