Stress Free Mama

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Do you have Stress Related Insomnia?

You been under stress at work for months, and now you cannot get to sleep until the alarm clock is about to ring. Could you have stress related insomnia?

Signs of Stress Related Insomnia

Woman with stress and insomniaThere are many reasons you can have insomnia and many of them dovetail with stress. However, if your insomnia occurs only after you have been under stress, you have stress related insomnia. Reducing your stress will help you regain nights of peaceful slumber.

Of course, the problem is sometimes more complicated.

Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, can also cause sleep disturbances and their symptoms (muscle tension, sweating palms, dry mouth and etc.) frequently mimic the symptoms of chronic stress. Plus, people under chronic stress are more prone to mood disorders.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Insomnia

Chinese traditional medicine also recognizes stress related insomnia.

Qi is a basic concept in Chinese traditional medicine; qi, simply speaking, is the energy that flows through your body. Imbalances in qi produce health problems, including insomnia. Sleep disorders are due to either deficient qi or excess qi in the organs. An imbalance of qi in the kidneys is most frequently the cause of insomnia, and stress contributes to the imbalance of qi.

When the kidney qi is deficient, the kidneys are not strong enough to hold the energy inside. The qi rises and bothers the heart (the spirit), keeping the person awake. Stress, aging, and improper diet contribute to unbalanced kidney qi. Stress may also unbalance the liver qi, causing insomnia.

Practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine recommend various herbal remedies for insomnia. The source of the problem determines the treatment recommended.

Acupuncture is also quite effective in treating stress related insomnia. Besides balancing the qi, acupuncture releases endorphins, the body’s feel good hormones, inducing relaxation; some patients fall asleep during acupuncture treatment.

‘Expert’ advice on Relieving Stress Related Insomnia

There is a lot of information about getting to sleep when you have insomnia. In general, the following tips are typically advised by health professionals.

However, many times natural or alternative remedies are more effective. And everyone is different. You may find that what works for you will not work for your friend or spouse.

  • Stress causes sleep disorders by putting you in a state of hyperarousal. Your nervous system is stilled keyed up and ready for activity when you go to bed. Establishing a pattern of calm relaxation for an hour or two before you retire for the night will allow your body to wind down and become ready for sleep.
Don’t engage in work related activities and don’t become engrossed in a lively phone discussion about family problems. Television viewing is okay, but experts say that reading and listening to music are better choices for pre-bedtime activities.
Above all, don’t engage in vigorous exercise within two hours of bedtime. Exercise is a great stress-reducer and getting regular exercise can help induce sleep, but exercising too close to bedtime arouses your nervous system, making it more difficult to sleep.
  • Establish a regular time pattern for going to bed and waking up. Sleeping in on the weekends, feels great at the time, but it confuses your body’s natural sleep rhythms, making it difficult to get to sleep on time. Chinese traditional medicine recommends going to bed by 9 pm.
  • If you cannot sleep, don’t lay in bed tossing and turning for hours. Doing so conditions you to think of the bed as unpleasant place and will make you more stressed out when bedtime arrives. Many experts feel that it is better to get out of bed when you cannot sleep and return when you are sleepy (for an alternative perspective, please read about “Pretend you are sleeping”). A light snack such as a glass of milk or piece of toast can sometimes promote sleep, but eat heavy meals at least two hours before lying down.

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Treating Stress Related Hair Loss

Stress related hair loss makes a bad situation even worse. Fortunately, most cases will pass and others will respond to treatment.

If you have stress related hair loss you may be at a loss on how to cope with the problem. You’re already stressed out and now here comes this additional burden which makes you feel worse.

This is especially a problem with alopecia areata (hair loss due to inflammation and associated with chronic stress). You are struggling to cope with various problems and suddenly you feel self-conscious because you fear people are starring at the bald spot on your head.

Hair Loss is Difficult for a Woman

Woman brushing hair and worryingHair is an intimate part of most women’s identity.

Women especially are apt to feel that their hair is part of who they are.

People with alopecia areata can experience lower self-esteem and even depression over their hair loss.

If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed from your stress related hair loss, you may want to consider professional counseling. Talking things over with a sympathetic professional trained in teaching coping skills can be a great relief. Joining a support group and talking about your hair loss with others experiencing the same problem can also help you feel less alone.

Some people feel better wearing a hat or a wig to cover their hair loss, while others feel uncomfortable doing so. Wearing a properly fitting hat or hairpiece will not make alopecia worse nor will it help your hair grow in faster. The choice is yours; do which ever you feel most comfortable doing.

Natural Treatments for Hair Loss

Fortunately, efforts which support your general health can help reduce stress-induced hair loss.

General Good Health Guidelines:

Telogen effluvium hair loss results from a one-time stressful event. Usually it does not need treatment. Just as is true after any illness, injury or surgery, your recovery can be promoted by a healthy lifestyle. This hair loss should resolve itself as you get well.

During recovery from any one-time stressor make sure you get adequate rest. Eat properly, getting adequate complex carbs and protein to rebuild your body’s resources. Enjoy relaxing activities such as listening to music or meditating and ask your doctor about an appropriate exercise program. Exercise is a stress reducer as well as a strength builder.

To recover from alopecia areata, incorporate all of the healthy living guidelines, (rest, nutrition, enjoyment and exercise) but also reduce your stress. You must reduce the source of the inflammation to improve your hair.

Supplements:

If you are suffering from alopecia areata, you will also benefit from good nutrition and stress reduction. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna and salmon, can help. Some nutritionists recommend taking a B vitamin complex supplement; we need B vitamins to help our bodies deal with stress.

Another supplement recommended for hair loss is zinc, although there is some controversy. Some people feel that too much zinc can lead to copper deficiency; and copper deficiency can lead to hair loss. Others believe that zinc helps stimulate hair growth. Most experts believe the best strategy is eating a healthy balanced diet so that you won’t need supplements.

Aromatherapy:

Other natural remedies for stress related hair loss include aromatherapy. In a double-blind study at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland, essential oils were found to improve alopecia areata in 44% of the group.

Hair Loss Blend #1

  • 4 drops rosemary
  • 4 drops thyme
  • 4 drops lavender
  • 4 drops cedarwood

Put 5 drops of this solution in 20 drops of olive, grapeseed or fractionated coconut oil. Massage this into your scalp before sleep nightly.

If this blend does not work, try these others:

Hair Loss Blend #2

  • 10 drops cedarwood
  • 8 drops rosemary
  • 10 drops sandalwood
  • 10 drops lavender

Hair Loss Blend #3

  • 3 drops rosemary
  • 5 drops lavender
  • 4 drops cypress
  • 2 drops clary sage
  • 2 drops juniper

Add 10 drops of either blend to 1 tsp of fractionated coconut oil and massage into your scalp, especially where it is balding before bed. If you can buy all the oils, try alternating the blends.

If putting these oils in your hair before bed sounds messy, put them in your hair before exercise. When you are done, you will shower and the oil will be gone. In fact, you can add 2-4 drops of these oil mixtures to 1-2 tsp. of your shampoo for extra treatment.

If you can buy only one oil, I would start with Rosemary. Other single oils which may relieve your stress related hair loss are Lavender, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Clary Sage.

Reduce Inflammation

Because alopecia areata is a disease of inflammation, I can not stress enough that inflammation is where you should start. No amount of topical treatment will help, if your immune system continues on red-alert.

Reducing inflammation is a multifaceted task involving nutrition (eating whole foods, less acidic foods, and balanced meals), reducing stress, reducing the toxins you take in, and cleansing the toxins that have accumulated in your system.

Reduce Stress and Enjoy Full Hair

If your stress related hair loss does not immediately respond to treatment, take heart. By reducing your stress, you are taking the first step toward better health, and better hair.

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Stress Management and Yoga–Sisters for Your Health

A woman doing yoga for relaxation--triangle poseExercise is a great tool for stress management and yoga offers great benefits to your exercise plan. Find out why every stress management plan should include yoga.

Stress Management and Yoga: What does Yoga do for Stress Relief?

Everyone says yoga is good for stress. But why? What does yoga actually do that can relieve stress?

Yoga provides many benefits to your body, mind and emotions. Some of the benefits mirror other forms of exercise, but yoga goes beyond just exercise.

Yoga is detoxing.

Want to sweat the toxins out? Want to move the muscles, work the lymph system, increase circulation? Yoga will move toxins. Poses with twists will stimulate digestion. All poses will open the energy channels in your body to move your prana, your life force.

Yoga is a master at detoxing the body. When we are under stress, we don’t eat right, we don’t care for ourselves, and we accumulate the harmful biochemicals of stress. We must work extra hard to keep cleaning our system to prevent disease.

Keeping your body detoxed is vital for stress management. And yoga is a great tool for detoxing.

One form of yoga which is renown for detoxing is Bikram Yoga. You do you entire yoga sequence in a room that is 95-100ยบ You get a little sweaty by the end!

Yoga provides stretching.

Yoga is known for stretching. Just mention yoga and people picture sore groins and back bends. And when it comes to reversing the effects of stress, stretching is good.

When you are stressed, you protect yourselves by getting tight. You knot your muscles and tend to close your shoulders into a tight “C”. Often you may sit a lot, and your hips loose movement.

Stretching increases circulation. Moving feels good. It opens your mind to new possibilities. This is the best of yoga and stress relief follows naturally.

Yoga increases oxygen levels.

Every time you inhale and exhale with your pose, you are bringing oxygen to your body.

Try this: the next stressful day you have, notice how you are breathing. Are you breathing into your whole being or just part? Are you breathing deeply or shallowly?

Your body has a very brief lapse into the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest) phase with every exhalation. Machines which can monitor even the briefest change in heart beats notice that the heart slows minutely with each breath.

Yoga gives you air.

Air helps you relax.

Yoga releases serotonin

Have you noticed that after a good yoga class you feel euphoric?

The is the effect of the hormone serotonin. It calms your body and brings your stress level down. Anything you can do to reduce the cortisol and increase serotonin will help heal your body from the wear and tear of stress.

Reducing your cortisol levels is important to stress management and yoga is great to do that.

Yoga quiets the mind.

Gaining mental clarity and mindfulness is the top reason to use yoga for stress management.

When you first begin yoga, you may feel agitated. “I can’t do this.” “This pose is hard.” “Where do I put my foot?” Corpse pose, which is just lying on your back with your eyes closed, can be tortuous as you fight to keep the grocery list out of your mind.

But as with all things, with practice it gets easier. You can master your mind. You become quieter.

Eventually you can begin to apply the same quietness to your life outside the yoga studio. It is as if you have trained a wild horse and now you can ride together with discipline and beauty.

Yoga provides aerobics

–sometimes.

Aerobic activity is good to reduce stress. Getting your heart beating has many benefits including lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, boosting your mood, and increasing your immune system.

Yoga is generally not considered an aerobic activity with one notable exception: vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa is the word for a dynamic series of yoga poses, one after another in succession, usually accompanied by specific breath patterns. The most famous vinyasa series is the Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations. Almost everyone has seen some version of this yoga series. When done one after another, with no break, the series can definitely get your heart beating.

Some yoga styles which use vinyasa series a lot: Power yoga, ashtanga yoga, Jivamukti, Kali Ray TriYoga, and White Lotus.

Woman doing a handstand for stress reliefYoga provides strength training

–sorta.

Strength building and weight lifting is great to move your muscles, reduce muscle tension, increase range of motion. Building your core can help protect your back from injury. Building your strength can also boost your confidence.

Again, yoga is generally not thought of as strength building (at least not in the context of lifting weights). Rarely do you see a ripped yogi.

However, when it comes to balance and internal strength, I would match a good yogi with a weight lifter any day.

For women, strength can be a challenge. This is particularly true with upper body strength. Because yoga is primarily about alignment, it is a perfect solution.

In yoga, proper alignment relies on stacking the bones correctly so that the weight of the body is supported. Strength is only needed to maintain alignment.

When a strong person does a hand stand, often they will hold their bodies up with the strength in the shoulders and upper back. If you stand sideways and look at their body, their back is not directly above their arms because their shoulders are not fully open.

A weaker person with good alignment can do a handstand by having open shoulders, and holding good alignment.

Yoga does build strength, and it does help protect your body from injury, but it operates very differently from the “3 sets of 15 reps @15 lbs” mentality.

If you want to work directly on strength, poses like plank, crane, warrior, and handstand do build strength. But even more important, all yoga poses improve alignment and build strength through good form.

Stress management and yoga are a natural fit. You will benefit physically and mentally by adopting a regular yoga practice.

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More Stress in Women than Men

As a woman and a mother, you juggle the needs of many people and the many roles you play. Whether or not you work outside the home, your job is not done at 5:00pm; nor is it done at 9:00 when the kids go to bed. You work from rising to sleeping. And throughout your days, you face repeated stressful events.

Women’s stress is frequent and constant. Now there is a study to prove it. The University of Arizona, Tucson did a study of 166 married couples. The people in the study kept a daily diary for 42 days, recording their daily events and stress.

The study concluded that stress in women is higher than in men.

The results make an important distinction, however. Women are more stressed because they experience more episodes of distress and not because they carry their distress from one day to the next.

This is an important insight into women’s stress. I think it reflects some of the differences in how men and women are wired.

  • Women multi-task. Women juggle so many roles and duties that they bump into stressful situations more often. Instead of starting one thing and completing it to the end, you have many priorities at once and this is bound to create conflicts.
    • Perhaps one conclusion is that women need to muti-task less. Would stress in women decrease if you completed one task fully before starting the next? Stop calling the dentist while driving to the grocery store. Say no to volunteering at church and stop splitting yourself into many little parts.
    The other conclusion is that even though you multi-task, can you learn to focus your attention on what you are doing now, and not worry about what is coming next. How many times do you plan what you will do after dinner, while you are making dinner? Be busy, but be busy with one thing at a time. Keep your attention single pointed.
  • Women let go of distress but they have lots of stressors. According to this study, women’s stress was caused by many stressful events one after the other; it was not caused by carrying stress from one event to the next. So women let go of an event when it happens, but there is always another one down the line.

Could this study reflect how unsupported many women are in their everyday lives? Few women have a community of family or friends which help them everyday. Often you shoulder the burdens of your children and spouses alone. Maybe women are stressed because they need more help?

The study goes to great length to discuss whether women’s stress is caused by their different gender role from men or because they process distress differently, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. As a woman, you need to find the ways which create peace in your life.

Stress in women is high. You carry a big responsibility to your family, friends and loved ones. It is important to make your well-being as important as the well-being of the people you care for.

Find peace for the benefit of everyone you love.

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Stress and Health–How are they Related?

Woman smiling with good health
Modern life is stressful.

Cell phones everywhere, long commutes, dozens of after-school activities, caring for parents, jobs, bills… The list is long.

The list is so long that we have begun to think that stress is normal. Stress is acceptable. And we should all cope with stress valiantly.

In fact, people who refuse work because they are “too busy” are sometimes viewed as lazy.

But do our bodies agree with this social norm?

The evidence says, “NO”. Stress takes its toll.

High stress and good health do not usually exist hand in hand.

Conditions often linked with stress:

  • Heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and other circulatory problems
  • Gastrointestinal problems including constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating and weight-gain or loss
  • Immune system suppression
  • Skin conditions
  • Conditions associated with inflammation
  • Low libido
  • Headaches
  • Back aches

Too often we let stress run rampant and don’t address the toll on our body until it is very late.

Find out how stress and health are linked and natural ways to prevent illness.

Stress and Health:

Acne:

Insomnia:

High Blood Pressure:

  • Stress and High Blood Pressure: Is it inevitable to end up with hypertension if you have stress? And how do you relieve the high blood pressure naturally?

Asthma:

  • Asthma and Stress: Asthma and Stress can cycle together, each making the other worse. Learn how to improve your symptoms naturally and breathe easy.

Hair:

Sore Muscles:

Digestion: