breaking the stress-sleep cycle
How Sleep (or lack thereof ) Impacts Stress
We often believe that it is possible to solve our problems by staying awake, one more hour or twelve more hours, depending on how much work we have left.
The obsession with getting to the end of a project can be so intoxicating that we forget sleep is an integral part of the creative process and many other processes - muscle repair, mental alertness, and other body processes. Aren’t we all guilty?
In this article, we will be shining the spotlight on the effect of sleep on stress, how they are related and how a lack of or presence of it changes the entire flow of your life. Experts have stressed the importance of sleep in our daily lives; I mean, you always hear people say we require an average of seven to nine hours of sleep every day to function optimally. But in reality, we never really get that much, do we?
We often think we can function at peak levels with four hours of sleep but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say otherwise stating that not getting seven-hours of sleep can potentially lead to conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental difficulties. Black people rank among the lowest of those who miss out on that quality sleep.
Doctors confirmed that black women tend to get lesser quality sleep than our white counterparts- why? Because we typically work more and do more to support our households, the grind never stops for us. Yes, we don that “superwoman” cape and take on the world but all the green salads, smoothies, and morning workouts will do us no good if we’re not getting enough sleep.
We understand that the lack of sleep in our community could be deeply rooted in “not wanting to be caught slacking” or “not wanting to be called lazy”. We also get that there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in a day to get through our ever-expanding to-do lists so the options to charge up with caffeine and a few hours of sleep to barrel through our day seems the most logical. Sis, let us tell you, there is no harm in sleeping-in some days, resting, and simply having a “no workday.”
What’s the harm in not getting enough rest?
Can we admit one thing- sleeping…feels… good. You know that much-needed rest that comes with sleep that hits as soon as our head touches the pillow. The kind that has us waking up feeling completely revived and lighthearted? When was the last time you felt that?
Think about it... There are many reasons why we don’t experience that feeling as often as we should. Some of us feel guilty just for having a good nap let alone seven hours of sleep. Or the constant worry of life’s demands playing on repeat preventing our bodies from preparing for sleep- so we don’t.
Occasional sleepless nights don’t hurt, after all, there are times when we just have to burn the midnight oil to get things done. However, being a frequent host to sleep deprivation can leave us vulnerable to a variety of chronic diseases affecting both our physical and mental health.
We mentioned earlier that the CDC released a study showing that women who live on less than seven hours of sleep have an increased risk of coming down with these diseases: depression, arthritis, heart diseases, kidney disease, obesity, stroke, and diabetes. All of these mental illnesses are common with black women. Studies have shown that 49% of black women suffer from depression and are less likely to go for treatment. Of course there are other factors that can result in any of these diseases but that doesn't mean we will rule out the effect of poor sleep for aggravating these conditions.
The connection between the two factors: Stress and Sleep
There is a clear connection between stress and sleep. We all can point out what causes stress in our lives but let’s take a quick moment to talk about what’s going on inside. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is responsible for the release of what we call the stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are responsible for the increase in circulation of blood to muscles and other vital organs to prepare your body for timely response in a “fight-or-flight” situation.
The fight-or-flight response has been instilled in man since the beginning of evolution when men had to go out to fight for meals against deadly animals. Or when they had to flee because the fight had gone beyond their strength. When the stressful trigger is removed then the hormones come back down to normal levels. Thankfully, we no longer have to deal with these kinds of situations, but modern-day stressors are just as brutal to our emotional, mental and physical health.
From money and work issues to kids, relationships and family drama, the fight-or-flight response always comes into play once stressors are present in our lives; sometimes we even freeze (ever feel paralyzed by everything happening in your life?). There is no way to completely eliminate stress in our lives. In all honesty we wouldn’t want that anyway because those moments of butterflies in our stomachs because of a first date, the racing heartbeat when walking across the stage to get your degree or the sweaty palms when holding your newborn are good for us. It’s the persisting chronic stress that becomes an issue when we stuff it deep down instead of finding ways to release it.
Now we know that stress is a normal part of everyday life and we are bound to feel overwhelmed from time to time. It’s the unrelenting high level of stress that can be detrimental to our health. Don’t wait for a push to become a shove before seeing a doctor, seeking help from a therapist, or utilizing other coping mechanisms to manage stress levels.
Those stress hormones responsible for accelerating the heart rate and keeping the body in full out alert mode will keep the nervous system in a continuous state of alarm. This can drastically impact our sleep and put us into a vicious sleep-stress cycle. It works like this… When we’re feeling anxious our cortisol levels (one of those stress hormones) remain at high levels. These high levels prevents our bodies from releasing the chemicals that tell our bodies its time to prepare for sleep. Without that our bodies stay in “go-mode” making falling asleep or staying asleep very difficult. If our bodies don’t have quality rest then we feel even more stressed during the day which further deprives us of sleep at night. Bottom line is the less sleep we get, the more stressed out we become. Sis, this unhealthy cycle has to stop!
The National Sleep Foundation surveyed the sleeping patterns of people aged 13-64 and revealed that forty-three percent of these people had stayed awake all night, unable to sleep due to the stress from the past month. How would you rate your sleep over the past thirty days? The blessing is that we can break this vicious loop. There is no magic trick to suddenly eliminate the source of our stress but there are many ways to cope with the impact that it’s having on our lives. The better rested we are the better we’re able to process and think clearly and rationally which could allow us to find solutions to our situations and the strength to see them through.
How to Reduce Stress Levels and Improve Sleep
Here are a few ways to decrease your stress level and enhance the length and quality of your sleepy time! Pay super close attention ladies. These just might help to change your life!!
Reduce your Activity Level in the Evening
A runner will tell you to not to stop running at once but to ease yourself down slowly. If we intend to sleep later in the evening then we have to start preparing our bodies for rest at least two hours before bedtime. Some researchers will also say to lie in bed thirty minutes before sleep time to gently unwind. Create a nighttime ritual to begin training our bodies to prepare to slow down and relax. After our skin care routine, put on our satin bonnets, pull down the sleep mask close, and get under those sheets. Most importantly- leave that phone, tablet, laptop alone once your ritual begins.
Read this post to learn how to set the atmosphere for restful sleep.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindful meditation is a relaxation technique that focuses on helping us become more attuned to the present. It allows us to slow down our thoughts, calm the mind and body while acknowledging emotions, thoughts and feelings without judgement or getting caught up in them. This technique has been vastly tested and has been observed to alleviate a substantial level of anxiety, stress, and even depression.
Even though mindfulness meditation has not been established as a clinical treatment, it is encouraged by many therapists. Practicing this form of meditation ten to thirty minutes before bedtime will relieve the stress load and ease you into better sleep. It doesn’t have to be anything serious, a simple 5 minute meditation routine will do you more good than you know.
Regular Workouts
The importance of physical exercises in enriching our mental and physical wellness cannot be over-emphasized. Embracing the “fit-fam” club will not only make us look like a snack (if that’s your desire), but it will also improve our sleeping quality and duration.
Of course, everyone knows that exercising is good, the problem is bringing ourselves to do it consistently. This is why we suggest simple routines, ignore those TikTok videos with people flaunting their toned muscular legs, unless that’s your body goals. A simple 20 minute work out session is enough to get our blood flowing.
Research has shown countless times that regular exercise is a possible treatment for some psychological problems, including anxiety and stress-related illnesses. This is an excellent thing as it reduces the use of drugs for the treatment of these diseases. Drugs can have crazy side effects like weight gain and complete dependency or addiction if not properly managed.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts are quite effective for improving sleep quality but so is a thirty-minute run/brisk walk. So, if that’s more your thing, as simple as it seems, it can get your ticket to lower those stress hormones and enhanced your sleep quality.
Be Mindful of What You Consume
Cutting down on caffeine and alcohol consumption would do our bodies so much good. Replace them with more greens and healthy snacks. Depending on your personality you can completely revamp your diet and switch to a healthier choices. Or start small, don’t throw out all the Mac and cheese, but incorporate healthy foods slowly, especially if you’re a regular at Chick Fil A or McDonalds.
Separate Work Time and Personal Time
You are ambitious and want to get ahead but remember that lack of rest leads to burnout ultimately hindering performance. Stop letting working from home infringe on your body’s time to switch to relax mode. Listen, we understand that it isn’t always possible but try to start making it more of the exception than the norm.
Unwind and relax once you get home, leave work at work and avoid “leisurely” scrolling through work emails in your evenings. No one can take care of you better than you, so light a candle, prepare a cup of tea and enjoy dinner alone or with family and friends.
You have the information and tools, Prioritize rest to be your best self and break the sleep-stress cycle. Always remember to look out for stressors and curb their effect on your sleep quality. If this becomes too big a problem to handle, medical professionals, family, and friends are there for you. Do not hesitate to get the help that you need so you can be the best, well-rested, version of you!!
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5250592/
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/black-depression