The most natural form of relaxation happens subconsciously, through sleep. And when the sleep routine gets disrupted, everything else falls apart.
Our lifestyles forced us to take things for granted until the pandemic happened. We live so normally being overstressed that people with a stress-free mentality are often questioned for their way of living. People today suffer from insomnia and sleep apnea because of stress and it is wrong to blame technology and our busy lives for the disorders. It’s we who have fostered the belief that it’s ok to be stressful and have engrossed ourselves with the advancements while we are actually moving backward. If you look at research statistics, most of our illnesses arise from lack of sleep caused by stress. However, recent confessions from people have directed us to look into ourselves and find happiness within. It is crucial that we calm ourselves and consciously aim for stress relief. But first, let’s acknowledge the presence of stress and understand its causes.
What Causes Stress?
Do you ask yourself, “Why am I stressed?”
Well, most of us don’t and that’s what I mean when I say we don’t acknowledge stress.
Stress can be boldly accepted for what it represents. But sadly, people take it as something evil but essential. No! Stress implies a need to make something right or different from what it is. Your body listens to the message and sends the information to the brain. It is finally your brain that decides to fight or flight in the situation.
There could be many reasons for stress. Some of them being:
- A bad day at work
- Health concerns of self or a family member
- Dissatisfaction at home
- Piling of work because of procrastination
- Disturbances at home/work/society
- Thoughts of the past/future concerns
The list could go on and on. In fact, we as humans do not need any particular reason to be stressed. A minor setback could bring us down if we are unprepared. Hence, it is safe to say that stress is very much a part of our life and sometimes helps us to conquer our fears (scoring better in exams or speaking at a public event). But it’s important to tone down our stress to a level that does not harm us physically and emotionally.
Let us now look at some efficient ways to manage stress and sleep better.
8 Efficient Ways to Manage Stress & Sleep Better
1. Plan Your Sleep
The phrase, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” applies to sleep too. Our responsibilities surround our lives and as we grow, responsibilities grow too. Hence, you must plan your sleep along with your other priorities to help you rejuvenate. Here are some things you should do for better sleep.
- Create a good sleeping environment.
- Freshen up and put on light clothes.
- Partially darken the room and reduce noise, if any.
- Pray and take five deep breaths before you go to bed.
- Express your gratitude for living the day well.
- Give yourself a minimum of five hours of undisturbed sleep.
2. Practice Visualization
The practice of generating imagery to feel better about your life is one of the best ways to relax in bed at night. Follow these steps to practice visualization as a part of your bed routine.
- Lay down on your bed.
- Take a deep breath and visualize being at your favorite place. Any place that calms you and provides peace like the seashore, mountains, your balcony, a park, etc.
- Involve all your senses as you carry out the process to feel good in your happy place. You may see yourself sitting by the ocean with the smell of the wet mud calming you. Or, maybe somewhere on a hill with the fresh air breezing on your face taking your worries away.
- Focus on positivity and experience the heaviness of your stress lifting away.
3. Yoga/Meditation
Physical exercises help in relaxing muscles and bring stress relief. They overpower your stress by making you more aware of the present. Yoga and pranayama are efficient forms of exercise that make you more conscious, work out the organs and give inner peace. Yoga asanas like Chakravakasana and Setu Bandhansana treat stress, anxiety, and back pain and also strengthen the core body. With meditation, your focus and awareness become better which helps you make informed decisions. Yoga and meditation thereby prove to be effective exercises for better sleep.
“Nature compels you to go into silence unconsciously and that is sleep. This gives you energy. When you choose to be silent consciously, that is meditation. It gives you more energy and can help open doors to subtle dimensions.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
4. Reflect
When you reflect on the happenings of your day that may or may not have caused stress, you will have cracked a better way to relax in bed at night. Reflection makes you understand and accept the situation, thereby assisting you in finding a better way to deal with stress. For example:
When you write a journal, you take down your anxiety, stress, and worries on a piece of paper that ultimately calms you. It is a great practice to help you look at your problems from a different perspective and find practical solutions.
Engaging in conversation with a loved one can also bring you stress relief and better sleep at night.
5. Look What You Eat
One of the most unpopular opinions is that eating wrong could cause stress. While it may not be a major cause of stress, you must note that eating wrong could bring an imbalance in your body. What you eat becomes your thoughts and hence impacts you in a significant way. That’s why most of us are turning vegan and consuming satvik food. Food that is organic and simply obtained from organic resources energizes us and keeps us focused. How often do you feel driven for your purpose by eating junk food or carbonated drinks? Almost never, right? However, as I mentioned, this is one of the unpopular opinions that’s often debated upon. So, it’s up to you to look into what you eat and feed your soul. Fresh, nutritious and light food not only gives you energy but also helps you relax and sleep when stressed.
6. Consider Therapy
There are several therapies you may consider to manage stress and improve your sleep pattern. Therapies help you cope with challenges like stress, anxiety, bereavement, etc. There are many kinds of therapies like aromatherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, behavioral therapy, hydrotherapy, etc. that help in different ways to sleep better. While some therapies relax the muscles, some bring calmness to the mind. Therapies also develop our interaction channels and enhance our cognitive skills.
“The mind has two abilities – one is to focus, the other is to expand and relax.”
~Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
7. Refer to Relaxed Breathing Techniques
Deep breathing helps focus on each breath that comes in and goes out. While increasing awareness of our mind, it relaxes our muscles and opens up our lungs. This process in turn facilitates oxygen supply to the organs and the brain, which brings stress relief. Several breathing techniques like the 4-7-8 breathing and progressive muscle relaxation technique reduce the risk of heart failure, keep a check on digestion problems, and also help relax and sleep when stressed.
8. Stay Away From Distractions
In this technologically advanced era, we own expensive gadgets that actually own us. They keep us engaged in all the unnecessary drama that may not even need an audience. To stop that addiction, you must restrict your screen time and catch better sleep. Your screen time may be one of the factors that increases your stress and anxiety. Experts suggest you stay away from your phones, laptops, or TVs at least an hour before bedtime to help you sleep better.
Conclusion:
Although the above methods can bring you stress relief, you must not ignore any serious concerns about sleeplessness. If you feel that medical intervention is necessary, take it promptly. All that matters in the end is getting good sleep. Because when you find ways to sleep better, you contribute to your overall well-being.
“Health is… A disease-free body. A quiver-free breath. A stress-free mind. An inhibition-free intellect. An obsession-free memory. An ego that includes all. A soul that is free from sorrow.” ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Register here for a free session with us and live a stress-free life.
