9 million people have experienced or will experience depression in their lifetime. This means that one in seven people report experiencing symptoms of stress and anxiety on a daily basis, which often lead to trouble sleeping and insomnia.
How does stress affect sleep?
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder caused by stress. Insomnia is defined as a constant difficulty falling asleep, maintaining or improving the overall quality of sleep.
People with insomnia experience excessive sleepiness during the day, fatigue , irritability, and other disturbances when awake. According to modern estimates, 10-30% of adults suffer from insomnia.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a condition that prevents you from falling asleep or staying asleep after falling asleep.
There are different types of insomnia:
Acute insomnia
doesn't last long and is usually caused by something going on in your life, such as having trouble at school with your child.
People with chronic or prolonged insomnia have problems sleeping at least three times a week for three months or more.
chronic insomnia
is due to poor sleep habits, shift work, various illnesses and certain medications.
Stressors can be a major cause of chronic insomnia, such as
- Problems or dissatisfaction at work
- Divorce and other marital or family difficulties
- The death of a loved one
- Serious illness or injury
- Critical life changes
Not everyone develops chronic insomnia due to constant stress, but people with anxiety disorders are at a higher risk of developing insomnia symptoms.
Additionally, changes in sleep patterns due to life events or changes can also lead to insomnia.
This increases daily stress, which in turn worsens the symptoms of insomnia.
Other everyday disorders associated with insomnia can cause or contribute to stress:
- feeling tired and uncomfortable
- Difficulty concentrating
- Deterioration of social, family and professional relationships
- Irritability and mood swings
- Hyperactivity, aggression, impulsivity and other behavioral problems
- Decreased energy and motivation
If a person has had symptoms of insomnia for less than three months, the condition is called short-term insomnia.
Just as chronic stress can cause chronic insomnia, acute stressors can cause short-term symptoms of insomnia.
The short-term symptoms of insomnia may begin to dissipate once the stressful situation is over and the acute stress subsides.
However, some people fall into a vicious pattern of sleep loss and day-to-day anxiety, which eventually turns into chronic insomnia .
In addition to insomnia, chronic stress can lead to sleep apnea .
This sleep disorder can cause episodes of severe snoring and choking, as well as excessive daytime sleepiness and other disturbances during the day.
High blood pressure , heart disease, diabetes , and other illnesses that can often be attributed to stress are predisposing factors for sleep apnea.
Being overweight is also considered a major risk factor. Like insomnia, sleep apnea can exacerbate stress by disrupting your sleep and leaving you feeling tired during the day.
Does sleep help fight stress?
Getting enough sleep each night can relieve stress quite effectively. Unfortunately, good sleep can be hard to come by if you're stressed, especially if sleep issues are a major source of your daily worries.
There are other steps you can take to reduce stress. These include regular exercise and maintaining a healthy support network from friends and family. However, keeping stress away often requires enough sleep.
Here are some ways to lower anxiety levels:
Exercise regularly
Working out also releases endorphins, hormones that can improve your mood. Yoga is one of the best ways to relax. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, such as running or swimming, each week.
Try meditation
spend time during the day and before bed sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing. Just inhale and exhale thinking of a peaceful place or setting, like the beach at sunset.
Make a to-do list
Organize your thoughts by creating a to-do list and prioritize what needs to be done and when. This alone can help ease any anxiety you might feel about forgetting something important. Break larger tasks down into smaller steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
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Talk to someone you trust
talking to a family member, friend or therapist can calm you down; you might even get a new perspective on what's on your mind.
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How to Sleep When You're Stressed
Managing stress is the key to good sleep, and how you handle stress can depend on your daily lifestyle.
In addition to eating a balanced diet and exercising during the week, you can relieve stress with controlled breathing and other relaxation techniques.
A healthy work-life balance is also important, as is your ability to productively " relieve " stress in the situations that cause it, and not at other times.
Sleep hygiene tips include:
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Keep a fixed schedule
it is important to keep the same sleeping and waking times (even on weekends) to regulate your circadian rhythm.
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Take a wise nap
short naps, in moderation, can actually improve your mood, performance, and alertness. If you need a nap, make sure it's early in the afternoon and no longer than 30 minutes.
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Test devices with white noise sounds
city traffic and other loud noises can keep you from falling asleep and wake you up at night once you've fallen asleep.
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Avoid stimulants
like coffee, nicotine, and screen use can activate your brain and keep you awake at night. Avoid caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m., or six hours before bedtime.
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Turn off your devices
laptops, tablets, smart phones and televisions at least one hour before bedtime. Also stay away from alcohol, which can put you to sleep at first, but can interfere with sleep quality and keep you up all night.
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Only use your bedroom for sleeping and having sex
“Avoid things like working in the bedroom” If you can't fall asleep within 15 minutes, head to another room to read until you feel tired.
Keep your bedroom cool and dark It's easier to fall asleep and stay asleep if your bedroom is cool and dark. Set your thermostat between 16 and 19 degrees. Put blinds or curtains that block out the light from outside.
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Cannabidiol can help you get back to sleep?
We've heard a lot about CBD oil, with some companies claiming that their products can work as some sort of miracle sleep potion.
In truth, there is scientific evidence to suggest that CBD can have a positive impact on sleep patterns.
This is good news for people with insomnia, but how accurate are the claims made by CBD companies?
Is CBD really the ultimate cure for insomnia, or much of what you've read is just exaggerated?
It is estimated that around 1/4 of French people complain of lack of sleep, especially on working days, and that 1/3 report suffering from sleep disorders.
Over the past few years, several important studies have been published suggesting that CBD may have potential to help restore sleep patterns.
One such study , for example, found that CBD reduced anxiety in 79% of test subjects and also had a short-term positive impact on sleep. Another even claimed that CBD had potential to improve hyperactivity and sleep activity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
That said, it would still be irresponsible to conclude whether CBD can really work as a “miracle” sleeping pill.
All we can do at this point is review the available research and draw our best conclusions.
Here are some of the most important studies that have been conducted in recent decades on cannabis use and sleep.
Research on the effects of CBD on insomnia and sleep problems
- 2017 Preliminary research on cannabis and insomnia suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of insomnia. CBD may also show promise for REM sleep behavior disorders, as well as excessive daytime sleepiness.
- 2016 Due to its anxiolytic properties and the fact that CBD can help combat anxiety, the active compound may be effective in regulating sleep stability
How CBD Affects Sleep
If you've ever done your own research on CBD for sleep, you won't be surprised to learn that it doesn't work the way regular sleeping pills do. In fact, some studies have suggested that it may actually be a mild stimulant.
So how could CBD work to get a good night's sleep back?
CBD is a 100% natural product present in the cannabis plant. This is called a “phytocannabinoid”. This means that it belongs to a class of plant-derived molecules that interact with endocannabinoid receptors in the human body.
These receptors belong to the body's endocannabinoid system , or ECS, which is responsible for many internal homeostatic functions.
As humans, each of us produces endocannabinoids - even if we've never used cannabis before in our lives.
Among other things, SEC receptors have been shown to influence things like mood, depression, anxiety, appetite, and even pain and inflammation.
When there is a deficiency in the amount of natural endocannabinoids in the body, one might suspect that one (or all) of these systems may be out of sync.
CBD as a sleep-promoting agent?
CBD oil appears to work by interacting with a network of receptors, proteins, and other chemicals in the brain and peripheral tissues. This network is involved in many internal systems and plays a role in things like anxiety and sleep-wake cycles.
there is evidence that CBD may involve an inherent physiological action in obtaining a quality and healthy night's sleep.
Speaking of anxiety in particular, we know it's one of the most common causes of insomnia and sleep deprivation.
Additionally, we know from user anecdotes that the calming effects of CBD may be able to:
- Increase the overall amount of sleep
- Reduce sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep)
- Improve sleep quality
- Reduces insomnia
How on earth can cannabidiol, which promotes alertness, also provide better sleep?
It turns out that sleep-wake cycles actually depend on how waking we are during the day . If you're a victim of insomnia, you (along with millions of other people) know the feeling of being sleepy, tired, and generally “unwell” during the afternoon.
As you can imagine, this wreaks havoc on your sleep-wake cycles. Getting in and maintaining the non-REM sleep you need at night is nearly impossible.
To fight against insomnia, try our CBD formula Good Dream™!
Suffering from insomnia is not a fatality. as we have seen previously, in most situations insomnia can be solved by means of stress management. But you can also relieve your stress problems thanks to the CBD oil for sleeping specially formulated to reduce your stress and thus reduce your tensions.
