If you are suffering from stress and anxiety whether it be work related stress or something else that is occurring in your life, it may affect your sleep pattern and even prevent you from sleeping at all.  Lack of sleep will further increase feeling of stress and anxiety throughout your day.

A recent online poll undertaken by YouGov, with a sample size of 4,619 respondents. This study found that in the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.

This is the largest known study of stress levels in the UK.

If you are experiencing this then you could try the following:

Exercise

This is a great tool for managing anxiety, reducing stress levels and improving sleep. You could sign up for some group classes at your local gym or try boxing. Try not to exercise right before sleep as this can keep you awake.

Caffeine and alcohol

Try to not drink anything that contains alcohol in the evening, this could keep you awake at night. Energy drinks are also packed with caffeine and if you are drinking large amounts throughout the day then this could have an impact on your ability to fall asleep. Caffeine can also increase anxiety levels. If you drink alcohol before bedtime then this could raise your heart rate and keep you up at night.

Mobile devices

The light from mobile devices like an iPad or mobile phone can keep you awake at night if you are looking at them before you try to sleep.  The blue light from mobile devices restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and stay asleep.   It is a good idea to either stop using your mobile device 60 minutes before bed.Some mobile phones have a setting which will turn the blue light to yellow light which is less likely to register by the brain as daylight.

Calming techniques

Mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breathing exercise can help you achieve calm, but it can also be as simple as taking a walk when you have a short break at work. A nice bath before bed time is also a good way of calming the mind ready for sleep.

Ask for help

You could ask for help from a therapist. Here you will be able to talk through any issues that are bothering you and which may be keeping you up at night. At Cambridge and Ely Psychotherapy Service we can help with these issues.