Too Much Stress? Not Enough Sleep? Ideas to Provide Support for Both

The school year has just begun. We’re trying to establish a routine – new wake up times, meal planning, activity coordination, home work, job responsibilities. The list of things you have to do now has grown to almost unbelievable expectations.

All these tasks are weighing on your mind. Can you get it all done? Where do you start? What can you possibly postpone? And when your head hits your pillow at night you are just wanting restful slumber, but your mind seems to run faster and faster – and sleep evades you.

And our waking hours can be about as challenging. Stress not only from our list of things to do, but also from environmental circumstances, dietary challenges, traffic jams, injury, and the list goes on. These stressors can impact our immune system, digestion, nervous system, hormones, and energy production.

So as you can understand, it’s commonplace to talk about stress and sleep issues together, because stress can affect sleep and lack of sleep can affect stress levels. As we take a look at ways to manage both stress and sleep, keep in mind your own personal goals to #Power Your Greatness.

Let’s start with stress. We first must realize, stress will be present in our everyday lives – we can’t completely avoid it. And stress is not ALL bad! Stress can enhance performance or get you excited – like competing in a game or going on a first date! “Good” stress is short term without a threat or fear. It initiates the “fight-or-flight” response in us. The key is for us to learn how to manage stress.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) offers recommendations as to how we can manage stress, with one of the most important being to take care of yourself – eating healthy, exercise, taking breaks to make time to unwind, and getting enough sleep. Techniques like deep breathing and meditation can also provide support.

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html

There are also supplements that can support emotional well-being. B-Vitamins in can particular provide some benefits. There are also many herbs that are recommended to help manage stress, however there often times needs to be more substantial research to support these claims. So it’s up to you and your health care provided to decide what will be best for you.

A great option would be Country Life’s Stress Shield®.

Stress Shield® provides coenzyme B Complex along with the researched adaptogen Sensoril® Ashwaganda, to help support emotional well-being. A great option to try for your daily stress management.

Then it’s time for bed – and a restful night’s sleep. And what if you still are having challenges with sleep, even after you have been working on managing your stress. And what about our kids? They are also dealing with the stress of starting a new school year. They also can be experiencing sleep issues.

There are many options these days to support better sleep like keeping a regular sleep routine, avoiding use of electronics before bed, deep breathing exercises, meditation, cool bedroom, etc. Maybe you have tried some of these. By all means, if you are getting success with any of these practices – keep it up! But some of us might need a little more help.

There are a host of supplements on the market addressing “better sleep”. Many of us have heard about or maybe even used melatonin, which does have quite a bit of research showing its benefits. However, there are many other options available – some with blends of melatonin with additional supporting nutrients – some melatonin free products with more herbals formulas. Remember, it’s what works for you that’s going to be the best solution. You see, not everyone responds the same way to any one nutrient. This can be a “trial and error” scenario, but once you find your most effective sleep regime, it will be worth your research efforts.

Some great Country Life products to consider in your quest for a good night’s sleep would be:

Melatonin 1mg – a starting point with melatonin

Gut Connection Sleep Balance – a combination of melatonin to help you fall asleep and supportive ingredients to support your immune system and digestive tract