Is stress and anxiety getting in the way of you using one of your greatest superpowers, sleep?

Sleep is essential for us to function as human beings, for our mental health and for us to have an overall good quality of life. 

Are we making the most of it? Could our stress and anxiety levels be interrupting this vital human process or is it our poor sleep patterns making anxiety and stress worse?

Research shows that chronic stress worsens the quality of our sleep. 

In a study carried out with medical students by Abullah.D et al published in 2020, it was found, unsurprisingly, that poor sleep quality was significantly associated with the high levels of stress experienced by the students. Stress was more prevalent in females. 

Studies also show that sleep disturbance is considered as the second most common symptom of mental distress. 

Sleep problems related to anxiety can be both a problem with getting to sleep or staying asleep (insomnia) as well as excessive sleeping or sleepiness (hypersomnia).

Studies carried out by Staner.L 2003 showed that panic disorder and OCD had the highest percentage of people suffering with both. 

So we can see that there is an unhelpful negative cycle.

Diagram showing arrows moving round in a circle with the stress causing problems with sleep and poor sleep causing problems with stress and anxiety

There are many stressors in life that can lead to a build up of stress. Using the stress bucket analogy, when our stress bucket is full to overflowing this triggers the primitive emotional brain to take over and we respond with primitive reactions such as fear, anger or being withdrawn.

As well as creating more reactive behaviours, a full stress bucket also reduces the amount of REM sleep we get.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep happens more toward the second half of our sleep cycle. When our brain is processing information from the previous day. REM is as expensive as wakefulness when it comes to brain activity and energy. However it has limits and if our brain is overloaded with too much to process then we find ourselves waking up in the early hours.

Sleep, stress and hormones 

Hormonal fluctuations are experienced for women on a monthly basis as well as more severely during the menopausal years.

We rely on hormones to help us cope with stress and anxiety, such as progesterone which helps us to remain calm. When this hormone declines we find it harder to manage the stressors of life and this can cause higher levels of stress as well as anxiety.

Night sweats are a common symptom for women during midlife and can drastically impact our quality of sleep. These constant disturbances get in the way of us having quality sleep and so the negative cycle continues.

This negative cycle has a knock on effect in life. Such as gaining weight. Research shows poor sleep impacts insulin levels as well as making us more likely to reach for refined sugars and carbohydrates. 

We are also less likely to exercise if we feel very tired and the cycle continues.

Woman with blonde hair laid down on her stomach on a bed. Her hair is covering her face apart from one eye.

How to break this cycle

Thankfully there are things you can do to positively impact your sleep and your stress levels. 

Approaching this problem from both sides gives you more control and is more likely to impact this cycle in reverse.

Managing stress and anxiety takes practice and you may want to find the best solution for you that works and that you can build into your daily and weekly structure.

Methods that work for my clients to manage stress and anxiety for you to try:

Negative thoughts that lead to more anxiety. Try catching yourself when you are in a negative thought spiral. Label your thoughts as ‘thinking’. This reduces the energy given to these thoughts and they will calm and allow you to move on.

Panic attacks.  Try the physiological sigh. Take 2 short inbreaths followed by a longer slow outbreath. Do this when you feel pani start to build. It is medically proven to calm the sympathetic nervous system that is engaged when we panic and reverse this process. This tool does take practice and so it can be helpful to try this when you are feeling calm to get used to how it feels.

Stressed and overwhelmed. Try the ‘mind dump and plan’ tool. Take a few minutes to write out everything that is buzzing around your head. Things that need to be done and things that are bothering you. Come back to this task after a short break and highlight with a different colour what needs to be done as a priority. Then plan a task each day, or more spread out depending on your stress levels. Add the task into your calendar as you would any other appointment and don’t disregard it when you come to the appointed task.

To focus on improving sleep I have provided some tools below to try:

Reduce brain activity before bed. Try creating a personal boundary time for work in the evening. Set that time and actively put away your work phone and laptop. Ideally at least an hour before bed. 

Don’t use a screen after 11pm or before 4am. Even if you wake in the night don’t be tempted to go on your phone. The blue light from your phone will interfere with your circadian rhythm and your body will release hormones in your body that will fight sleep.

Watch your caffeine intake. Caffeine is still active in the body 10 hours after first ingesting. For some people this is not an issue, as we all have different sensitivities to caffeine. Experiment with only having caffeine late morning to allow for this to totally leave your system when you are wanting to get to sleep.

Try a sleep hypnosis download. Proven to enhance not only your quality of sleep but also your ability to drift into sleep. 

Autism ADHD and sleep

Autism and sleep

There is a huge overlap with autism, ADHD and sleep problems.

Issues such as restless legs, moving about in your sleep, circadian rhythm disorders, difficulty getting to and waking from sleep, sleeping too much, sleep terrors, sleep walking, sleep paralysis.

Autistic people tend to get less REM sleep, which means we need more sleep to receive the full benefits of sleep.

ADHD and sleep

Those with ADHD can suffer with nonspecific sleep disruptions, parasomnias, hypersomnias, and limb movement disorders. Anywhere from 25-50% of ADHDers will also struggle with insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, and sleep-disordered breathing.

Researchers and professionals working with neurodivergent adults and young people recommend focusing on your sleep routine and building in some of the following:

• Taking a warm bath or shower right before bed 

• Having a self-care routine that feels good and grounding 

• Using essential oils as aromatherapy 

• Drinking herbal tea 

• Reading for thirty minutes 

• Doing some stretches or relaxation exercises (see “relaxation exercises” below) 

• Gratitude journaling or reflecting on the day 

• Listening to soothing music

I will be covering this topic more in the coming weeks so look out for further information and tools to help improve your sleep. 

If you are struggling with sleep and would like further help contact me to have a chat about how hypnotherapy can help you.