Sleep and Stress

                Sleep is important to every human because it is a time to relax and shut down the mind and body. Stress causes an increase in physical and mental activation as a response to an increase of demands that are in the environment (Âkerstedt, 2006). The certain hours of sleep that are required for your health depend on which type of age group you are in. Infants are recommended to receive 14-15 hours, toddlers are to receive 12-14 hours, school-age children are to receive 10-11 hours, and adults are to receive 7-9 hours (Morgenthaler, 2012). A good night of sleep can make you more alert, energized, and focused to take on a day where there are many tasks that need to be completed. One thing can be in the way of a great night of sleep, and that factor is stress.

As we all know, stress can either have a positive or negative impact, and these types of stress are called eustress and distress. Generally, a lack of sleep can be caused by the negative types of stress called distress. The proper amount of sleep is so crucial for being able to function at a high level on a daily basis, but it just doesn’t happen that way where we can get that amount of sleep every night. Stress is our reaction to daily life, and too much of it can make it hard to sleep while you are lying in bed. It may be very hard to when there are plenty of things running through your mind. Some of these thoughts may be work related, school related, and the list can go on and on.

            According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, seven out of every ten adults in the United States say that they experience stress that interferes with their daily life (ADAA, 2010-2012). About one-third say that they receive some type of panic attack from the high levels of stress, and about seven of those ten adults claim that the stress leads to sleep troubles (ADAA, 2010-2012). The ADAA report that a big portion of adults experience a sleep problem at least once a week, and about half of the adults claim that they experience this problem several times a week (ADAA, 2010-2012). Sleep deprivation has caused many of the stress levels in these adults worsen due to the fact that they can’t sleep that well a few days a week. 52% of men and 42% of women say that they have a hard time staying focused the next day after a bad night of sleep due to stress (AADA, 2010-2012). In 2005, it was reported that 67% of adults claim that they would receive at least 7 hours of sleep four days during the week. The numbers have gone down by about 6% since then according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (AADA, 2010-2012).

            There are several tips that have been displayed for adults with stress and sleep issues to try out. Establishing 7-9 hours of sleep on a daily basis is very important to attain. Routines before going to bed may be a way that you can get a good night of sleep. Some routines could be listening to some soft music, reading, and just doing breathing exercises. Avoiding chocolate, coffee, and soda before bed is a reasonable tip because these types of things can keep you up. A quiet, cool, and dark room is a great place to sleep. That definitely sounds obvious, but there are people who sleep with the television on and do other miscellaneous things that may lead to keeping a person up at night. Exercising is great, but it is recommended to not do it right before bed (ADAA, 2010-2012). A tough day’s work may make you tired and a nap may be desired, but according to the ADAA, you should avoid taking naps all the time because this could be a reason to keep a person up at night.

            Sleep and stress have a direct relationship on performance, and that is why getting the proper amount of sleep is vital for a human. Being able to perform at your best in the academically, athletically, or in the working world is based on preparation. A great way to be prepared is to get that amount of sleep on a daily basis. Even though it is tough to achieve the goal of 7-9 hours, it is something that every person should look to reach because it is a tool to relieve stress. Following some of the tips by the ADAA have worked for others, and hopefully they could work for you too if you are experiencing a negative relationship between stress and sleep.

-Thomas Capaldi

Sources

Âkerstedt, T. (2006). Psychosocial stress and impaired sleep. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 493-501.

Morgenthaler, T. (2012, August 10). Adult Health. In Mayo Clinic. Retrieved April 11, 2013.

Stress and Anxiety Interfere With Sleep. (2010-2012). In Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Retrieved April 11, 2013.