Have you been losing sleep? Waking up tired? Not falling asleep at all? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you might be suffering from insommia
The good news is, you are not alone. In today's hectic society, insomnia is a highly common result of stress. Other factors include over-consumption of caffeine and irregular sleep patterns. The quickest method of getting you all drowsy is to reach for sleeping pills. but the truth is, sleeping pills do not lead to genuine, restful sleep. There is also the danger of you becoming dependent on and addicted to them. This is because your body develops a tolerance after the first couple of weeks and the pills become less effective. So you would have to start popping more of the pills to get the same effect. And we all know what an overdose of sleeping pills could lead to. So what should you do if you are sleep-deprived? We recommend these natural relaxation methods.
Aromatheraphy
Adding a few drops of relaxation oils such as orange blossom, jasmine and meadowsweet into your warm bath could work wonders. The relaxing properties of the oils dispel tension and lull you into a calm state. No bathtub? Simply heat the oils in a ring burner or light scented aromatheraphic candles in your room. This also has the spin-off benefit of scenting your room. Or put a few drops of oil into your pillowcase.
Limit Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is not only found in that cup of coffee you had at Starbucks or the ice blended tea. Watch out for this "stay awake" substance in seemingly innocent stuff like green tea, chocolates and sodas.
Avoid cigarettes and alcohol
Apart from the obvious health threats to your body, nicotine and alcohol are stimulants that lead to poor sleep.
Not all teas are equal
While black and green tea is bad for insomnia, herbal teas are good and naturally relaxing. Such teas include those made from hops, passionflower, chamomile and valerian.
Pare down distractions
Make your bedroom 'sleep-friendly' by removing the TV and radio from it. If you can, insulate your room against light and noise, and keep it at a comfortable temperature.
Clockwork routine
Keep to a regular sleeping schedule and avoid taking catnaps in the day. Going to bed at the same time every night helps to train your body to recognise bedtime.
Say no to 'energising' activities
Bedtime is no time for exercising or watching a horror show on TV. These activities will energise you and set you brain into hyper-drive, keeping sleep at bay.
Do something else
If you still cannot sleep after an hour of tossing and turning, get up from your bed and do something else. Read a book, walk around the house for a while or simply browse through the photo album.
Try some New Age music
'Meditation music' with soothing and slower tempos could help you to relax and fall asleep. But keep it soft, please!
Not being able to sleep well can be a drag - you would not want to be nodding off in class or work the next day, would you? Let's hope that these methods will help you to sleep soundly every night. However, if insomnia continues to plague you, consult a doctor about it.
Labels: aromatheraphy, battling insomnia, caffeine intake, dependent on drugs, distractions, insomnia, irregular sleep patterns, losing sleep, New Age music, routine, sleeping pills, stress
How you can beat stress
The television is blasting away in the living room; plates and cups clatter noisily in the kitchen; and from your brother's room, a full-blown argument on who gets to go online tonight ensues. And that's not mentioning Mum and Dad's nagging and watchful eyes. As if school, music classes, friends' gossips, and social expectations are not stressful enough! It is natural to wish for days without stress and demands. On the other hand, life would be boring if things were always predictable. We all need challenges and changes from time to time. However, too many demands, unreasonable expectations, excessive pressure and naggy, untimely advice can be frustrating and can potentially trigger stress.
Stress -- What's that?
What is stress really? In simple terms, stress is a condition that results from circum-stances or demands that makes us uncomfortable, unhappy and tense. Given the same set of circumstances or demands, it may trigger stress in some individuals but not in others. In other words, stress is very much an individual response to a set of demands.
Ability to cope
There are bound to be moments when we feel like we can handle big tasks; there are also times when smaller problems seem unbearable. Coping with stress is therefore a relative ability to cope with a given set of demands at the moment in time. When demands are within your ability to cope, there is practically no stress. However, when the demands outweigh your ability to cope, stress sets in. For example, a school examination can be extremely stressful to a person, especially if he or she is unprepared for it. Conversely, if this same person is well prepared for that examination, he or she has an increased ability to cope with the event and becomes less stressed by it.
Attending a party can be great fun for some teenagers, but it could be very stressful for some who might be unprepared due to many reasons -- favorite jeans still in the washer, morning surprise in the form of a new pimple, no matching shoes -- all of which are forms of social demands we place on ourselves. In many instances, the significance of the event or demand also contributes to the degree of stress. For example, if you've been given the final chance at an examination, you'd feel extra stressed to pass it otherwise you'd face expulsion.
Don't let stress break you
When too much weight is placed on a chair for too long, it will eventually break. Similarly, unmanaged stress may affect our physical health and emotional well-being. However, how do we identify the symptoms of stress so that we can do something about it? We cannot help ourselves without first being aware that there may be a potential problem.
Stress signals
It is useful to recognise the manifestations of stress in order to do something about it. Some physical signals may include muscular tension, sweating, change in appetite, sleep problems, chest discomforts, indigestion, tiredness, backache, increased blood pressure or even mouth ulcers. Behavioural reactions such as wanting to be alone, a greater than usual need for the company of others, becoming difficult and complainant may also be indicative of stress.
Q 1. Does stress cause migraine headaches?
Stress may sometimes trigger or aggravate migraine. More commonly, it leads to common headaches. Stress reducing techniques can prevent these or lessen their frequency and severity.
Q 2. Why do I crave for junk food when I'm stressed?
Sometimes, a stressed out person may munch junk food. This act may temporarily make you feel good but in the long term is unhealthy and in time will lead to weight problems, guilt and unhealthy dieting patterns. Instead learn and practise reducing or preventive strategies.
Q 3. How do I know if I'm really stressed?
There are two kinds of symptoms that reveal stress: mental and physical.
Mental symptoms
raquo; Feel stressed and tense
raquo; Feel nervous, excited, easily irritable or behave in an aggressive manner.
raquo; Lack of concentration.
raquo; Poor memory.
raquo; Feel depressed or prefer to be left alone.
Physical symptoms
raquo; Feel easily tired.
raquo; Poor sleep, poor appetite.
raquo; Headaches, chest or stomach pains, breathlessness, fast heart beats
raquo; Feel dizzy or faint
Beating stress
Since stress is a relationship between demands and the ability to cope, we could beat stress by focusing on these two components. The following are some examples:
01. Downsize the demands
Split the work into bite-size tasks and take it step by step, one at a time.This helps you to pregressively fulfill the demands without being intimidated by the problem's overwhelming appearance. In many instances, we do not take that first, starting step because we are overwhelmed by the journey ahead. Take the first step and focus on your immediate abilities. Soon the journey becomes easier and easier. Examples: big school projects, preparing for examinations.
02. Communicate effectively
Parents and teachers may not be able to look at things from your perspective; they are human after all and make mistakes from time to time, too. We have to learn to improve our skills in communicating in a non-confrontational way. Stay in control and hold back the first abusive word that may come to your mind. Stay cool and focus on resolving issues rather than creating new ones. Let your parents know what is bothering you. This may lead them to re-evaluate the pressures that are put on you. Basically, parents don't want to be the bad guys. Examples: naggy parents, high parental expectations, misunderstandings.
03. Increasing the ability to cope
When a task is too big to bear alone, seek help. Friends and family members could be roped in to share the tasks. Examples: organizing an event, housekeeping.
04. Boost your coping ability
Seek practical ways to increase your problem-solving abilities. A quick one is to learn from others and see how they made it through similar problems. Examples: tuition, training, books, advice, counseling, inspirational tools.
Different people react differently to various demands. You could overcome stress by placing it in the right perspective and focusing on managing the demands as well as enhancing your abilities to cope with those demands.
Relax, Man!
It's amazing what a simple tense-relax exercise can do to relieve stress. Try it the next time you feel all balled up.
1. Sit on a comfortable chair.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Clench one fist tightly. Hold the tension for a few seconds and concentrate on it.
4. Release the tension very slowly. Feel the tension draining out of your hand.
5. Repeat the exercise with any part of your body -- face, scalp, eyes, shoulders, abdomen, buttocks, arms and legs.
Labels: ability to cope, beat stress, demands, excessive pressure, family expectations, naggy parents, school expectations, stress, unreasonable expectations