Sleep Away Your Stress
One of the first and most important things to do to build a stress-proof body is to get enough sleep on a regular basis. According to the 2000 Omnibus Sleep in America Poll, conducted by the National Sleep Foundation
Having trouble getting your ZZZs? That cliché about drinking a cup of warm milk is backed by science. Milk contains tryptophan and calcium, both of which boost serotonin levels. Serotonin is the chemical released in your body to induce sleep. It also puts you in a good mood. If you have trouble digesting milk, however, this remedy could keep you awake instead of soothing you to sleep.
If you need more convincing that sleep deprivation interferes with life, consider these results from the National Sleep Foundation's survey:
Over half of the American work force (51 percent) reports that sleepiness on the job interferes with the amount of work they complete.
Forty percent of adults admit that the quality of their work suffers when they're sleepy.
At least two thirds of adults (68 percent) say that sleepiness interferes with their concentration, and 66 percent say sleepiness makes handling stress on the job more difficult.
Nearly one out of five adults (19 percent) reports making occasional or frequent work errors due to sleepiness.
Overall, employees estimate that the quality and quantity of their work is diminished by about 30 percent when they are sleepy.
More than two thirds (68 percent) of shift workers report experiencing problems sleeping.
Nearly one out of four adults (24 percent) has difficulty getting up for work two or more workdays per week.
A third of adults would nap at work if it were allowed. (Only 16 percent of employees surveyed reported that their employers allow naps.)
Furthermore, over 30 percent of American drivers admit they have fallen asleep at the wheel at least once. According to the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 100,000 traffic accidents and 1,500 traffic-related fatalities are caused by a driver falling asleep at the wheel. Yikes!
The numbers are even more frightening for the younger generation, or those between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine. According to the poll, over 50 percent of young adults surveyed said they woke up feeling “unrefreshed,” and 33 percent suffer from significant daytime sleepiness, a percentage slightly higher than that of notoriously sleepy shift workers!
Herbs are a more natural, less harsh method than prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids for treating occasional insomnia. One British study showed that lavender oil released through a diffuser worked as well as prescription medication to treat insomniacs.
Many young people admit staying awake too late to watch television or use the Internet, and 53 percent admit to sleeping less in order to accomplish more. Young adults also suffer aggravated on-the-job stress due to sleep deprivation:
Over 35 percent of people 18 to 29 years old reported having difficulty getting up for work (compared with 20 percent of those 30 to 64 years old and 9 percent of those 65 and older).
Nearly 25 percent of young adults reported being occasionally or frequently late to work due to sleepiness (compared to 11 percent of people 30 to 64 years old and 5 percent of workers over 65).
Forty percent of younger adults are sleepy at work at least two or more days a week (compared to 23 percent of those 30 to 64 years old and 19 percent of those over 65).
Sixty percent of young adults admit to having driven while drowsy in the past year, and 24 percent report having fallen asleep at the wheel.
Sleep deprivation has a specific and dramatic physical effect on the body. The average adult requires eight hours of sleep per night, and teenagers require 8.5 to 9.25 hours. If you don't get enough sleep, you could experience the following:
Increased irritability
Depression
Anxiety
Decreased ability to concentrate and understand information
Increased likelihood of making mistakes and having accident
Increased clumsiness and slower reaction times (dangerous behind the wheel)
A suppressed immune system
Undesirable weight gain
Unfortunately, sleep disorders often disturb our sleep even if we go to bed on time. These sleep disorders include insomnia, snoring (either by you or the person next to you who is keeping you awake), sleep apnea (breathing disturbances during sleep), sleep walking and talking (parasomnia), and restless leg syndrome (a condition in which your legs are uncomfortable and you feel compelled to move them). Also, jet lag or working the night shift can cause sleep disturbances.
Making sure you get enough sleep may require a two-pronged approach:
Make the time for sleep.
Treat the sleep disorder.
However, if you do not have a sleep disorder but need to make time for sleep, or if you have plenty of time to sleep but have a sleep disorder, you obviously require only a single approach. In any case, if you aren't getting enough sleep, you are increasing your stress, compromising your health, and probably operating well below your potential. Getting enough sleep is so important that it should be your number one item on your stress management to-do list.
Whichever your situation, the following Stress Management Strategies will have you snoozing soon.
Restless leg syndrome is a disorder than can affect sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, its symptoms are an urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations such as a creeping or crawling feeling, tingling, cramping, burning, or pain. Some patients only experience the need to move. Symptoms worsen when the person tries to lie or sit still. There are various treatments available, from relaxation techniques to medication.
