Many of us lead stressful lives. When stress goes unmanaged it can impact numerous different areas of our lives, this includes sleep. When we lay down at night and are unable to stop our thoughts from racing from one topic to the next it can be difficult to relax enough to sleep. Even once we finally do fall asleep it can be difficult to have a restful slumber.
Racing Thoughts
One of the biggest obstacles to a restful night of sleep is the inability to turn our thoughts off and wind down. We may be exhausted from the day but still unable to relax enough to peacefully drift off to sleep. Even worse, we may wake up feeling as if we hardly rested at all. A large part of getting quality sleep is the ability to relax and drift into a deep sleep. We may need to add a few enjoyable and relaxing activities to our pre-sleep routine like playing with NFL cornhole boards.
The Impact on the Body
Sleep deprived stressed individuals often have weakened immune systems as a result, making them more prone to sickness. A lack of sleep also impacts memory, muscle repair, and the way we feel. The impact on your physical health can be responsible for that cold you can’t seem to kick or that nasty scratch that seems to be taking a long time to heal. Stress and sleep can wreak havoc on your body and make it difficult for your internal army to take care of your body well.
The Sleepless Anywhere and Everywhere Cycle
Perhaps the scariest part about the impact that stress can have on sleep is the cycle of sleepless nights that can spring from stress that goes unresolved. Those two nights of tossing and turning can easily turn into a month long struggle with very little shut eye. Bleak huh? The only true answer is to utilize techniques that allow you to wind down at night so that your mind is free enough to enjoy a relaxing night of rest.
To live is to experience stress. We must learn to manage and sometimes eliminate stress in order to keep our lives healthy and get the rest we need. This means calming those racing thoughts before we go to sleep. This also means putting steps in place to prevent those sleepless nights from expanding into sleepless months. Our wholes lives depend upon our ability to adequately care for our own health and wellness.
