Conquer Stress and Master

Sleep for a Richer Life

OCTOBER 9, 2014
Its no secret that when someone is tired, motivation and mood suffer
and stress becomes more difficult to cope with. Feeling stressed may
also make it harder for a person to get a good nights sleep, which can
create a vicious cycle.
Prioritizing healthy sleep habits and awareness of stress-management
skills can help propel people to succeed in multiple ways, whether
their goals are in business, academics or even fitness.
Staying well-rested not only can improve mood but can also keep people
healthier, improve performance and cognition and boost coping and
problem solving.
Keep reading to learn how to achieve balance and cultivate success by
prioritizing sleep and dealing with stress more effectively.
Related: 3 TED Talks That Will Convince You to Get More Sleep

Why sleep should be a top priority

Sleep often gets pushed aside by busy people. Dealing with a stressful
schedule can make it harder to receive enough quality rest.
It might feel sometimes like those extra two hours could be better spent
working toward goals than wasted in dreamland, but the truth is that

long-term sleep deprivation can result in significant cognitive and

physical impairment.
An adult needs on average seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, however, 30 percent
of American workers receive only six hours a night or less.
For a Surrey University study exploring mild sleep deprivation,
researchers allowed participants about six hours of sleep a night for one
week. After just seven days, they found more than 700 instances of
changes in genes related to circadian rhythms and metabolism in
addition to suppressed immune response and increased inflammation.
According to the Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation book by the
National Institutes of Health, a lack of sleep affects motivation and
moods, decision-making abilities, cognition, attention, creativity and
analytical thinking, memory and learning. It increases the likelihood of
errors and accidents as well as the risk of obesity, diabetes and
cardiovascular disease. It also impairs the immune system.
When all these effects are considered, sleep deprivation clearly has a
significant impact on people's ability to work toward their goals and
perform at their best. Personally, I've found that staying healthy and
keeping sleep and work in balance helps me avoid mental burnout. A
reduced risk for illness also means perhaps less time will be taken
away from achieving goals.
Related: 8 Ways to Drive Entrepreneurial Stress Out From Your Life

Strategies for managing stress

For many people stress and anxiety serve as sleep stealers. Many
individuals experience temporary insomnia before a big meeting or when
dealing with a pressing issue.
When it becomes habitual for someone to experience stress at night,
though, this can create bigger sleep problems. And the lack of sleep can
make it more difficult for the person to manage the stressors that can
lead to frustration, anger, lack of motivation and more stress.
One of the best ways I've found to avoid stress-related sleep problems is
to practice techniques for calming down and tuning out before bed.
A few stress-management strategies that have been found effective
include deep breathing, visualization, music relaxation, progressive
muscle relaxation and regular exercise. Many of these methods can be
used at any time of the day and can also be helpful for falling asleep.
Deep breathing is a way to invoke physical relaxation and calm the
bodys stress response. The Harvard Medical Schools Family Health
Guide website suggests sitting or lying down in a comfortable place with
the eyes closed. Start breathing in slowly through the nose, letting the
abdomen fully expand. Then breathe out slowly through the mouth or
nose. The breaths should become progressively deeper. Focus attention
on the very process of breathing or a calming image or phrase.
Visualization or using guided imagery is a proven technique that involves
immersing ones self into an imagined scene. Self-help books, online
videos, recordings and therapists can help people practice this
technique. It involves lying in a comfortable place with closed eyes and
imagining a relaxing scene. The person is guided to see, hear, feel and

smell the surroundings while keeping his or her thoughts on the image
and continuing to relax. An Oxford University study found visualization
helped people fall asleep faster, as well.
Music relaxation involves tuning in to calming music while in a relaxed
state. As with the other techniques, the person begins by lying or sitting
in a comfortable space with eyes closed and breathing calmly. A
University of Nevada, Reno, counseling website says that slow-tempo
music with about 60 beats a minute helps stimulate relaxing brain
waves. The website provides a few samples of appropriate music:
Recommended types include Native American and Celtic music, light
jazz, classical or easy listening music -- whatever can induces a calm
and relaxed state in a listener.
Progressive muscle relaxation involves gradually relaxing each part of
the body. As the American Holistic Nurses Association website explains
in detail, this technique involves tensing a specific group of muscles for
several seconds while breathing in, then relaxing these muscles while
breathing out. The person works on each major muscle group
progressively, from the feet to the head, while focusing fully on releasing
tension and anxiety.
Regular exercise and activity releases mood-boosting chemicals that
help fight stress. According to the American Psychological Association,
people who exercise regularly report less anxiety and depression. The
release of norepinephrine potentially helps the brain moderate stress
responses. Endorphins also provide a short-term mood boost. Another
benefit of regular exercise is that it may improve sleep efficiency and
sleep duration, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Additional possible ways to relax include practicing yoga, doing

meditation or praying, journaling, writing down tomorrows to-do list
or reading -- things that help a person wind down and clear stressful
thoughts.
Things to avoid in the hours before bed include doing work, writing
emails, messaging on social networks, checking bank accounts or
paying bills (or any other activity that might induce stress).
Also avoid stressing about not getting enough sleep. Keep thoughts
positive at night. Rather than saying, I cant believe its already
midnight! Im going to be so tired tomorrow, start an internal dialogue
with something that's more like I will fall asleep and wake up well-rested
tomorrow!
Pairing an emphasis on healthy sleep with effective stress-management
techniques helps prevent emotional and physical exhaustion and keep
the mind in top shape to tackle challenges. By taking care of yourself
and keeping sleep, stress and work balanced, it's possible to
achieve goals and be more successful.