The Link Between Stress and Insomnia

When you read about restless sleep and insomnia you may see a lot about stress being mentioned. Journaling to remove your stress, finding your stress triggers, and dealing with stress before sleep are all common statements. What you may not know is how your stress connects to the insomnia. For some people, the connection is more important than removing the stress itself or the connection becomes the stepping stone to removing the stress and moving on. Here are some quick facts about the link between stress and insomnia and some ways to help remove that connection in your life.

Stress Causes Body Aches

Stress in your daily life can affect your body as a whole. One of the ways that it does this is by causing tension in the muscles and joints. This tension results in body aches. You may think it just stops there, but it doesn't. These body aches can lead to one of two issues. The first issue is that it could lead to you taking doses of pain medication ranging from ibuprofen to prescription medication. This can lead to sleeping issues or sleep pattern disturbances. In addition to this issue, you may develop issues like restless leg syndrome or muscles aches that lead to cramping and cramping that leads to increased pain and sleep issues. 

Stress Causes Digestion Issues

Stress can cause digestion issues. These issues can range from a nauseous feeling to more intense issues like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This can lead to cramps in your stomach and intestines. It can also lead to gas, heartburn, and even chest pain related to digestive tract issues. All of these things can affect the sleep and keep you awake or wake you up from a deep sleep and keep you awake for several hours. It also means taking an increase in medications to help with your digestion that can also play into your sleep patterns.

Stress Causes Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are two of the key issues that can affect your sleep. For example, you may be lying down and feeling tired. Once your head hits the pillow, that is when depression and anxiety can strike. It can cause you to have deep depressive thoughts, and it can lead you to severe anxiety or panic attacks that can last for several hours. This stress can be due to a number of issues. It can be something mild that you may not even notice during your day. Journaling can help you locate the trigger or triggers and remove them from your routine to avoid this issue. 

These facts and methods are designed to help you find your stress triggers as well as the connection those triggers have to your insomnia. Once you know both the triggers and the connection, you can start breaking those down and move towards a restful sleep. You will also find that you see the triggers developing quicker, so you can fix them and end them before they start you down the path of insomnia again. 
