A high percentage of people have sleep problems , insomnia being one of the most common. Many people have difficulties when it comes to falling asleep or staying asleep at night. The reasons for insomnia may be different, but one of the most common found is stress insomnia . Throughout this article we will see why stress affects our sleep and what things we can do to improve this situation.
Before that, it is essential to emphasize that sleep has a very important function for the well-being of people, since it provides us with mental and physical repair that leads to a proper functioning of the body. If we don't rest well, we don't function well. Also, we will be more irritated. Therefore, it is convenient to pay attention to the quality of our sleep and rest: when we detect that we are not resting well it is important to look for what the causes may be to remedy as soon as possible.
Do you know why stress causes insomnia? We will explain it to you below.
Insomnia from stress
By instinct for survival, our brain has a "threat detector"; And when a situation is perceived as threatening, it generates stress responses to adequately prepare the body to deal with them.
Therefore, stress is a natural response of the body that is triggered when we have to face different situations that we perceive as dangerous or that demand resources. Faced with a stress response, our body experiences a physiological activation. We can experience:
- A dilation of the pupils to better visualize the danger.
- Tension in the muscles to prepare the attack or flight.
- An increase in blood pressure that opens the veins to increase circulation.
- Increase in body temperature .
- Increased sweating .
- An increase in palpitations to pump enough blood into the body.
- An increase in oxygen to provide sufficient fuel to the body.
Evolutionarily, these responses have helped human survival by providing the body with tools to flee or face danger. However, these responses now skyrocket in almost any situation . The problem appears when the alarm signals are maintained over time, causing a continuous activation in our body that prevents rest from developing properly.
Our body feels that it is in danger and keeps the attack or flight system activated, which prevents rest from taking place . To improve this situation and to achieve adequate rest, we can do a few things. We show them below!
Recommendations to treat it
When stress does not allow you to fall asleep, some of the things you can do to improve this situation are:
- Exercising to reduce stress levels so that you can fall asleep more easily.
- Reduce your intake of caffeine or stimulant drinks . If we suffer from stress, this type of drink can increase our levels.
- Do relaxing activities such as reading, listening to music, going for a walk or taking a bubble bath. These moments of disconnection can help us channel and reduce stress levels in our day to day.
- Take deep breaths , another thing we can do to combat stress insomnia is to breathe consciously and deeply. Schedule three times of about 10 minutes to take breaths throughout your day. You can use guides to facilitate the correct execution.
- Practice mindfulness or meditation . These practices have great benefits and, in addition, they help us reduce stress.
- Take infusions . Some plants such as valerian or passionflower have relaxing properties that induce rest.
- Visit a professional . If stress levels persist and you can't get adequate rest, visit a professional for personalized tools and resources.
