Stress and Poor Sleep

When life feels stressful, sleep is often one of the first things to be affected.

You might struggle to fall asleep, wake during the night or find yourself waking earlier than you wanted. Even after spending hours in bed, you may wake feeling as though you haven’t properly rested.

Then being tired can make an already stressful situation feel even harder.

Why can stress affect sleep?

Stress is part of the body’s response to pressure.

If your mind feels as though there are problems to solve, deadlines to meet or things you need to prepare for, it can be difficult to simply switch everything off because you have gone to bed.

The source of the stress could be obvious, such as:

• pressure at work
• money worries
• caring responsibilities
• relationship or family problems
• moving home
• an accident or illness
• uncertainty about something important
• having too much to do and not enough time.

Sometimes it isn’t one major problem. Lots of smaller pressures can build up until you feel as though you are constantly trying to catch up.

How can poor sleep make stress worse?

Stress and sleep can start feeding into each other.

Pressure during the day → difficulty sleeping → tiredness → everyday things become harder → more pressure → another difficult night.

When you’re tired, you may find it harder to concentrate, make decisions or remain patient.

Tasks can take longer. Small problems can feel more significant. You may have less energy to do the things that normally help you cope.

This doesn’t mean you are failing to manage stress. Being tired simply makes many everyday demands harder to deal with.

What can I do?

It can be tempting to focus entirely on fixing your sleep.

But if stress is contributing to the problem, it may also help to look at what is creating the pressure.

Ask yourself:

What is taking up most of my mental space at the moment?

Then consider whether there is anything practical you can do about it.

That might mean:

• writing down what needs dealing with
• deciding what genuinely needs doing first
• breaking a large problem into smaller steps
• asking somebody for help
• having a conversation you have been avoiding
• putting aside tasks that aren’t currently important
• finding reliable information about something you don’t understand.

You don’t have to solve everything at once.

Sometimes simply identifying the problem and deciding on the next step can make things feel more manageable.

Give your day an ending

When possible, create some separation between the pressures of the day and going to sleep.

That doesn’t have to involve an elaborate bedtime routine.

It could be something as simple as finishing work, writing tomorrow’s tasks down, putting paperwork away, changing clothes, taking a shower, reading or spending a little time doing something you enjoy.

The idea is to give your mind a signal that you are no longer expected to keep solving today’s problems.

Don’t add sleep to your list of pressures

When you’re already stressed, worrying about sleep can become another problem to manage.

You may start calculating how many hours are left before morning or telling yourself that tomorrow will be impossible unless you fall asleep immediately.

Try to avoid making a perfect night’s sleep another target you have to achieve.

One difficult night doesn’t mean the next one will be the same.

When should I get more help?

If stress is becoming difficult to manage, affecting several areas of your life or continuing for a long time, consider seeking additional support.

Similarly, speak to your GP if sleep problems are persistent, significantly affecting everyday life or leaving you regularly exhausted.

Sometimes the most useful starting point isn’t simply asking “How do I sleep better?”

It is asking:

“What is making life feel so stressful at the moment?”

Practical Ways to Reduce Everyday Stress
Simple approaches for reducing some of the pressure in everyday life.

Why Can’t I Switch My Brain Off at Night?
For thoughts that become particularly busy when you go to bed.

Creating a Better Bedtime Routine
Practical ideas for creating a calmer end to your day.

Breaking Problems Into Manageable Steps
Useful when the source of your stress feels too big to tackle.

General information only. This is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional healthcare advice.