Healthy Sleep, a gateway to relaxed mind!
STRESS
Everyone has experienced stress. It is a regular a part of life. 
You experience stress if you have an excessive amount of work to do or whilst you have not slept well. You can also experience stress in things such as losing a loved one, getting married, shifting to a new home, joining a new workplace, increasing financial burden, Illness and many more such reasons.
In simple terms it is a normal reaction the body has when changes occur, resulting in physical, emotional and intellectual responses and it happens to everyone.
Stress: How does it Affect Us
Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations
Stress can be positive also, keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger.
For example, if you have an important test coming up, a stress response might help your body work harder and stay awake longer. But stress becomes a problem when stressors continue without relief or periods of relaxation.
When a person has stress he/ she can feel tired all day, is unable to sleep properly, experiences indigestion & acidity and many more such symptoms. Some of such symptoms are:
- Aches and pains in body or joints
- Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing
- Headaches, dizziness or shaking
- High blood pressure
- Muscle tension or jaw clenching
- Trouble having sex
- Weak immune system
Also Stress can lead to emotional and mental symptoms like:
- Feeling of Anxiety or irritability
- Depression – Not in a mood to talk or indulge socially
- Panic attacks – Mood Swings
How does our body respond to Stress ?
Our body has a nervous system which controls our involuntary actions like heart rate, breathing, vision changes and more. It has an in built stress response called as the Flight or Fight Response – This helps the body to face stressful situations.
But then people have their own way of dealing with stress which is also unhealthy. Like:
- Indulging in Too much or Regular Alcohol consumption
- Overeating or developing an eating disorder
- Participating compulsively in sex, shopping or internet browsing
- Smoking
- Using drugs
- Gambling
Stress Management
In our present lifestyle with so much exposure to technology, increasing work pressure with a strong urge to be socially active it’s impossible to feel stress. So what do we do?
The answer is simple: Small Changes in our Daily Routine
- 40 Minutes of Exercise 5 times a week is good for your body. It helps to reduce endorphins in the system that cause stress
- Practice Breathing: Learning to focus on your breathing can help you reduce stress. If you are able to take a few minutes out of day and breath in silence this can greatly help you reduce your stress.2
- Accept Truth – Accept that there are events in your life that you cannot control and Keep a Positive Approach to things
- Eat Well and Limit your Alcohol – Eat your food without watching TV or your Mobile. It will ensure that you feel the taste and enjoy your time with your loved ones thus avoiding indigestion and taking your mind of your problems
- Take Regular Breaks – Your financial help is directly proportional to your mental health. If you don’t pay attention you won’t be able to enjoy financial health. Hence take that weekly break and spend time on your hobby or with family and friends
- Sleep Management – Waking up early can give you that extra 1 or 2 hours that can help you to manage your pending tasks effectively
Stress & Sleep Management:
Sleep has an impact on all systems of human body & Stress often affects sleep duration and quality which has a damaging impact on our physical and mental health. But despite its importance, many people find themselves regularly deprived of quality sleep and are notably sleepy during the day. Science says it takes approx. 10-20 minutes to fall asleep and is known as Sleep latency. Dynamic changes start to affect both the brain and body once we sleep. Body temperature drops, brain activity ramps down, and heart rate and respiration slow as well. But have you ever noticed how we cannot sleep for long hours during the day time but we feel sleepy as darkness comes, well this sleep-wake cycle is a part of Circadian Rhythm. Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes.
But do you know how do we fall asleep?
Darkness prompts the pineal gland in our brain to produce a hormone called as Melatonin (Sleep Hormone) which is then released into bloodstream. It helps to regulate Circadian Rhythm thus synchronizing the sleep-wake cycle and ensuring the person gets a good sleep providing consistent and quality rest and if you don’t get proper sleep then it known as Insomnia .
Insomnia can happen due to many factors like 
- Stress
- Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD) – When a person’s sleep schedule is shifted later, often by a matter of hours. For people with this “night owl” schedule, it can be hard to get enough sleep if they have obligations, such as work or school, that force them to wake up early in the morning
- Jet Lag - When a person travels rapidly across multiple time zones, such as on an intercontinental flight, because their body’s internal clock becomes misaligned with the local day-night cycle
- Diet
- Over Exposure to Technology
And it’s affecting people of all age group. Hence the requirement of Melatonin supplementation has increased
Can we give Melatonin Supplements to improve sleep ?
Several studies have been conducted where people suffering from particular sleeping problems were given Melatonin supplementation and it helped in adjusting5 & resetting6 the sleep-wake cycle.
Can Melatonin be given to Children?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that melatonin may be beneficial as a short-term tool7 to help children adjust to a healthier sleep schedule and establish good sleep habits. Evidence from small studies has indicated that melatonin may be especially useful in children with certain conditions including epilepsy and some neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Is it safe to take Melatonin Supplement ?
Melatonin is a popular dietary supplement in USA and is very commonly used. Short term use of Melatonin has reportedly few side effects. If children or adult take Melatonin supplement after talking with a doctor it can help to prevent any possible allergic reaction or harmful interaction. It is not advised to use it in pregnancy, breastfeeding women or people with dementia.
How to Improve Sleep?
- Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom - TV is not meant for your bedroom, it hampers intimacy and also sleep. Keep your mobile at away from you before you sleep
- Your bed is not meant for your official work or for study. Bed should be used only for sleeping. If you work while sitting on it your sleep will be affected
- Switch off the lights when you sleep. It helps in sound sleep
- Set a Fixed Wake-Up Time. When you sleep on time you wake up on time
Sleep is essential to our physical and mental health. If you experience sleep disturbance or stress it , speak up and talk with your doctor about the ways to manage it . Simple changes in your lifestyle will yield good mental health
References:
Metabolism 2002 Jun;51(6 Suppl 1):37-9. doi: 10.1053/meta.2002.33190.
http://cy-hopecounseling.org/blog/5-stress-management-techniques
J.Physiol 2011 Jan 1;589(Pt 1):235-44. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.197517. Epub 2010 Nov 8.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/melatonin
PLoS Med 2018 Jun 18;15(6):e1002587.
Nutr J. 2014; 13: 106.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/Melatonin-and-Childrens-Sleep.aspx
Sleep Med. 2015 May; 16(5): 637–644
Curr Clin Pharmacol 2014;9(4):326-34
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
Disclaimer :
All images, visuals are used for representation purpose. We do not claim any copyright over these images.
Content Credit: Rajneesh Negi
