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When an episode of stress occurs our bodies release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Once they’re released, we start to worry, our levels of fear start to rise, and we feel like there may be no escape. Aside from what goes through our mind during an episode, we may also experience physical symptoms, including:
- Increased heart rate
- Breathlessness
- Sweating
- Stomach pains and muscle tension
HOW THE RIGHT SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT CAN HELP ANXIETY AND STRESS
Having a bad night’s sleep and cause more anxiety and stress as you can't function normally when you are tired or have a lack of energy and this can be frustrating and not help but hinder your episodes of anxiety. Stress and sleep have a two-way relationship. High stress levels can make sleeping more difficult. They can even lead to sleep disorders. At the same time, getting a good night’s sleep can help reduce the effects of stress.
Life is stressful. From daily stressors like bills, work, and relationships, to the bigger ones like losing a job, moving to a new house, or coping with an illness can all affect the way your body works. Stress often influences sleep which has a direct impact on how we live our lives. And not getting enough sleep can even make your stress worse. Sleep is a powerful stress reducer. Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. You are a better problem solver and are better able to cope with stress when you’re well-rested. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, reduces your energy and diminishes mental clarity
HEAL – THE FOUR PILLARS OF GOOD SLEEP
There are four main factors that affect the quality of your sleep:
Health
Environment
Attitude
Lifestyle
The important thing is that you get good-quality sleep. The following advice can help to HEAL your sleep problems.
Health
As anyone who has tried to get to sleep with a blocked nose or headache knows, physical health problems can stop you from getting a good night’s sleep. Speaking to your GP or pharmacist about appropriate medication can help with this. Try to avoid taking medication without speaking to a medical professional, as sometimes the medication itself can stop you from sleeping properly if it’s not right for you.
Mental health problems like anxiety and depression can also affect our sleep. In these cases, a combined approach to tackle both the mental health issue and the poor sleep is often the most effective method of treatment. Speak to your GP or mental health worker (if you have one) for advice on this or have a look at the ‘Attitude’ and ‘Lifestyle’ sections of this guide for general ways to maintain good mental wellbeing.
Environment
The bedroom should be somewhere that we associate with sleep. Where possible, you should try to remove distractions from your bedroom. It is better to watch TV, play computer games and eat in another room. This will allow you to relax with no distractions in your bedroom.
Be mindful of the presence of gadgets and electronics, such as computers, phones, tablets and TVs. The backlit ‘blue light’ displays suppress melatonin production – the hormone that helps you sleep; the suppression of melatonin causes sleep disruption. You should stop using these devices two hours before you go to sleep to reduce their impact on your sleeping.
Although everyone is different and has their own personal preferences, the common factors that can affect our sleep are light, noise and temperature. Too much light or noise can prevent you from falling asleep or staying asleep. If you have sources of light and noise that you can’t control, such as light from a streetlamp or noise from a neighbour’s music, you might want to use an eye mask or ear plugs.
The temperature of the room is also important. A heater or thicker duvet can help if you regularly find yourself too cold at night; a thinner cover or opening a window can help if you’re too hot. If you are struggling to work out the best sleep environment for you, then it can be useful to keep a sleep diary keep track of the conditions that helped you get a good night’s sleep.
BEDDING MATTERS
Most people know sleeping on a good mattress supports the back and reduces back issues. Equally, a good pillow supports your neck so your spine remains in alignment. However, what many people don’t realize is that the bedding you choose can either increase or decrease your comfort and sleep quality.
Eczema
People with eczema are prone to experiencing sleep problems due to the dreaded itch–scratch cycle, which can keep them awake and affect partners’ sleep too. It’s worth considering whether your bedding is inadvertently making you itchier and contributing to poor sleep.
Bedding made from many different kinds of materials is on offer nowadays – varieties of cotton, silk, bamboo, microfibre, wool – and, where duvets and pillows are concerned, there is both the covering material and filling to think about. First, it’s important to be aware of thread counts. A thread count relates to the number of threads (width and length) that make up an inch of woven fabric and tells us how closely woven the fabric is. A typical, inexpensive sheet might have a count of 150, whereas more expensive bedding might have a 500-count. Generally, the higher the thread count, the softer and cooler the sheet, and the more likely it will wear well over time.
Many of our customers strongly recommend using bedding made from 100% cotton, which is soft, cool, absorbs sweat and allows the skin to ‘breathe’. Duvet covers, pillowcases and sheets are all available in 100% cotton. It is even possible to buy duvets of different togs that have a 100% cotton covering and are filled with 100% cotton material. These are likely to be safe and beneficial for people with eczema but have the downside of not being as easy to wash and dry as duvets filled with synthetic material.
With a texture like silk, bamboo bedding is more absorbent than cotton, soft and highly effective at regulating temperature, keeping the user cool in summer and warm in winter. Bamboo can be confusing – it appears in different guises in product information: 100% bamboo viscose/rayon, 100% bamboo lyocell, bamboo blend with cotton and bamboo linen. Most bamboo bedding is the viscose variety. While the processing of bamboo viscose is chemical-intensive, this material contains the afore mentioned properties that make bamboo attractive to people with eczema. In terms of environmental friendliness, bamboo linen and lyocell are the better choices. The following products are available in bamboo fabric: duvets (including bamboo-filled, bamboo covered duvets), duvet covers, pillowcases and sheets, plus duvet, pillow and mattress protectors. A disadvantage of bamboo is that it doesn’t tolerate high temperature washing too well – users are recommended to wash bamboo bedding at temperatures of up to 40°C, which is insufficient to kill house-dust mites or remove emollient residue effectively.
Silk is a traditionally luxurious and glamorous material, but does it help with eczema? Silk is a natural product, is ‘breathable’ and, like bamboo, is excellent at temperature regulation. It also provides an inhospitable environment for house-dust mites, which bodes well for eczema sufferers. The following products are available in silk: duvets (including silk-filled, silk-covered duvets), silk-filled pillows, duvet covers, pillowcases and sheets. A disadvantage of silk is that sheets and covers can only be washed at low temperatures (30°C), and silk-filled duvets and pillows can only be spot cleaned and professionally laundered.
Surprisingly, perhaps, wool should be considered an option for people with eczema because of its temperature-regulating properties and dry, house-dust-mite-resistant environment. Wool filled duvets and pillows, and wool beds and mattresses are all available. A disadvantage of wool, as with some of the other materials, is that some products are only machine washable at 30°C on a delicate or wool cycle with special wool detergent, and some can be dry cleaned only. It’s advisable for parents to check that babies aren’t allergic to lanolin before trying wool bedding.
CHOOSE WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU
You spend about a third of your life in bed, so it’s important you choose bedding that suits how you sleep. Some people can’t seem to stay warm, while others burn up the bed every night.
Choose microfiber bedsheets if you need more warmth in your bed. They’re easy care, inexpensive, and available in many colors and styles. They do “breathe” but retain slightly more heat.
Choose cotton bed sheets if you sleep hot. Contrary to what many manufacturers might say, you don’t need to buy expensive cotton bed sheets for comfort and improved sleep. In fact, most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a quality 300 thread count and a low-grade 1200 thread count set. This is because thread count is only one factor that determines the strength and softness of sheets. The other is the fiber itself.
Buying very expensive bed sheets isn’t a priority in most active or busy households with pets and children. They have better ways to spend their money. Instead, buy cotton sheets with extra-long staple fibers. Extra-long fibers increase comfort and durability, and sateen finish offers softness so you can snuggle in and fall asleep quickly.
CONSIDER SEASONAL BEDDING
Switching your bedding when the weather warms or cools is a great way to change your décor and improve comfort. A microfiber sheet set in the winter and a set of cotton sheets during the summer months could be the ideal solution.
Switch a warm duvet to a light comforter and instantly transform your room. You’ll feel like you redecorated when all you did was change the bedding. An inexpensive solution is to just buy new pillowcases. They add freshness and completely change the way bedding feels.
WASH YOUR BEDDING
Before you use a new set of sheets, ensure you wash them at least two times. You want bedding free of chemical finishes that can irritate your skin. Use a gentle perfume and dye-free detergent if you have sensitivities or allergies.
Nothing feels better than climbing into bed with a set of clean sheets, so wash them often. Experts recommend about every ten days, but if you leave the shower or bath until the morning you may need to do it more often.
Attitude
Lying awake in bed, particularly before an important day, can make us worry. However, this worry then makes it harder for us to get to sleep. Progressive relaxation techniques can help you to relax and unwind at these times. Alternatively, instead of staying in bed and getting more and more frustrated, you could get up and make yourself a warm drink, such as warm milk, and return to bed when you feel sleepier.
If you continue to have sleep problems for more than a month, you could speak with your GP about the possibility of using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is used to treat some mental health problems. It can encourage a more positive attitude, which can then help to break the cycle of negative thoughts causing your lack of sleep, and thus can help you to develop a healthier sleep pattern. Alternatively, practices like mindfulness (a type of meditation) can help by reducing stress and anxiety levels.
Lifestyle
There are a number of things that you can do every day to improve the quality of your sleep. Eating rice, oats and dairy products can produce chemicals that increase our desire to sleep. However, food and drink containing lots of caffeine or sugar can keep you awake, so drinking less tea and coffee and eating less chocolate and other sugary foods late in the day might help you to sleep better.
Although it can make you feel tired and can help you get to sleep, alcohol often impairs the quality of your sleep and makes you more likely to wake up during the night as the effects wear off, and you may need to go to the toilet frequently or get up to drink water if you are dehydrated. Exercising on a regular basis is thought to help us sleep, as, among other things, it can help to reduce anxiety and relieve stress. It is, however, important to exercise at the right time. Exercising earlier in the day is better, as exercise increases the body’s adrenaline production, making it more difficult to sleep if done just before bedtime.