How to Sleep Better When You're Stressed & Overwhelmed - Relax & Refresh

Show Notes:
Growing up I fell asleep to the radio. Really any kind of music because my whole childhood was filled with music constantly and it’s why it’s such an important part of my life. So much that I fell asleep to smooth jazz in a sleeping bag on the floor of my dad’s radio station. And that habit continued through my entire life, up until I got married.

Even now, it’s something I do when I need an extra step of calmness before bed because that’s what it was to me growing up: calm. But my husband trained me out of it for the most part, but has trained us back into it. It’s hilarious. But I know many people would say it’s not the most healthy sleep habit to have because it keeps your mind awake. But not mine. And that’s just another example of how different things work for different people.

Maybe falling asleep to music isn’t your thing, maybe it’s the tv. Or maybe it’s a sound machine. Or maybe it’s nothing. I say do whatever works best for you & helps you fall asleep fast and wake up refreshed. But maybe your problem isn’t choosing what to fall asleep to, but actually getting to sleep. A lot of times we can have trouble sleeping when we are dealing with a lot of stress and feeling overwhelmed. And whether or not it’s true insomnia, you often feel like a wreck in the morning.

Alright, let’s get into it and chat about 5 Tips to Help You Sleep Better When You’re Dealing With Stress & Feeling Overwhelmed:

1. Practice Stress Management Techniques (doing this throughout the day will have such a big impact on your sleep because you aren’t bringing as much stress to bedtime as you would without doing something helpful during the day. Try yoga, stretching, journaling, chatting with someone you trust, meditation/prayer, and planning out your time.)
2. Create a Bedtime Routine (Figure out what you need to do to wind down for bed & feel as calm as you can. Maybe it’s taking a bath/hot shower, writing down all worries & stressors and to do’s on a pad/in your phone, reading a book that is encouraging & affirming, deep breathing, listen to calming music.)
3. Get Your Room Right (Cut back on bright screens and bright lights that will keep your brain awake, manage the perfect temp for you/the right amount of pillows and blankets/jammies situation/pets, decide on ear plugs/soft music/sleep mask)
4. Try Out Some Relaxation Techniques (Visualization - imagine the scene, the smells, the sounds - Self Massage with a foam roller or massage device or tennis ball, guided meditation, grounding.)
5. Consider What You’re Eating & Taking to Supplement Your Body (My doc suggested I eat a snack before bed because it would help me stay asleep, something with healthy fats & carbs. I also started taking magnesium glycinate &a tincture that has oats, hops, skullcap, and other stuff to help to stay asleep. Caffeine is also something to be avoided before bed. And consider becoming aware of whether you’re eating things that upset your digestive system, because you don’t need something else to stress about.)

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