Stress has become an accepted part of modern life. It can stem from everything from a change in work schedule to a new move or medical condition. For most people, it's not about eliminating stress but learning how to manage it in healthy ways
Stress has become an accepted part of modern life. It can stem from everything from a change in work schedule to a new move or medical condition. For most people, it's not about eliminating stress but learning how to manage it in healthy ways.
Acupuncture provides a natural way to reduce stress. It can be used in conjunction with good sleep habits for long-term stress management.
The Stress-Sleep Deprivation Cycle
Stress can hit your body hard, causing everything from headaches and indigestion to high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. Sleep deprivation is also a common side effect of chronic stress. Unfortunately, stress and sleep deprivation can form a cyclical relationship, wherein stress causes sleep loss and continued sleep loss keeps your stress levels high.
Lack of sleep causes the emotional center of your brain, the amygdala, to become more sensitive to negative stimuli. As the same time, the section of your mind that applies higher reasoning functions, called the prefrontal cortex, becomes less active. The result – worry, anxiety, and other stressful emotions have more influence over your decisions when you're tired.
Good sleep hygiene helps improve your odds of getting a full night’s rest. You can help yourself fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer by:
Turning Off Electronic Devices: Televisions, smartphones, and laptops can give off a bright blue light that suppresses the release of melatonin, a vital sleep hormone. Turning off your devices at least two to three hours before bed allows you to stay on your regular sleep schedule.
Keeping a Consistent Bedtime and Wake-Up Time: Your body runs on regular 24-hour biological and physiological cycles to control your sleep-wake schedule. By maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, you allow your brain to adjust and release hormones at the right time.
Developing a Bedtime Routine: Bedtime routines helps trigger the release of sleep hormones while giving your mind and body a chance to release tension built up throughout the day. Try to perform your routine at the same time and in the same order every day.
Eating Healthy, Regularly Spaced Meals: A well-balanced diet helps your body function at its best. But, the timing of your eating is also crucial because the body uses the timing of your meals to help determine when you need to fall asleep. Like a consistent sleep schedule, regul