This past year, we have lived through layers of challenges. More than 50% of people have had frequent sleep disruptions. A study from The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health shows this is over a 20% increase from pre-pandemic life.

Keeping up With Your Health

While sleep can be tough during times of difficulty and stress, it is important to keep your sleep health in focus. Keeping up with your self-care and looking after your mental health is most crucial when you are experiencing high levels of stress. Make time to relax when you need it and create healthy boundaries so you can restore your energy and focus on your health. Creating better sleep practices can help us immensely manage stress. The quality of our sleep is reflected in our overall well-being.

The research is clear that our sleep health and psychological health go hand in hand. Too much stress and excessive worry interfere with our ability to get restorative rest. On the other side, a lack of good rest increases your risk of health issues, ability to focus, solve problems and connect.

Stress is one of the greatest public health challenges we face, and many of us fail to notice it before we experience serious health failures.

Building Healthy Habits

Because our time spent asleep is intertwined with other aspects of our health, it helps to keep a big-picture perspective. Your daily habits either support the quality of your night and lower stress levels or make them worse.

Maintaining a healthy balanced diet, exercising regularly, taking breaks to look out for yourself, and practicing compassion for self and others helps alleviate stress and improves the quality of shut-eye. Keep a consistent bedtime routine and go to sleep and wake up at the same time. Set yourself up for wellness.

If you need extra support during hard times, don’t hold yourself back from taking care of yourself.  If your stress is impacting your sleep, there are options to support yourself naturally and restore balance in your life.