Will I ever sleep soundly again? With the stress of the pandemic and myriad of global disasters, I haven’t had consecutively good night’s rest in months. Anyone else?

Though this year has been particularly stressful, there are ways to limit the impact stress and anxiety have on your sleep. Based on research around rest and recovery, you can implement a coaching program that may not only help you manage this impact, but also improve sleep habits and recovery overall.

First, let’s talk about stress. Biology is dose dependent, meaning the amount of stress you experience will impact how your body responds – this response can become progressively worse in the absence of recovery. If you find yourself watching, scrolling, reading or discussing things that trigger you regularly, you should consider decreasing how much you engage, especially later in the day. For example, checking the news once in the morning will have different impact on your mind and body than exposing yourself to a 24/7 news cycle throughout the day. The first example introduces an acute stress followed by a long recovery period, while the second creates an environment where stress becomes chronic. Furthermore, the closer to bedtime you introduce stress, the more difficult it will be to fall asleep and stay asleep.   

Sleep issues tend to be multifactorial, which means there are several strategies that may be beneficial to addressing your sleep issues. If these challenges resonate with you, here are a few things for you to consider.

Implement Rituals or routines To lower stress levels 

Do you have a pre-sleep routine? Developing one may help. When you are having trouble disconnecting from the stress of your day, a bedtime ritual may help you separate your thoughts and drop into a more relaxed state. This could be a series of stretches, breathwork, meditation, reading or any other behaviour that calms you. The key here is to find what works and remain consistent – it will help your mind and body understand when it is time to relax.

Adding good stress can boost your mood 

Sleep is a 24-hour process, meaning what you do during the day can affect how you spend your night. Eustress is moderate or normal psychological stress that is actually beneficial for you either psychologically, physically, or chemically. Adding some positive activities to your calendar can help offset some of the distress you are experiencing. Things such as working out, learning a skill or picking up a new hobby are all challenges that can improve your mood and give you something else to focus on in your downtime.  

Caffeine can increase feelings of stress and anxiety 

A moderate amount of caffeine can make us more alert and improve performance, but too much can leave us anxious and increase feelings of stress. If you are someone who consumes a lot of caffeine (more than 2-3 cups/day) or drinks coffee late in the day (after 1.00pm), you should consider reducing your total amount and shifting things to earlier in the day.