Stress might be keeping you awake at night.
Worrying about finances, work, politics, or illness activates your nervous system and releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that disrupt your sleep.
“Negative thoughts and emotions turn on our fight-or-flight response, which causes our bodies to respond in a big way. The response is natural and it’s there to keep us alive,” says Catherine C. Schuman, Ph.D, a clinical psychiatrist at Dartmouth Health’s Cheshire Medical Center.
Schuman says that for the average person in good health, a few bad nights of sleep are not harmful in the long run.
Still, adults need between seven to nine hours and most of us need about eight hours of shut-eye daily, which is necessary for a healthy brain and body.
Research shows that people who don’t sleep enough have a higher risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and stroke. A 2024 study also found that insufficient, irregular, and poor-quality sleep is associated with depression and anxiety disorders.
Here are a few relaxation tips from our experts.
Don’t stress about sleep
Stress, even about good things, can aggravate sleep. Whether you're worrying about job layoffs or planning your wedding, your fight-or-flight response will get activated.
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“Your brain isn't always able to tell between the two,” says sleep expert Alexandria M. Jarvis, MSN, APRN , of Dartmouth Health’s Sleep Disorders Center. “And it’s hard to sleep when your stress response is activated.”
If you’re feeling stressed, your heart rate increases, your blood pressure rises, your appetite wanes, and your muscles grow tense. Stress hormones circulate in your body and keep you awake.
Feeling stressed about sleep only adds to the problem.
“You don't want to try and force yourself to go to sleep because it’s not going to work,” Jarvis says. “It only increases your stress and makes sleeping even harder.”
Breathing techniques to relax
Inhale slow, deep breaths through your nose and exhale out through your mouth for at least a couple of minutes.
“Keep your lips pursed like you’re blowing out a candle,” Jarvis says.
Deep breathing increases oxygen to the brain and signals to the brain that you're safe and don't need to use the fight-or-flight response.
Thinking about a peaceful or special place is also effective when focusing on breathing.
“Imagine something like sitting on a beach,” Jarvis says. “You might initially feel frustrated if breathing exercises and imagery don’t help you improve sleep immediately. Try to practice during the day to get better at it.”
Get out of bed if you can’t sleep
Schuman says to get out of bed if you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes rather than tossing and turning.
Do activities that aren’t stimulating, like folding laundry, reading a book (not a digital one), coloring with crayons or pencils, or writing notes to people.
“Get out of your bedroom and engage only in boring activities. Don't go back to your bed until you're sleepy,” Schuman says. “You don't want to train your body to be awake in bed.”
Pay attention to your circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm, your body's 24-hour internal clock, controls your body's sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin, the hormone the pineal gland produces at night, serves as a time cue for your circadian rhythm.
Your circadian rhythm depends on sun or light exposure in the morning and darkness at night to keep it aligned.
“Our bodies need sunlight, and that’s why depression can be even harder in the winter,” Schuman says. “Get 20 minutes of sunlight in the morning to help you sleep.”
Winding down and self-care
If you’re struggling with sleep, turn off the television, your phone, and all electronics one to two hours before bedtime.
Try not to eat close to bedtime and decrease your liquid intake an hour before bed to avoid waking up to use the bathroom. Schuman also suggests getting up at the same time every day and avoiding naps.
Eating healthy and exercising regularly (even for 20 minutes daily) can reduce stress and improve sleep. Schuman says to prioritize making time for yourself and the things you love.
“Do one fun thing a week. Maybe it’s something social or something alone you enjoy,” she says. "If you're not caring for yourself, it’s hard on your body. Make sure you spend some time engaging in things that make you happy because it matters to your wellbeing.”
