Sleep

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As mundane as it sounds, sleep is an important way of reducing stress. Fatigue is a common component of chronic stress (in some cases resulting from stress-induced insomnia), and when tired it is more difficult to cope with stressful situations. These dynamics can create a vicious cycle. When distressed individuals get more sleep, they feel better and are more resilient and adaptable in dealing with day-to-day events.

Most people know what their usual sleep requirement is (the range is five to ten hours per night; the average being seven to eight), but a surprisingly large percentage of the population is chronically sleep-deprived. If you do feel constantly tired, go to bed 30 to 60 minutes earlier and monitor the results after a few days or a week.

If you are still tired, go to bed 30 minutes earlier than this. Eventually, there will be a pattern which does help to reduce stress. The three criteria of success are:

Sleeping-in is fine, but if you sleep too long, it throws off your body rhythms during the following day. It is better to go to bed earlier.

Daytime naps are an interesting phenomenon. They can be valuable if they are short and timed properly (i.e. not in the evening). The catnap is a short sleep (five to 20 minutes) that can be rejuvenating.

A nap lasting more than 30 minutes can make you feel groggy. If you suffer with insomnia daytime naps are not a good idea. Beyond these cautionary notes, getting more sleep can be important in reducing stress and helping you to cope and function better.