( Pexels: CottonBro) Relaxation and 'stimulus control' "Sometimes when we are stressed we may not be super sleepy at our normal bedtime," Ms Meaklim says. She recommends not hitting the hay until you notice signs your body is ready for sleep - for example when you start yawning. "So it's about tuning into this idea of, are you feeling sleepy when you're going to bed?" "Sometimes when we are stressed we may not be super sleepy at our normal bedtime," Ms Meaklim says. People with insomnia often fixate on setting a particular bedtime, but that can backfire. "But a lot of it can be just giving yourself permission to put your feet up … stopping to smell the roses throughout the day." Waiting until you start yawning can help "And how we do that can be more formal, for example, mindfulness-based meditation," Dr Cunnington says. When it comes to stress-related insomnia, "it's about being kind to yourself during the day … we need some rest, we need some downtime, we need some time to put energy back in the tank," he says. You might have read that good sleep is all about eliminating bad habits around bedtime things like scrolling your devices in bed or eating a big meal late at night.īut Dr Cunnington says those regular sleep hygiene tips aren't always enough to combat stress-related sleep issues. Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.So, if you have no trouble dozing off but tend to wake in the early hours and overthink your worries, stress might be the culprit.īe a part of the ABC Everyday community by joining our Facebook group. "People with a lot of stress in the background, they may be able to fall asleep but their sleep is a lot lighter and they may come to the surface easier," Ms Meaklim says. In reality, stress-related insomnia can also mean struggling to stay asleep, or waking early and not being able to get back to sleep. There's a common misconception that insomnia only means having a hard time drifting off, says Hailey Meaklim, a Melbourne-based psychologist at a sleep centre and researcher. Read more It's not only about getting to sleep
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