Insomnia due to stress: what are its symptoms and how to combat it?

This type of trouble sleeping well can take a heavy toll on the health of stressed people.

Insomnia due to stress is one of the main health problems that many people many people face in their day-to-day lives. It is a type of sleep disturbance that has a direct impact on both the wear and tear on the body and the risk of making mistakes and being exposed to risk on a daily basis, and this situation, in turn, can increase stress, which makes the situation worse.

In this article we will see both tips on how to combat stress insomnia and the typical symptoms of this disorder.

Stress insomnia: how does it appear?

At the moment of going to sleep and falling asleep, our perception on the possible dangers or problems that lie in wait for us. is of great importance. If there is something that makes us think that we are in a vulnerable situation, the nervous system will tend to remain in a state of alert, as this makes it more likely that we will seek a solution immediately.

Unfortunately, in Western societies, problems do not usually have to do with scanning the environment for nearby resources or safe places to turn to, but rather have to do with more abstract goals and many intermediate steps. For example, passing an exam next week, or reconciling with a person who lives far away.

So, at bedtime, it is not always practical to feel that restlessness, and the only thing to do is to try to fall asleep.. It is in these cases when the less mable face of this mechanism of adaptation to the environment appears: stress insomnia.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of stress insomnia are the appearance of intrusive thoughts and mental images that arise in our consciousness over and over again, difficulties in finding a posture in which we feel comfortable, the impossibility of disengaging our focus from a particular subject, and in extreme cases, the tremors of stress.and, in extreme cases, tremors due to causes unrelated to temperature.

In other cases, insomnia due to stress not only manifests itself when trying to fall asleep, but also causes us to wake up in the middle of the night. waking up in the middle of the night without feeling particularly sleepy and not wanting to stay in bed. and not wanting to stay in bed.

Of course, these signs should not be related to illness or having gone to sleep at a late hour, as these are factors that have a clear impact on how we sleep in the short term.

What to do to get back to sleep?

Here are several tips you can follow to start getting quality sleep and, in general, to feel better.

1. Give yourself a margin

It is important to value your own health and not make it seem that the lack of sleep is something circumstantial or a simple source of discomfort. Not facing the problem makes it easier for it to worsen and become bigger day by day.

So, momentarily break away from those responsibilities that are not clearly urgent and dedicate a day just to get back into the swing of getting a good night's sleep. This means missing out on a number of things on the first day, but in exchange create situations conducive to giving the most of ourselves in the weeks to come. during the weeks to come. Once the stress insomnia is gone, we will be much more efficient at our tasks and will waste less time.

2. Avoid using screens in the evening

During the hours before going to sleep, try to avoid exposing yourself to bright lights and screens. In this way, your nervous system will not remain activated as it would during daylight hours..

3. Do sports in the morning

Sport is a good way to relieve some of the stress, and in that sense it is a good resource to use. However, avoid at all costs to practice it a few hours before dinner, or after. Otherwise, your body will still be very active when you try to fall asleep.

4. Do not take stimulants

Whatever happens, avoid taking any substance that significantly activates your nervous system, such as coffee.

5. Practice relaxation exercises

By resorting to these simple exercises from time to time, you will help to keep your stress levels from rising too high. In them, you will work especially with your focus of attention and breathing patterns. The latter will help you to oxygenate yourself better with less effort.You will be giving reasons for your nervous system not to stay on alert.

6. Make sure your bed is comfortable

It seems obvious, but many times we worsen sleeping problems by pretending to fall asleep in a bed that is not prepared in the right way, or in a place that is not even designed to be slept in.

So make sure that the place is big enough to stretch out in, that the sheets are suitable for the temperature you're in, and that there are no objects that limit your mobilityKeep in mind that you will be changing position many times during your sleep.