How does it feel when people call you lazy just because you love to sleep a few extra hours? I’m sure you want to stop sleeping so much, maybe to show your critics that you are not lazy at all. Trust me, you should not listen to what they are telling you. You are doing absolutely fine with your sleeping habits. In fact, your sleep is actually keeping you protected from all the stress you face every day.
Sleep and Stress
Sleep and stress have a very close connection. If you feel stressed out, then you can have a hard time trying to sleep. And if you do not sleep, then you are sure to have an enhanced stress level. As a result, your health will soon start deteriorating. Some of the common issues faced due to the lack of sleep are an impaired memory, a reduced immunity system, risk of heart diseases and greater risk of depression.
An average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of daily sleep. Surprisingly, kids and adolescents need more than 9 hours per day. When we start going to school, our sleep pattern starts changing drastically. The pattern becomes worse when we enter collages and then, our job lives. Even though we feel stress, we always have some important work that forces us to stay awake. We do not get the least amount of sleep at night and wake up stressed in the morning. This cycle goes on every day, and our stress level keep increases rapidly.
Therefore, modern doctors highly recommend the ‘Shut-Eye Therapy‘. When we close our eyes, we are able to breathe in a better way, and as a result, our brains start losing the pent-up stress. This is the reason some psychiatrists also suggest patients to go for meditation. Meditation is also an effective solution that helps us sleep soundly, and eventually, reduce stress.
If you are having problems in reducing stress, then sleeping is perhaps the best solution for you. But as excessive stress will not let you sleep properly, here are some steps you can follow:
Step 1: Fix the Time
If you are planning to sleep for 6 hours, you need to set your bedtime and your wake-up time. In this way, you are giving a signal to your subconscious mind. Although you might have problems initially, your brain will soon start adjusting itself according to your signal.
Step 2: Start Winding Down Early
Every person needs to allow the alerting mechanisms of the brain to decrease their activities before the sleeping mechanisms can take action. If you are planning to sleep by 10pm, then start winding down at least an hour early.
Step 3: Focus on the Bedroom
If you are a person who cannot sleep properly due to excessive stress, you can try changing a few things around you. You can make your bedroom very comfortable and visually pleasing. You can try activities, like reading books and having sex, that have a relaxing effect on the brain.
You need to always keep in mind: “
There is nothing to worry if there is stress. All I have to do is fall asleep“.
Juliette Deschanel
