With the kind of life, we have lived in the past two years, it is essential to prioritize mental health. We all need to put the stress of the global pandemic behind us and try to move forward. It may be difficult for some than others, but we have to stay together since the battle is not over. Getting back to the usual life will take time, and we have to get out of bed every day to push life forward.
One of the simplest methods to do that is by being lazy. Yes, sleep! Having a good night’s sleep can make more difference than you think. Sleeping helps in reducing stress, and experiencing more stress can make it hard for you to sleep. There was overwhelming stress with everything we did last year, like working from home, home-schooling, and not meeting people regularly. This lifestyle change made it hard for many people to sleep at night.
Many researchers are also calling this pandemic the casualty of sleep. We lost many people, but now the focus is more on saving whoever we can in any possible way. Harvard University researchers also warned people to sleep better to avoid developing sleep problems like insomnia and sleep apnea.
You must already know about some works that affected your sleep, like a presentation or an exam the following day. However, these sensations are short-term and do not derail your regular sleep schedule. You are only up for one night and can go back to your everyday life from the next day.
The concern here is when the schedule changes and you are regularly up at night for no reason. This sleep disorder is due to the chronic stress you feel with no specific. Let’s begin with how stress is connected with sleep, and sleeping better can help you deal with anxiety and stress.
How Stress Can Impact Sleep
When stressed, it is hard to fall asleep and stay in bed resting for long. Don’t worry. It has a biological reason, and you’re not alone in facing this situation.
When you stress, the body release cortisol, the primary stress hormone. This stress hormone collides with sugar and glucose. Then it enters the bloodstream elevating the blood pressure. Soon, you experience muscles tensing up, heart pumping, and an overworking brain. Sleep science says the scientists and experts call it the “fight or flight” response. This response is a mechanism our bodies activate every time we are in trouble.
This response is responsible for not letting us sleep quickly as our body is wired to keep us awake when under stress. There are millions of US citizens where find it challenging to sleep regularly. A survey in 2017 revealed that 45% of Americans couldn’t sleep in the last few months due to stress. Now, this is pre-pandemic statistics so imagine the situation today in 2021.
Stress also turns into trauma and chronic stress making it harder for you to sleep with every passing night. The reason could be anything, including job, money, the demise of someone close, or pandemic anxiety. In such times, your body starts to get habituated with more cortisol levels in the body. This increase in cortisol not just affects your sleep cycle but also leads to other severe sleep disorders like depression, insomnia, heart disease, and diabetes.
Thus, to not fall in a doctor’s office queue regularly, try to get as much sleep as possible. You may think about how you can help yourself to rest more apart from staying in bed. However, there are many sleep-inducing techniques you can try. There are natural remedies to put anxiety and stress away.
How to Treat Anxiety Using Natural Remedies?
There are ways you can try to amplify more sleep in your schedule and treat stress. These home remedies for anxiety and stress can help you to integrate your sleep cycle. Below are some minor changes you can make in your lifestyle and avoid stress to sleep better.
- Avoid alcohol
Alcohol is deemed to be one of the most natural sedatives. A glass of whisky or wine is still okay, but more than that regularly is not good. Also, once the buzz is gone, you will feel anxiety again and more than before. Thus, do not rely on alcohol to calm yourself. Instead, try finding the root cause of your anxiety and eliminate it. Replying to excess alcohol will also cause addiction to a point where your life will revolve around it, affecting everything you hold precious.
- Meditation
The meditation practice removes cluttering thoughts and fills the mind with calmness and being in the present. Meditating can help a lot with stress and anxiety, along with increasing focus and concentration. A famous researcher, John Hopkins, published in one of his research that meditation acts as an anti-depressant when performed for 30 minutes every day. There are different meditation and breathing exercises you can try as per your preference.
- Healthy diet
Chemicals in processed and artificial food cause mood changes in many people. Thus, it is advised to avoid food that contains artificial flavors, colors, and high sugar. Most people who suffer from anxiety see a rise after their meal. If the same happens to you also, change your eating habits. Consume food items that are more natural such as fruits, and less oily. Following a healthy diet will also help you to sleep faster.
Which is the Best Home Remedy for Anxiety and Stress?
We will ask you again, though this article has been all about it, to sleep. The best way to deal with stress, anxiety, and everything negative in life is to fall on a comfortable mattress and sleep. A good night’s sleep can halve most of your problems and give you new perspectives to solve them.
However, the question remains again of how to sleep quickly and stay asleep for long. We recommend you book an appointment with a sleep expert at a mattress store. For example, at Mancini’s Sleepworld, most sleep products use modern technologies to help you sleep better. Also, you can tell your preferences to sleep experts so they can help you with the perfect mattress and other bed accessories along with fantastic discounts.