Is Stress Wrecking Your Sleep? 5 Ways to Reclaim Your Rest

Good health is much more than your blood pressure or cholesterol. Living a healthy life means addressing your stress levels, mental state, nutritional needs, and much more. 

At A Woman’s Wellspring, Stephanie Taylor, MD, PhD, wants to help you reach an optimal level of health. That’s one reason she embraces the Slow Doc Initiative. Working through the issues that affect your health and formulating a plan to improve them can take time. One of the most common problems Dr. Taylor sees among her patients is inadequate sleep due to stress. 

Saying, “Get enough sleep,” isn’t especially helpful advice, so here are five concrete things you can do that may improve your ability to sleep at night. 

1. Evaluate your sleep hygiene and make improvements

Sleep hygiene refers to your daily habits around sleep. Things like your bedroom temperature and level of darkness, your bedtime routine, and what time you wake up and go to bed are all part of sleep hygiene. 

Dr. Taylor can help you evaluate your sleep hygiene and give you personalized advice, but in general, you should:

• Begin dimming your lights a couple of hours before bed
• Stop using screens at least an hour before bed
• Establish a regular time for going to bed and waking up
• Keep your bedroom cool and dark
• Only use your bedroom for sex and sleep
• Create a routine that helps you relax before bed

Basically, you want to signal to your body that sleep is approaching before you go to bed, while creating a sleep-friendly environment. 

2. Enjoy daily physical activity

Even if you’re busy and exhausted, taking the time to exercise daily can help you sleep better. Exercise in the morning if possible. Exercise serves both to relieve stress and to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Avoid strenuous physical activity within two to three hours before bed.  

3. Experiment with relaxation techniques

Choose several relaxation techniques, such as yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, tai chi, or progressive relaxation. Experiment with practicing them and keep a sleep journal. 

This can help you determine whether a particular relaxation exercise works especially well for you. If you need help understanding the different types of relaxation techniques, talk to Dr. Taylor, and she can offer guidance. 

4. Consider counseling 

Sometimes talking to someone can lower your stress levels. Simply sharing your struggles can be a relief, but talking to a trained and supportive professional can be even more helpful. 

Dr. Taylor offers supportive counseling services and believes mental health is crucial for good physical health. 

5. Get your hormonal health checked

Women experience hormonal shifts throughout life, but perimenopause can bring about symptoms like night sweats and insomnia. You don’t just have to live with those sleep disturbances. Effective treatments are available and can help. 

No matter the reason you’re struggling to sleep, there’s likely something that can help. Schedule your appointment at A Woman’s Wellspring and let Dr. Taylor help you understand what could restore your rest and reduce your stress.