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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Improving your Sleep and Relaxation Naturally

There are many ways to improve your sleep and relaxation that are natural and healthy. Obviously, the first step to alleviate your stress related insomnia is to reduce stress. But once you can’t sleep, try these ideas to get your rest and feel refreshed.

Nine Ways to Get to Sleep

  1. Pretend you are sleeping. When you have sleep problems, remain lying down with your eyes closed. Pay particular attention to the wonderful night noises and give thanks for being awake and blessed with experiencing the night.

    Do you Listen to the ‘Experts’?

    Many experts advise getting up when you can’t sleep and doing some quiet activity. “There’s no point in tossing and turning,” they say.

    I have found this advise to be silly and this tip is the exact opposite. Experiment. See which works for you.

    Staying down is directly opposite advice that many specialists give, but in the morning, I find that I was not really as awake as I thought. I was actually dosing off and on all night and by staying down, I could take advantage of my little naps. I have also observed this in other people when they say “I was awake all night”.

    If you get up, you are definitely not sleeping and will be tired in the morning. Try pretending you are asleep and see if you can grab a few winks.

    2. Woman needing sleep and stress relief

  2. Intend to tire your body. If you must get out of bed, do it with the intention of tiring your body for rest.

    Working at night is fine if you enjoy it, but with insomnia, your goal should be sleep and relaxation. Don’t get to work on your to-do list, and don’t get sucked into a movie you have always wanted to watch. Your purpose is to tire your body and get back to bed. Do a quiet activity only until you can sleep again.
  3. Keep a pen and paper next to the bed. When your mind is racing or creativity is flowing, keep a pen and paper next to the bed in an easily reachable place. If you have a “to do” thought, write it down, but keep your eyes closed. Do not turn on the light. Stay sleepy but write down your thought and erase it from your mind.

    When creativity is flowing, and a great story idea or poem scrolls through your head, write it down too. If possible, write it down in the dark and make an effort to lie back down right away and go to sleep. Try not to fully awaken.
  4. Child’s Pose. This advice for sleep and relaxation was born when I was pregnant and insomnia because my belly was too big. Lie in your bed in the yoga pose “child’s pose” until you fall asleep. This pose never fails.

    There is one caution: this method is only for very fit people. When you fall asleep in child’s pose, your circulation to your legs is cut off. Eventually you wake up slightly and roll over, but your legs tingle and burn as the circulation returns. If you have circulation problems, don’t try this technique.
  5. Homeopathy. Homeopathy works great for improving your sleep and relaxation. Hyland’s makes an excellent sleep remedy called Calms Forte (affiliate link).

    Homeopathy is based on the idea of “like cures like.” When you take a remedy of a plant which can cause symptoms like insomnia, it will cure insomnia. In Western medicine, this a bit similar to how vaccines work, but with homeopathy the doses are incredibly minute, so dilute that they are almost nonexistent. Homeopathy is safe and very effective.

    You can find Calms Forte at most health food stores that sell homeopathy.
  6. Drink warm milk. Milk has calcium which can help you sleep and relaxation. Plus grandmothers have been advising this for years. I find it works well. Try adding a little vanilla extract for flavor. You may find this better than teas because it doesn’t make you pee right away.
  7. Herbal remedies. There are many herbal remedies, teas, supplements and tinctures which can help your sleep and relaxation. Try chamomile, catnip, hops, kava kava, valerian or passionflower. If you don’t know what to try first, go to the health food store and see which remedy pops out to you. Often your intuition is the best guide.
  8. Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone which naturally occurs in your body. This remedy is particularly suggested when your sleep problems are due to a disruption in your regular sleep schedule. If you have worked late or have jet lag, try melatonin. Take the supplement 30 minutes before bed.
  9. Ignore your mind. Sometimes your thoughts are so busy marching around in your head that you can’t sleep or relax.

    Practice ignoring them.

    Notice when your thoughts take you to your typical story, the same old dialogue, your regular worries. When you see this pattern direct your attention back to the quiet of the night.

    Notice how your feet feel. You can not be able to simultaneously feel your body and fret. It is likely that you will have to repeat this over and over, just like teaching a child, but eventually, you will become more skilled at keeping your thoughts quiet.

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Troubles Sleeping for Women in Bad Marriages

Women in happy marriages get good sleep. Sleeping for women in unhappy marriages–not so much. How can insomnia help you improve your marriage and your life?

Woman with stress and insomniaWomen in happy marriages were 10% more likely to get a good night’s sleep than women with unhappy marriages concluded a recent study by Wendy M. Troxel, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Wendy reviewed questionnaires from 2000 women who participated in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). The women reported on their sleep quality (how often they had trouble falling asleep, if they stayed asleep, and how early they woke up) and the quality of their marriage.

The women with happy marriages had less trouble getting to sleep, were more likely to stay asleep, had fewer sleep complaints and had more restful sleep. Sleeping for women in unhappy marriages was not as good.

Is it a surprise that poor marriages and poor sleep go together?

…After all, these women are in bed with the person they are not happy with.

…After all, relationships are very important to many women and relationship issues are bound to trouble women.

…After all, an unhappy marriage is bound to increase stress.

Wendy points out that her study does not examine which comes first–the bad marriage or the bad sleep, but only that poor sleeping and women in unhappy marriages go hand in hand.

While this study comes dangerously close to stating something so intuitively obvious that it doesn’t need stating, there is a deeper point you can learn.

Too often we look at the pieces of our lives and forget the big picture. No doubt some of these women have gone to doctors with sleep issues and have received medication for insomnia. No doubt some of these women attribute their sleep problems to the many stresses (besides their marriage) in their lives.

But at the core, these women are not happy in their marriage. And some of them are not happy at all.

If you view the symptoms of your health as clues to your deeper needs, then insomnia becomes an opportunity to ask, “What is really going on with me?”

If you view the symptoms of your health as clues to your deeper needs, then insomnia becomes an opportunity to ask, “What is really going on with me?” Instead of shouldering your stressful life unquestioningly, look at your health and assume that you most likely, barring the whims of fate, would be healthy. If you can’t sleep at night, then ask why not?

It is hard to look at your life without blinking, and as a woman, harder still to face the cold realities of a troubled marriage. But in doing so, and accepting what is really happening, you become free to both improve your relationship, and get a good night’s sleep.

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Good Sleep and Stress Relief with Aromatherapy

Having a good sleep and stress relief are both possible with aromatherapy. Essential oils are excellent and soothing the nervous system. Find out which oils are best to start with and have a great sleep.

Insomnia is the poster child of aromatherapy.

Lavender bundleIf any condition has been studied and restudied to see the affects of essential oils, it is insomnia, and the oil of the day is lavender.

However, as effective as lavender is to promote a good night’s sleep, there are many other oils which can be equally beneficial to relieving sleep disorders.

Why Can’t you Sleep?

The first factor to look at with sleep disorders is the root cause of the insomnia.

Can the cause be corrected by a behavioral change (eating earlier in the day, reducing alcohol or caffeine consumption, etc.)?

Are your sleep problems resulting from a physiological imbalance? Physiological imbalances may include decreased melatonin production, a natural result of aging, excessive stress, depression, long term use of some medications, chronic pain, etc.

If there is a cause below the insomnia, then it is always best to address that cause in addition to the insomnia.

To begin, assess your daily routines and make any behavioral changes which make sleep as easy as possible. Exercise, eat early in the evening, avoid stimulants, etc. Make everything in your bedroom ready to suggest sleep, so put away any work, business materials or anything that stimulates your mind.

Want Excellent Sleep and Stress Relief?

Choose one of the following oils and give it a try. If it doesn’t give you relief, then try the next one. Aromatherapy gives quick results, so suffering night after night, hoping that an oil will work will not usually change the results. Each body is different so you may need to find the oil especially suited to you.

  • Lavender. Lavender is the first oil to try for both sleep and stress relief. It has been used for centuries for insomnia. Try putting a few drops on a tissue next to your pillow and see if your sleep improves.
  • Chamomile. Chamomile has been used for a long time to soothe children. It is calming and relaxing and combats depression and stress.
  • Jasmine. Jasmine is technically an “absolute” and not an essential oil. Interestingly, the flowers must be picked at night for maximum fragrance. Jasmine is used for anxiety, depression and insomnia, as well as just because it smells nice.
  • Melissa. Melissa has been used to heal the heart or the emotions. It is calming and uplifting and balances the emotions. If you can’t sleep because your heart is aching, give Melissa a try.
  • Valerian. Valerian is widely recognized as a mild sedative and sleep-aid, including by the German Commission E, a German government regulatory agency that has studied herbs for efficacy and safety. For many nervous conditions, you can try valerian.
  • Peace & Calming blend. This is a marvelous blend which smells delicious (it contains tangerine) and both uplifts and calms. I diffuse this blend in my massage room before giving a massage to create a restful environment. This blend is often used with overactive pets and children because it is so lovely and effective. Rub a drop or two on your arms and chest and smell it as you sleep.
  • Dream Catcher blend. This blend helps open you for creative dreams while inhibiting negative ones. I would try this blend if my sleep was not satisfying. Use Dream Catcher to stimulate creativity while sleeping.

How to Use Essential Oils to Improve Sleep and Stress Relief

There are several ways to use these oils to improve your sleep and stress relief. You can inhale the aroma by putting a drop on a tissue near your bed, or using a diffuser. Any way you can enjoy the scent will bring the relaxing effects to your body. Inhalation is most recommended for emotional support.

You can also use the oils topically. Rub a drop or two on your palms and then rub it on your arms. You can put a drop on your chest so that you smell it during the night. If you want the benefits of the oil, but you don’t want to smell it, rub some on the soles of your feet. The oils can penetrate your skin and soothe your nerves.

Aromatherapy can be used for emotional, spiritual and physical relief of all your stress symptoms. You can use them everyday for many common tasks. Anytime you inhale the oils, you receive the benefits of them.

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The Effects of Stress

Business woman showing the effects of stress.When you are under stress, the effects of stress seem immediate in your body. Your neck gets tense, you get a headache, and you can’t sleep.

But this is just the surface. Inside your body, the hormones released under chronic stress begin a cycle of destruction on your tissues which leads to illness and disease. Heart disease, digestion difficulties, high blood pressure and lowered immunity are just some of the conditions which are associated with chronic stress.

Moving outside your body, stress impacts your role as mother by creating anxiety and impatience. Brain fog, irritability and exhaustion are all effects of stress. And of course, these same symptoms affect your work, and your marriage.

I first understood the effects of chronic stress when I realized that I was yelling at my children unfairly. I was extremely harsh and unyielding; I gave crazy punishments for very small upsets.

I had started a health program using essential oils and other supplements to improve my eyesight but when my body began to heal, the yelling stopped. It was only then that I realized that stress had been a monster puppeteer which directed me to do and say things which I didn’t mean.

I also discovered how effective essential oil were in healing my body and balancing my moods from the effects of stress.

Stress taxes marriages, family relations, employment and all social interaction. And one researcher who has found that stress in a pregnant mothers can increase the likelihood of asthma in her unborn baby, calls stress a “poison”.

Find out about the effects of stress, but don’t stop there. When you have convinced yourself that you need to stop fighting life, go on the Thoughts of Stress-free Living, and Yoga sections. Find ways to reduce your stress permanently and bring peace back to your life.

As a mother, you must be healthy in your body, heart and soul. Many people rely on you and taking care of yourself is gift to yourself and to them.

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:

Stress and Relationships