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Helpful tips to stress less and sleep better

Going to bed stressed can lead to insomnia. If there is one thing someone with chronic pain doesn’t need, it’s insomnia on top of their painsomnia. Bedtime is a time for relaxing and clearing one’s mind. Dimming the lights, reading a good book or just listening to calming music can reduce stress levels. Doing what you can to reduce or eliminate stress before bed can make a big difference. Activities like journaling before bedtime or having a bedtime routine can decrease stress and help you sleep better. But there are also other ways to improve your situation.

Tips to reduce stress

Some common sources of stress are work issues, family problems or generalized worry. These tend to impact everyone at some point or another. Having a chronic illness can bring on so much more. Between managing your illness, doctor’s appointments, medications and just living with it in general, you just don’t want to add more to that pile. Achieving good mental health is one of the best things you can do for yourself, but it’s not always easy. Here are some tips that might help you lessen the load and feel more relaxed:

Take action

Failure to act on important issues can cause a lot of stress. Take time to learn how to deal with life’s problems outside of your illness and then mark them off your to do list! Not doing so can cause more stress and lead to other issues such as procrastination or avoidance.

Learn to let go

Learning to let go of things that are not within your control will reduce stress. Giving up the need to control and stop worrying about things you can’t influence will help reduce a large amount of stress. Letting go of the simple day-to-day stuff can ease your overall stress load and then you can focus on reducing illness related stress.

Take it a day at a time

Focus on what you can do today, not the things that will come tomorrow. There’s only so much you can do within 24 hours. When you end your day, accept what you’ve accomplished and be proud. Even if you feel as though you have accomplished nothing, getting some rest or having a slow day might be just what you needed. Set your worries aside knowing tomorrow will take care of itself. Learning to compartmentalize your fears, anxieties, and worries a day at a time can help you face each day as it comes and rest each night when the day is through.

Tips to sleep better

Consider ways of reducing stress in order to enable a better sleep. For instance, listening to music, drinking chamomile tea or making a list of things you’re grateful for can help take the edge off before bed. Here are some other tips on getting a good night’s sleep:

Make your bedroom your sanctuary

Your bedroom should provide you with the comfort of a retreat and the feeling of being in a different place. To get the best sleep of your life, it’s important to create a bedroom environment that is comfortable and comforting. Remember that your bed should be comfortable and your sheets should feel luxurious. The temperature of your bedroom should also be very pleasant. By doing these three things, you’ll improve your chances of slipping into a deep sleep while feeling refreshed in the morning.

Use sound to your advantage

Some people prefer to sleep with the sound of music, a fan, or something similar. Sometimes, all you need to do is play some white noise throughout the night in order to make sure your brain doesn’t become aware of what’s going on around you. This will help you achieve a deeper sleep – something that many people struggle with because they have trouble with light sleep patterns. There are also apps that can provide ambient sounds to help you feel more relaxed.

Use a weighted blanket

If you live with anxiety or stress, you’ll want to check out weighted blankets. They provide in-home deep pressure therapy and release endorphins which promote better sleep. They also produce a feeling of safety that people have reported decreases depression and anxiety. The different sizes and weights let you meet your particular comfort needs to improve both mental and physical wellbeing.

Getting a good night’s sleep is easier said than done. You can improve your chances when you get rid of any, or even some, stress you might have and have an environment that is conducive to sleep. To help combat your stress, develop a sleep-friendly routine before going to bed. Make sure your room is set up for optimal rest and stick to the routine to improve how you sleep, even when stress is affecting you.

In the next post, I’ll be going over a few things you should stop doing to reduce your stress and improve your sleep.

Check out the rest of the Sleep Better While Stressed series:

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6 Tips to Reduce Stress and Improve Your Sleep