HOW STRESS AFFECTS YOUR SLEEP AND LACK OF SLEEP AFFECTS YOUR LIFE

If you suffer from high levels of stress and that impacts your sleep on a regular basis, your body will react negatively; making it harder to be motivated, achieve your goals and generally be happy. If any of the following resonates with you have a think about what small steps you can take to reduce the stress in your life and increase your sleep quality. Things like walking, meditation, changes to nutrition, self-care, connection with others, and changes to bedtime routine can all chip away at poor sleep hygiene. Think small but be consistent.

1. Reduced Patience and Increased Irritability

Lack of sleep and chronic stress can deplete emotional reserves, leading to decreased patience and increased irritability. This can make it harder to manage day to day responsibilities and relationships.

2. Decreased Cognitive Function

Sleep deprivation and stress can impair concentration, memory, and decision-making abilities. This cognitive decline can affect everything in your day to day life.

3. Weakened Immune System

Chronic stress and insufficient sleep weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses. This can lead to more frequent sick days, which adds to the overall stress.

4. Emotional Distress

Stress and sleep deprivation can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression. This emotional toll can make it difficult to engage positively with people around them.

5. Physical Exhaustion

The physical fatigue from lack of sleep and constant stress can lead to a decreased ability to move your body, exercise and take part in activities.

6. Impact on Relationships

Irritability and mood swings due to stress and lack of sleep can strain relationships with partners, children, and friends, leading to feelings of isolation.

7. Poor Decision-Making

Chronic stress and sleep deprivation can impair judgment, leading to less effective problem-solving and decision-making in both personal and professional aspects of life.

8. Reduced Productivity

Without enough rest and with high stress levels, efficiency in managing daily tasks can drop, creating a backlog of responsibilities and further increasing stress.

9. Health Complications

Long-term exposure to stress and sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues such as hypertension, obesity, and heart disease.

The news isn’t all bad, though! There is heaps that you can do to make small, positive changes to your stressful lifestyle and turn around your poor sleep habits. None of these things will transform your sleep over night, rather, they’ll chip away at the root causes of your sleeplessness and one day you’ll realise you’re sleeping well!! In addition to the things mentioned in the first paragraph, here’s some more ideas on how you can get started:

1. Get a blood test: low magnesium or protein can contribute to sleeplessness. If you’re not a fan of needles, aim for 350mg Magnesium Glycinate (in a supplement(1) and 1.7g protein per kilo of bodyweight per day(2). However a blood test can be more specific regarding dose.
2. Maintain a sleep schedule: the body loves knowing what to expect (3).
3. Avoid caffeine for 8hrs prior to going to bed (3): caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, green tea, chocolate and more. Know what you’re consuming so that you’re not inadvertently keeping yourself awake!
4. Have a wind-down routine (3): again, this is a brain-training method that creates a habit of sleep. The routine should exclude blue light (from the TV or your device), be slow paced, and bring feelings of pleasure and wellbeing.
5. Eat dinner at least 2hrs before bedtime (3): digesting food has a thermogenic effect on your body, meaning it increases your metabolism and makes you warmer. You need to cool 1 degree to fall asleep, so having a full stomach and activated metabolism (which is necessary to digest) isn’t ideal. Instead, have dinner a little earlier and go to sleep satiated, but not full.
6. See the sunrise (3): the colours of sunrise and sunset trigger specific receptors in your eye that trigger either “wake up” hormones or “sleep soon” hormones.
7. Exercise in the morning (3): again, exercise is a stimulant, and your metabolism can remain elevated for hours afterwards. If you must exercise in the evenings, keep it slow and nourishing, like an after-dinner wander or a wind-down yoga practise.

There are hundreds of other little things you can do to get a good night’s sleep. Start with just one change and build outwards until you’re finally getting the rest you need! Read more on why sleep hygiene is as important for your health as exercise here!

REFERENCES

(1) Berkheiser, Kaitlyn (2023) How Much Magnesium Should I Take Per Day? healthline.com, retrieved 16th January 20245 from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-dosage

(2) Sims, Stacy (2022) Why Women Need to Proritise Protein drstacysims.com, retrieved 16th January 2025 from https://www.drstacysims.com/blog/Why-Women-Need-to-Prioritize-Protein

(3) Sleep Health Foundation (2024) Sleep Hygiene, Good Sleep Habits sleephealthfoundation.org.au, retrieved 16th January 2025 from https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/sleep-hygiene-good-sleep-habits