Dealing with your sleepless nights

From kathmandupost.com

Tackling insomnia, its many causes, and cures

“I lay awake for hours each night trying to fall asleep. It feels as if I have forgotten how to fall asleep. And even when I do sleep, I wake up multiple times in the middle of the night.” A client of mine expressed this distress in her first session. This kind of difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or not feeling tired and sleepy even after hours of work is medically termed as ‘insomnia’.

We have all experienced the occasional lack of sleep. The resulting drowsiness, irritable mood, and unsteady concentration might not seem a big deal to us at the moment, but imagine the same thing happening night after night for days, months, or even years. The accumulated effect can take over everything we think, feel, and do. The same was true for this client of mine. These sleepless nights had become a regular part of her life. And while it began as a single problem, it had slowly invaded everything in her life—from the efficiency of her work to her personal life.

Horrible as it may sound, insomnia is a fairly common problem, with the underlying cause varying from person to person. For some, it may be a result of something easy to pinpoint, like increased stress, high caffeine intake, irregular sleep schedule, poor sleep habits (we all are familiar with some late-night phone scrolling), or just an uncomfortable bed. For people in this category, simply finding the cause, removing it, and improving their sleep habits could eliminate insomnia from their life.

For others like my client, however, the cause could be something underlying in their physical or mental health conditions like sleep apnoea, hormonal imbalance, anxiety, depression, psychosis, etc that results in insomnia. In such cases, working on the underlying causes should go alongside the treatment of insomnia.

                                                              SHUTTERSTOCK

I will explain the few simple tactics that helped my client overcome her insomnia and may be useful to you as well.

Setting a consistent bedtime and waketime was the first thing that helped my client. Her habit of sleeping at different times each day disrupted her body’s biological clock. This type of irregular sleep habits seems to be true for most people with insomnia. Having a set time for a minimum of seven hours of sleep helps reset the biological clock.

She also used her bed for other activities, such as using electronic devices, working, or just lounging around. Strictly restricting being on the bed for any activities other than sleep helped her mind associate the bed as a space for rest. Once this association is made, the mind and body become more relaxed and calm whenever you actually get on the bed. Lying in bed when one is awake can become a habit that leads to poor sleep. So as contradictory as it may sound, reducing the time my client spent in bed was helpful for her to combat insomnia eventually.

In addition to these, she also implemented a few lifestyle changes to create good sleep hygiene. Unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking too much alcohol, caffeine intake late in the day, heavy meals right before going to bed, or not getting regular exercise all interfere with sleep. Cutting back on these substances and regular exercise in the morning can be the simple yet effective solution that many people overlook.

Interestingly, the most effective method for my client was the simple act of slowly counting in reverse from 100 to 1. If the mind is too active and thoughts keep popping up before sleep, simply counting backwards from a hundred at a slow pace can help reduce the thoughts that are interrupting the sleep.

Lastly, an interesting fact about sleep is it will not befall the ones who desperately wait for it. If one keeps thinking and worrying about sleep, it will just keep them more alert and awake. Letting go of this worry can help relax and make it easier to fall asleep.

(The methods mentioned above might help alleviate your insomnia to some degree, but they are not a substitution for seeking professional help. To work on the actual cause and other symptoms associated with your insomnia, please seek professional consultation from a physician and mental health professionals.)

https://kathmandupost.com/art-culture/2023/02/28/dealing-with-your-sleepless-nights

Does Lack Of Sleep Increase Heart Attack Risk?

From medicaldaily.com

Sleep is an important component of everyday living. It does not only relax the body, but it also provides a period for tissues and organs to regenerate and fix issues. A new study provides evidence of how crucial sleep is for optimum heart health. 

Published in the journal Clinical Cardiology, the meta-analysis of previously published research found a potential link between insomnia and heart attack risk, especially in women. 

Since insomnia is closely associated with cardiovascular disease, the researchers decided to assess the eligibility of the condition as a potential risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack. 

The pooled analysis of studies on insomnia and MI from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science revealed a significant association between the two conditions. People with insomnia were found to be 1.69 times more likely to have a heart attack than non-insomniacs. 

The team also found a link between increased MI risk and sleep duration at night. People who slept five hours or less were found to have the highest heart attack risk. They were 1.56 times more likely to have an MI than people who slept seven or eight hours per night. 

Because insomnia is the most common sleep disorder affecting the general population, the authors said their findings should prompt the medical community to consider it a risk factor for MI. Sleep should also be incorporated into heart attack prevention guidelines, according to them. 

"Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, but in many ways, it's no longer just an illness, it's more of a life choice. We just don't prioritize sleep as much as we should. Our study showed that people with insomnia are more likely to have a heart attack regardless of age, and heart attacks occurred more often in women with insomnia," study author Yomna E. Dean, a medical student at Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt, said, as quoted by News Medical.

“Insomnia is actually quite common. We see it probably in 1 in 10 patients in the United States. It is my impression that almost everyone experiences insomnia at some point in their life. The estimate is that 1 in 2 adults experience it at some point in their life, maybe in the short term because of stressful moments,” Dr. Martha Gulati told CNN. 

Gulati, the director of prevention at the Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, who was not involved in the study, further reacted to the new research by explaining how a lack of sleep affects blood pressure. 

“What really happens when you’re not getting enough sleep is that your cortisol gets out of whack. If you are having sleep problems, we know that your blood pressure is more elevated at night,” she said. 

https://www.medicaldaily.com/insomnia-increases-heart-attack-risk-468243 

New insomnia research shows how improving sleep can lower heart attack risk

From nbcnews.comple with insomnia are 69% more likely to have 

Sleep really is a lifesaver.

A pair of studies released this week at a leading cardiology conference found that while insomnia may raise the risk of having a heart attack, consistent high quality sleep habits could add years to your life.

People with insomnia are 69% more likely to have a heart attack, compared to those who do not have the sleep disorder, according to a new analysis of previous research presented Friday at the American College of Cardiology’s annual conference.

The study conducted by an international team of researchers examined the connection between insomnia and heart attacks through data on more than 1 million adults, average age 52, from six countries. People were categorised as having insomnia if they had at least one of three symptoms:

• Difficulty falling asleep.
• Difficulty staying asleep.
• Waking too early in the morning.

The symptoms had to be present for at least three days a week for at least three months. Over an average of nine years of follow-up, people who habitually slept five or fewer hours were 56% more likely to have a heart attack than those who had the recommended eight hours a night, regardless of age or gender.

The researchers hope the study will raise “awareness of the importance of sleep in maintaining a healthy heart,” said the study’s first author, Yomna E. Dean, a medical student at Alexandria University in Alexandria, Egypt.

“Many people don’t realize how important it is,” Dean said.

“Some people might not necessarily be insomniacs, but are sleep deprived by choice,” Dean added. “That’s common nowadays. These findings apply to everyone who sleeps five or fewer hours a night.”

An estimated 10% of Americans have some form of insomnia and it’s more common in women, said Dr. Sanjay Patel, director of the Centre for Sleep and Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at the University of Pittsburgh.

“At least part of the reason for that may be that two of the most common risk factors for insomnia are anxiety and depression, which are both more common in women,” said Patel.

A second study presented at the meeting focused on the quality of sleep. Researchers found that good sleep habits can benefit the heart and overall health, and even life expectancy. They also found that 8% of deaths from any cause could be linked to poor sleeping patterns.

People with highest quality sleep lived longer, according to the study: 4.7 additional years for men and 2.4 years, for women.

Stress is often the root of short bouts of insomnia, Patel said. In some people, that short-term stress “takes on a life of its own,” he noted. “Then, the not sleeping becomes the new stress. The more you worry about it, the harder it is to fall asleep. I’m a little concerned that this study might worsen insomnia for some people who will worry that if they can’t get more sleep they are going to have a heart attack.”

How to improve sleep

Patel’s suggestions include:

• Make sure the bedroom environment is comfortable and quite dark.
• Avoid any chemicals that will stimulate your brain. Caffeine should be avoided for at least eight hours before bedtime. Nicotine and tobacco products should also be avoided. “You want to find things that will help you relax, instead,” said Patel.
• Avoid looking at a clock. “Seeing what time it is gets people even more stressed that they’re not sleeping,” said Patel. “We want people to do things that distract the brain and maybe even make them somewhat bored.”
• Read a book or play a mindless game on the computer. Knitting or listening to music can help the transition to sleep.
• Avoid naps. Clinical trials have shown that some sleep deprivation in the short term can help improve sleep. “No matter how poorly you’ve slept, you want to force yourself to get up and you want to avoid naps during the day,” said Patel. “You will be training your brain to recognize that if it doesn’t sleep during the time you’ve given it, it won’t get any more sleep.
• Get lots of sunlight. You can start working on your sleep first thing in the morning by making sure you’re exposed to sunlight, which helps calibrate your biological clock. “Go outside and walk,” said Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in medicine at the Harvard Medical School and an associate sleep scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “If you’re taking the subway, walk to a stop beyond the one you usually take. You want to build tiny habits into routines.”
• Focus on getting relaxed before bed. “You might want to take a warm shower,” Robbins said. “If you can’t stop thinking about what’s coming tomorrow, write down a list of dos so you can get them out of your head.”

It’s important to develop rituals that your brain will associate with falling asleep, Robbins said, adding “it could be reading a book or thinking one happy thought or meditating.”

If you wake up during the night, go back to the same set of rituals that got you to sleep earlier on, Robbins said.

If you can’t sleep don’t just lay in bed, Robbins said.

“You want to keep your bed as a place for sleep and sleep alone,” Robbins said. “If you’re tossing and turning get out of bed. Bed should be the safe place you sleep.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/beating-insomnia-lower-risk-heart-attack-rcna72016are 69% more likely to have a heart attack, compared to those who do not have the sleep disorder, according to a large analysis

People with insomnia are 69% more likely to have a heart attack, compared to those who do not have the sleep disorder, according to a large analysis

People with insomnia are 69% more likely to have a heart attack, compare

Insomnia Glasses Aid Sleep By Blocking Blue Light

From spring.org.uk

Insomnia glasses research finds that 90% of Americans use light-emitting devices like smartphones and laptops before going to bed 

Wearing amber-tinted insomnia glasses for two hours before bedtime improves sleep, research finds.

The reason is that they block out blue light.

Too much blue light before bedtime — like that produced by smartphones — suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin and increases alertness.

Dr Ari Shechter, who led the study, said:

“Now more than ever we are exposing ourselves to high amounts of blue light before bedtime, which may contribute to or exacerbate sleep problems.

Amber lenses are affordable and they can easily be combined with other established cognitive and behavioural techniques for insomnia management.”

Insomnia glasses research

For the study, 14 people with insomnia wore either wrap-around amber-tinted glasses for two hours before bedtime or glasses with clear plastic.

A month later they swapped over, so that everyone had tried both pairs of glasses for a week.

Dr Shechter said:

“The glasses approach allows us to filter out blue-wavelength light from all these sources, which might be particularly useful for individuals with sleep difficulties.”

The results showed that when wearing the insomnia glasses people had, on average, 30 minutes more sleep than when wearing the clear plastic glasses.

Better sleep quality and a reduction in insomnia severity were also reported when wearing the insomnia glasses.

Some smartphones can be adjusted to emit amber, instead of blue light, Dr Shechter said:

 “I do recommend using the amber setting on smartphones at night, in addition to manually reducing the brightness levels.

But blue light does not only come from our phones.

It is emitted from televisions, computers, and importantly, from many light bulbs and other LED light sources that are increasingly used in our homes because they are energy-efficient and cost-effective.”

The amber insomnia glasses also reduced people’s blood pressure.

Dr Shechter said:

“Insomnia is often characterized by physiologic hyperarousal, which may account for the relationship between poor sleep and cardiovascular risk.

Going forward, it will be interesting to examine whether this blue-light blocking approach can be useful for improving cardiovascular outcomes like hypertension in individuals with poor sleep.”

 https://www.spring.org.uk/2023/02/insomnia-glasses.php

Mental Breakdown Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

From glam.com

Over the past couple years, mental health has taken a front seat with regard to public health concerns. One of the biggest factors that comes into play when taking care of your mental health is paying attention to when you might be having a mental breakdown. Mental breakdowns can be caused by several variables — work, relationships, societal pressures, taking on too many responsibilities, social media, looming family stressors, and so much more. 

Fortunately, there are several signs that can signal the beginning of a mental breakdown. While it was originally believed that working through these signs was a characteristic of strength, it's now known that true strength lies in addressing mental issues head on. If you start to notice any of these signs in your daily life, it might be a good idea to consider which steps you should take next to avoid mental anguish.

Constant fatigue

Have you ever felt like you just can't get enough sleep? Does your lack of sleep leave you feeling sleepier than usual in the middle of the day? If this sounds like you, then you might want to think about everything you have going on in your life. It's possible that you're having a mental breakdown, or you're in the beginning stages of one. When you're in the middle of a mental breakdown, your brain is constantly going, making it harder for you to get the necessary rest you need to get from a good night's sleep. 

You might have a lot going on at work, in your relationship, or in some other area of your life causing you to feel worried about the future. There are certainly ways to combat constant fatigue, but the best thing to do is start addressing exactly what you've got going on in order to regain some of your control.

Insomnia

When you try to sleep, it's vital to get as mentally relaxed as possible. Imagine looking at the clock to see that it's the early hours of the morning, but you haven't been able to fall asleep yet. The frustration of wanting to sleep, but being unable to, is beyond aggravating. If insomnia has been haunting you, you might want to consider what's happening in your daily life — because it all might be too much. Not being able to sleep is a clear indication of a mental breakdown since it shows that your brain is constantly trying to figure out an action plan.

Having insomnia is one of the things you especially shouldn't ignore as a sign, as it's something that can start to creep into your everyday life and routine. Not getting the proper amount of sleep can cause your work to slip. It can also cause you to lose patience with your loved ones. If you start to feel like you aren't getting enough sleep at night, don't ignore the issue and start addressing what could be causing it.

Feeling like there's no way out

One of the worst stressors is feeling like you're stuck wherever you're at –– and believing there's nothing you can do about it. Fortunately, that's not always the case and there's usually always something that you can do about your situation. However, this is a clear sign that you might be experiencing a mental breakdown. Thinking you'll be unable to find a different job, romantic partner, living situation, or something else are brutal beliefs to grapple with. 

These aren't truths you have to live with forever, though. There'll usually always be steps you can take to get out of your current situation, but you have to remember that fact and tell yourself you can successfully do it. It's paramount to believe you can always level up from your present circumstances. Even small steps can make a difference. Major life improvements might not appear for you right away, but having faith that change is on the horizon might motivate you to be proactive in seeking that change. 

Feeling like you've hit rock bottom

When you feel like you've hit rock bottom, you often feel totally alone. It's easy to feel like you've got nothing to lose. There might be a sense that nothing matters in the world since you're feeling way too low to enjoy anything. You might even feel like you don't deserve good things coming your way. However, this can be flipped into one of the most positive things you can experience — because once you've hit rock bottom, the only place you can go from there is up. 

You should always remember that you deserve to succeed without staying stuck at rock bottom — but it certainly takes effort and work if you're up for the challenge. One of the biggest realizations is that it's only your rock bottom if you decide it's your rock bottom. And that decision is a massive step to take because it gives you back whatever power you feel you've lost. Once you know you're there, you can eventually show off your glow up. 

Confusion about what to do next

Have you ever wanted to do something so badly, but you had absolutely no idea where to start? Then once you figured it out, it just became overwhelming? These emotions are completely normal, but they're not something to ignore. These heavy emotions show you that you need to take a deep breath and realize that it'll all be okay. This is one of the easiest mental breakdown signs to gain control over since all it takes is asking for help from someone who's been in a similar situation. 

Odds are you know someone in your personal life who can relate to what you're dealing with. All you have to do is talk to them about it and get some dialogue going. Don't feel shy or start thinking you're imposing, either. Since they've been in the same situation as you before, they'd probably love to give advice to help you learn from their experiences.

Feeling like giving up

When you feel like you've tried everything but nothing ever works out, it's possible you're facing a mental breakdown. This isn't an immediate sign, but feeling like you need to give up before you normally would is a major hint of a mental breakdown. Fully giving up before you've even given yourself a real chance at something is connected to depression. As soon as you start feeling like giving up, prove everyone wrong (including yourself) and keep going. History has shown plenty of examples of people who decided to keep going as they continued working toward their goals and passions. 

For one, Oprah was once told she wasn't television material at the start of her career. That type of insult would cause most people to give up on their dreams. Obviously, Oprah kept going despite any outside doubts. You might not become someone like Oprah, but it's okay to take some inspiration from her. She was blatantly told she wouldn't make the cut for television, and somehow that didn't deter her. Keep in mind that the people who don't give up are the people who succeed in the long run. 

Extreme anxiety

One of the clearest and most obvious signs of a mental breakdown are intense feelings of extreme anxiety. All human beings experience anxiety in some form or another, but once true anxiety starts creeping into multiple areas of your life, you should really take notice and consider everything you have going on. In recent years, there has been a clear push toward acknowledging how problematic anxiety is –– and that it's perfectly okay to work through those emotions. 

It's not something to feel ashamed of — there are plenty of trained professionals and experts who can help alleviate your anxiety. Newly progressive thinking toward anxiety is one of the biggest perks of being alive in this generation. If you're feeling extreme anxiety, don't feel embarrassed about it. Lots of people (even people you know) are feeling the same things, and it becomes a lot easier when you talk to someone openly about it.

Panic attacks

That nauseous feeling you get — along with the sinking fear that you could pass out at any minute — is an obvious sign that something is seriously wrong. Panic attacks are a common issue for people who might be experiencing mental breakdowns. Whenever you're in the middle of a panic attack, make sure to sit down and take deep breaths. While you might not feel it in the heat of the moment, try to remember that everything will be okay. 

Unfortunately, we don't exactly know when a panic attack will come. That's why it's important to talk to someone after you have one to find the root cause of what happened. In doing this, you can try to ensure a scary panic attack doesn't happen to you again down the line. While it might seem obvious that a panic attack is a sign of a mental breakdown, it's still paramount to address it whenever it happens.  

Emotional eating

Eating your feelings away is never a good idea, as there can be serious health effects that come from this behaviour. If you start noticing yourself neglecting your healthy eating habits, there's a chance you might be using food as a coping mechanism in the midst of a mental breakdown. This can lead to serious health problems. If you notice yourself starting to look different due to weight gain, acne breakouts, or bloating from emotional eating, it might drive you to continue to do the same pattern over and over. 

The truth is that binge-eating unhealthy items will only temporarily distract you from your worries. Before continually using eating as a coping mechanism, make sure you talk to someone about your struggle. Swapping out junky comfort foods for healthy options is a must. You'd be surprised at how much it improves your overall feelings when you're mainly consuming healthy food options. 

Emotional spending

Picking through shelves at a store or searching online boutiques might make you feel a tad better while you're going through a difficult experience. If you subconsciously believe a void can be filled by purchasing more fun and frilly items to distract yourself, you possibly need to take a step back before spending more money. Emotional spending is a very serious issue that is linked to mental breakdowns. In some of the worst cases, it can ruin you financially. 

There are clearly instances when buying something like a new shirt or makeup bundle can help you feel better. But if your feelings return to a highly negative place right after making purchases, that's your sign to stop. Instead, look at what you already own and pay attention to which items make you happy. If you spend time focused on everything you don't have, it will only continue to make you feel worse. Have gratitude for your belongings and you'll be surprised at how much better you start to feel.

Lack of exercise

If you're feeling extremely unmotivated to focus on your fitness and well-being, you might actually be approaching a mental breakdown. When you exercise, many different chemicals in your brain get released to make you feel like you're in a high vibration. During times that you're having a mental breakdown, you might not be thinking about how wonderful and thrilling a solid workout can be.

It might be challenging to ignore your feelings of procrastination, but it's in your best interest to get your body moving. Even something simple like walking on a treadmill for half an hour can help you start feeling amazing. If you don't have gym access, all you have to do is go outside for a brisk walk in your local area. You'll be getting two very important things by doing that: sun and exercise. Exercising can have an immediate impact on your mood and mental health. 

Staying in dark rooms

Preferring to stay in a dark room all day (consistently) is not a healthy desire. In fact, if you're feeling this way, you might be in the middle of a mental breakdown. Light does a lot for our mental health. This is why people who live in rainy, cloudy locations experience more depression than those who don't. Not getting enough light isn't great for your mental health and putting yourself in a dark room for long periods of time can be reflective on how you think your life is going. The worst part of all is that the more time you spend in the dark, the worse your depression and mental breakdown will become.

If your strongest desire is to lay down in a dark room away from any lights, you should fight back against the temptation. You can take a step outside to feel the fresh air and absorb some natural sunshine. Doing this will have an immediate impact on your mood and happiness. Don't ignore it if you're feeling overly tempted to cover your windows and keep your lights turned off. Try to get out and about because it will make a world of difference. 

Extreme mood swings

Flipping between happiness and anger isn't normal. If you notice that you're dealing with mood swings pretty often, you should address this problem with someone who can help. Not only is this a sign of a mental breakdown, but it also could impact your relationships with people who love you. It's not fair to those around you to feel like they have to walk on eggshells because of your mood swings.

When you're experiencing a mental breakdown, tons of feelings and emotions swirl through your brain at any given moment. This is why going from one mood to another so quickly is so common for those who are having one. Even if you don't want to talk to someone about your mood swings, you should be willing to do it for the people around you who have to interact with you. They'll undoubtedly be grateful to you for making an effort to change. 

Self-destructive behaviours

A mental breakdown can leave you feeling tempted to do things you think will make you feel better, even if it's just for a little while. These choices include binge-drinking alcohol and gambling. If you're not someone who usually wants to do these things, but all of the sudden you have a major pull to "let loose," you should stop and think about everything you have swirling around your mind that could be creating such temptations. 

Drinking and gambling responsibly is absolutely okay — but these behaviours become problematic when people start pulling out their life savings to play big at the roulette table, for instance, or they drink too much alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a car. Self-destructive choices that become habits won't make you feel better during a mental breakdown, and can even lead you down the path of addiction or premature death. 

Trouble concentrating

Everyone occasionally struggles with a wandering mind. Plenty of us have trouble sitting still and focusing for long periods — and this is fairly normal. However, if you can't sit still (for a minimum of 30 seconds) without getting jittery and antsy, that could be a sign you're having a mental breakdown. Not being able to focus on one thing for a short period is your brain telling you there's too much going on at one time. 

Talking to someone to narrow down what's really creating so many distractions can help clear up any confusion you're struggling with. Make sure you're trying your best to focus, even if you're only growing your focus times from 30 seconds to one minute. It might seem small, but it's still progress that will eventually pay off. 

Loss of appetite

Losing your appetite entirely is a clear sign that something is going wrong in your life. If you don't want to eat anything, you've probably got other things on your mind that are taking away from your desire to eat. One thing about eating is that it's something that you physically need to do. If not, sooner or later you'll get sick from depriving your body of the nutrients necessary for living healthfully. 

The stress of having a mental breakdown can trigger scary changes in your body that directly impact your digestive tract and stomach. When this happens, getting hungry might not come naturally anymore for a while. In the midst of a mental breakdown, try to at least eat something small. Choose a food that you enjoy, but don't cross the line of becoming too reliant on food to take you out of your emotional hole. A lost appetite might not seem like the biggest red flag, but it's reason enough to be concerned. 

Wanting to be alone

Pushing away your loved ones while you're going through a tough time is a huge mistake that too many people make. Your loved ones most likely want to help you get back on your feet. If you want to be alone, despite having a network of support, then you definitely might be having a mental breakdown. It's normal to want some alone time, but not all the time. People are social creatures who thrive in the light of social interactions. 

If you have no desire to be around other people for an extended period of time, that is a very bad sign of a mental breakdown. If you're in the boat of wanting to be alone all the time, leave your comfort zone for a moment and reach out to someone you trust. Odds are they won't be aware that something's wrong until you tell them. Just having someone there to talk to can be comforting enough to help you break free of your mental breakdown. 

Feeling alone

Feeling alone is one of the worst human experiences. Believing that nobody else can relate to your story or what you're going through can make it feel scary to talk to anyone. Loneliness will have you convinced that you'll never escape whatever situation you're in. Remembering that you're never truly alone is a big revelation. If you have friends, family members, and other loved ones in your life, odds are they want what's best for you. If you truly don't have any trusted connections with anyone, there are hotlines you can call and free crisis centres you can reach out to for help and support. 

When you're feeling utterly alone, reaching out to a professional is a smart move. A therapist can talk you through your situation and (with your dedication) help you feel more empowered. While it might feel weird to open up to a stranger at first, the key is to go in with an open mind and trust that they're capable of helping you. Keep in mind that mental health professionals get into their chosen industry because they have a desire to help people. 

Intense stress

Feeling stressed out is often due to the combination of multiple things. If your stress is starting to feel like something you can't overcome, then you're likely in the middle of a mental breakdown. When feeling stressed out, it's important to remember that you're much more powerful than you realize. Understanding that the sooner you deal with it and control it, the sooner you'll feel like your best self again. There are a lot of different ways to make your stress begin to dwindle. One of the easiest and most beneficial routes to take would be sitting down to talk to someone with candid honesty. 

Today, society doesn't have the same "power through and it'll all be okay" mindset that previous generations did. We know it's important to deal with our feelings as they come. Talking to someone, whoever they might be, is the best thing that you can possibly do for yourself. Keeping your thoughts and feelings bottled up won't do you any good. Try talking to someone about your mental breakdown stressors, and you'll potentially be amazed at the support you get in return.

https://www.glam.com/1199938/mental-breakdown-warning-signs-you-shouldnt-ignore/ 

Expert advice for better sleep

From practicebusiness.co.uk

Psychologist Aric Prather shares his best suggestions for a good night sleep

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on The Guardian

Regardless of your specific goal – whether it be to lose weight, reduce stress, get fitter, advance at work, or be a better friend or partner – it is hard to achieve anything when you have had insufficient sleep. In his book, The Seven-Day Sleep Prescription, Aric Prather shares his strategy for ‘unlocking your best rest,’ and shares eight ways to improve your sleep for the better.

Keep a sleep diary

The aims of Aric’s practice are to regulate our internal clock and address any anxieties or hang-ups we have developed around sleep. Reliably restful nights take both, he says. He asks his patients at the UCSF insomnia clinic to start keeping a handwritten ‘sleep diary’, recording facts such as how long it took them to fall asleep, the number of times they woke during the night, their wake-up time and estimated sleep quality. The aim is to highlight patterns and possible areas for improvement. “Sleep is universal, but it’s also really personal,” says Aric. “The diary is the first step towards an approach that will work for you.”

Manage your expectations

Often Aric’s patients have had one terrible night and worry about it happening again. They may go to bed early to make up for it, then lie there fretting that sleep won’t come, which exacerbates their insomnia. Accepting that sleep will sometimes elude you, for reasons outside your control, helps to relieve the stress, frustration and anxiety around drifting off, perhaps making it more possible. “It’s really about teaching people that one bad night won’t ruin your life,” says Aric. “We’re resilient; we’re built for sleep.”

Wake up at the same time each day

If you are struggling to sleep it is tempting to catch up with a lie-in at the weekends, or when you can, but this can backfire by further confusing our internal drivers of sleep, says Aric. “Our brain is always taking on information, trying to keep us alive, making predictions about what’s going to happen next – so the more things can be stable and consistent, the better those predictions are.”

Striving to go to bed at the same time every night can pile on pressure that is not conducive to sleep, he says; instead, he advises waking up at the same time (or within a half-hour window) every day to regulate your circadian rhythm, which governs your bodily processes and whether you are a night owl or an early bird.

Let yourself wind down

Your brain needs time to decompress from the pressures of the day to prepare you for sleep – if possible, about two hours before your ideal bedtime. The optimum post-work, pre-bed activity will be different for everybody; some people clean, others listen to a podcast, some might write in a journal or do some gentle stretching.

These rituals can become environmental triggers, encouraging us to shift gear towards sleep. Even television can help us wind down, says Aric. If, after two hours of winding down, you are still wide awake, it may be that your routine is too stimulating. Aric recommends meditating before bed, or listening to gentle music.

To sleep better at night, start with your days

If you go full tilt from dawn to dusk, without taking any breaks, the pent-up stress will inevitably catch up with you come bedtime – and, once chronic, this is hard to shut off. For this reason, Aric says, it is vital to manage your workload, build downtime into your schedule, and actively strive to manage stress.

He challenges his patients to take five ‘microbreaks’ of five-to-15 minutes every day, preferably without reaching for a caffeine boost every time. He suggests meditating, ‘phoning a friend or even – if you’re really flagging – sticking your head in your freezer! “There are ways to get through the midday doldrums without an extra cup of coffee – that cold exposure is absolutely alerting, or you can also do a brisk walk outside.”

Investigate other possible issues

If your sleep troubles persist despite your best efforts, he advises consulting your doctor. It may be that you need personalised support for CBTI to be effective. Insomnia could also be indicative of another sleep disorder or underlying medical issue; obstructive sleep apnoea, for example, often goes undiagnosed but is disruptive to sleep.

“Often, people will wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious, and it’s due to the fact that their airway was obstructed,” says Aric.

Fight for your right to sleep

In truth, not everyone has equal opportunity to sleep, with race and socioeconomic status often connected to less or lower-quality rest. Aric advocates for sleep to be recognised as a human right, to be promoted in and of itself and enshrined within social and policy change.

In his dream world this could mean greater protection for night-shift workers, later school start times allowing for teenagers’ need for sleep and ‘right to disconnect’ laws restricting work emails. He also believes employers could do more to promote the importance of switching off after work.

https://practicebusiness.co.uk/expert-advice-for-better-sleep 

Star comment: Don't sleepwalk into insomnia

From shropshirestar.com

Sleep is fundamental to us all. We need physical and mental rest from the rigours of the day. Otherwise we fail to operate properly and our life spirals out of control.

But half of us are failing to get enough sleep, fuelled by stress and anxiety, our obsession with mobile phones and long working hours, which squeeze the time we have to wind down and relax.

Today’s feature on insomnia matters because it is an issue that torments millions. Being sleep-deprived fuels depression, which in turn fuels insomnia. Those who suffer can fall into a downward spiral.

Much is said about the work-life balance and the fact is many of us have got it wrong, because of the pressure of work or family issues that play on our mind. It is essential that we all care for ourselves, not just physically but mentally. And there are ways to improve sleep without resorting to pills. Simple measures, such as creating routine and turning off mobile phone screens, can make a big impact.

Much scientific research has shown the importance of sleep and we owe it to ourselves to take good care of our own wellbeing and to ensure we have adequate rest. All too often, it is easy to take on too much when our minds and bodies resist. Such overloads manifest themselves in poor sleep quality when we imagine we can cope.

Achieving a sensible balance between commitments to others and to work, and self-care, is essential if we are to live long, happy and healthy lives. We must prioritise our mental and physical wellbeing and avoid easy distractions that lead to poor health.

All of us can perform the equivalent of a self MOT, giving ourselves a check-up for good and bad habits.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/voices/opinions/2023/02/13/star-comment-dont-sleepwalk-into-insomnia/ 

Every breath you take

From luxtimes.lu 

If you cannot eradicate stress, anxiety or insomnia, can you deal with it using sophrology and mindfulness techniques? Two practitioners in Luxembourg think you can

Sophrology and mindfulness therapy are not new, but post pandemic, their popularity is on the rise. Both combine breathing techniques with forms of meditation, and focus on calming the body and the mind.  

“Breathing is a very natural thing, but when you are stressed, it is the first thing you forget. You hold your breath, and this is not good for the body,” says sophrologist Alexandra Barancová.

Barancová came from Slovakia 17 years ago, and worked for ten years at the European Commission. She suffered chronic pain from an ailment, and tried medication and physiotherapy. She even considered an operation. Eventually she enrolled in Luxembourg’s Lifelong Learning Centre for a two-year University course in sophrology.

“It changed my mindset, and made me take responsibility for my own wellbeing. In Western medicine we tend to rely on doctors to fix us with medication, but Eastern medicine is more reliant on using your own resources,” she says.

Sophrology combines East and West

The word sophrology comes from Ancient Greek and translates broadly into the study of consciousness in harmony. It is a healing method that restores the balance between the mind and the body to promote overall health and wellbeing. Created in the 1960s by a Colombian neuro-psychiatrist, Alfonso Caycedo, who travelled across Asia, it incorporates facets from Japanese Zen meditation, Buddhism, and the breath work of yogis. Caycedo took what he discovered and combined it with western techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, and psychology.

“Breathing is a very natural thing, but when you are stressed, it is the first thing you forget"

Alexandra Barancová

Sophrology mixes breathing exercises, relaxation, visualisation, meditation, and dynamic movements, and can be practised individually or in a group.

“After the pandemic, people are quite overwhelmed with emotions. We talk a lot about burnout, and sophrology helps you learn strategies and techniques so you can regulate stress levels and emotions.”

Sophrology can help one prepare for future events such as giving birth or surgery. Professional athletes use it to train mentally for competitions, and students can turn to it to aid in exam preparation.

Sophrology can be practised standing, seated or in a lying position. Barancová uses a gentle voice to guide you slowly into regular breathing and to relax your muscles from head to toe. “Once you relax the muscles, your mind relaxes. Then you are receptive to what is happening both inside and around you,” she says. In this state, people can focus on the present by using visualisation, and concentrate on a picture of a calm place to lower stress levels, or prepare for a positive outcome of a future event.  

Barancová also uses dynamic movements to focus or to let go of anger or frustration. “A sophrologist gives you tools, but it won’t work if you don’t practise on your own.” Whilst it is a shorter-term therapy than psychotherapy, one session alone is unlikely to make dramatic changes.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction 

Like sophrology, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), developed in the 1970s by molecular biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn, offers a fresh approach to managing issues from stress to chronic pain. The lifelong yogi and meditator had an epiphany on a retreat that mindfulness could be used for a wider audience. He initially took on participants referred to him by a hospital because traditional medicine had failed to help them.

Kate Ensor came to Luxembourg from England in 2013, and found the transition hard. A mindfulness book, followed by an eight-week course, ignited her interest, and in 2020 she started a master’s degree in mindfulness research and practice.

“MBSR works by using mindfulness to develop a different relationship to our experience. It helps to develop a fresh perspective on the stresses in our lives.”

Ensor starts with building mindfulness skills, followed by time exploring the body’s physiological and psychological responses to stress as well as how mindful awareness enables us to make new choices or respond differently.

“It’s about making a shift from reacting to stress to responding in a more considered way. Noticing what we add to our experience and how this can exacerbate stress,” she explains.

Ensor’s sessions start with a meditation, in different postures such as lying or sitting, or using yoga-inspired movement. Time is taken to reflect on how we relate to the moment, and how we can approach rather than avoid stressful situations. Home practise is also an essential part of the course. “It’s about developing and practising the skill of mindfulness and applying that to daily life, including what causes us stress.”

Much like sophrology, MBSR can help with chronic pain, low mood, anxiety and even psoriasis and heart conditions. “It helps you relate to and recognise triggers and take caring actions, such as a mindful pause or breathing space when you first feel a stress or anxiety trigger,” says Ensor, adding: “Mindfulness is a paradox because we are not trying to get anywhere, the end goal is to be more comfortable with things as they are, to develop a different relationship to stress.”

Combining with psychotherapy

How does this relate to traditional psychotherapy? Barancová is clear that the ethics of sophrology mean that she can only guide within the limits of her training. “If people are dealing with seasonal depression, it can be perfect, but for clinical depression, someone should first see a psychologist or psychiatrist. If I have the okay, then it can be combined.”

Ensor sees MBSR, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which she teaches alongside a local psychologist, as integrative medicine. If someone is already seeing a psychiatrist or therapist or taking anti-depressants, mindfulness could potentially support their treatment. Ensor is also trained to recognise and advise if people might need a more holistic approach, including support from a psychiatrist or psychologist.

“It’s good to know that if you are dealing with stress or anxiety, you can turn to your breathing and body sensations. If you learn the principles, you will know what to do,” says Barancová.

Ensor sees mindfulness as something that “helps us wake up from autopilot. Most of us are on overdrive with our survival responses, triggered by emails or traffic jams – things that aren’t even survival issues. We are missing huge chunks of our lives through constant planning and ruminating.”

https://www.luxtimes.lu/en/health/every-breath-you-take-63e0cf2fde135b923668c709

How to Stop Catastrophic Thinking at Bedtime

From time.com

By Pedram Navad

Like our emotions, negative and irrational thoughts will also adversely affect our sleep. No doubt, once we are in bed, all sorts of thoughts will invade our mind, anything from the work that we must complete to financial issues that are a cause of concern. Because sleep is solitary process, we have a great deal of time (the entire night!) to think about our problems and work through all the scenarios by ourselves. Not only is this a daunting task, but it’s also a problematic one: At a moment when we are supposed to be relaxing, we are confronting these issues alone and in a state of irrationality, especially if we are sleep deprived. 

Getty Images

False beliefs about sleep or other subject matters also negatively impact our sleep; it’s a common thread among a great number of my patients. In a state of hyper-arousal (as occurs with insomnia) or sleep deprivation, the mind ruminates about anything, whether this be logical or illogical (primarily the latter). The most common illogical thought that occurs as we experience insomnia is the effect it will have on us the subsequent day. We feel that we cannot function adequately at work or home, and this will affect our performance, which would ultimately lead to disastrous consequences. We may convince ourselves that we are close to termination at our jobs, or that our loved ones are annoyed with us, or that we will sustain a potentially hazardous car accident. This is called catastrophizing, and we can counter this irrationality by recalling how few instances there are when our fears have come to fruition.

If you experience insomnia most nights, and if you have convinced yourself that your insomnia is putting you in grave danger, the percentage of these occurrences must be high. In other words, if your insomnia was a legitimate cause of termination, a breakup, or more, then you would be experiencing these things all the time. But reality tells us this is not so: You may want to formulate evidence for these occurrences to see that the evidence does not conform to reality and try to write these down. As always, writing is helpful because if these thoughts occur again, you have already dismissed them as not worthy of further elaboration.

Evaluating your thoughts considering this new evidence, you may want to modify your initial irrational thought and rephrase it in a way that is realistic. For example, if the irrational thought is that you will get fired if you don’t sleep and perform your best, rephrase it in a way that conforms to what happened in the past in your bouts with insomnia: “I may not perform my best at work and may be irritable, but I will get through this day without being terminated.”

Consider also debunking myths that may not necessarily relate to your sleep. Recognize that you may not need eight hours of sleep, a thought that could have guided your perception of perfect sleep and the inability to attain this holy grail. A recent study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine showed that the “sweet spot” of sleep is six and a half hours, where cognitive performance is stable over time. Also, recall that going to bed early may be detrimental because your inability to fall asleep at that time may make the connection between your bed and sleep less robust.

Instead, recognize that your best option in this situation is to prolong the time that you go to bed, so that you can not only build up a greater homeostatic drive to sleep but also to sever the links between your insomnia and the bed or bedroom environment. Looking specifically at the homeostatic drive to sleep, you may see that the nights you did not sleep well actually led to better nights subsequently. This is because the drive to sleep has had time to build up and naturally put you to sleep. Adenosine is an important sleep-inducing substance that builds up naturally in our brain. Once it has reached a threshold with higher and higher concentrations, it inhibits arousal and causes sleepiness. It leads to increased sleep pressure and subsequent rebound sleep. In other words, adenosine is like a natural sleep medication that our brain produces to ensure that we fall asleep if we haven’t slept for a while. In essence, this compound is telling us to “let go” and let things take their course, naturally.

Another method that I have found to be increasingly helpful but more difficult to grasp when it comes to insomnia is countering the catastrophizing by pushing it to its limit. When you start worrying, introduce the mantra of “to hell with it all,” so you can find peace in your worries. Essentially, if you’re already thinking that your life has gone or will go wrong, you have nothing left to lose. This approach pushes the catastrophizing to such an extreme degree that, when it comes time to worry, you’ve already encountered the worst-case scenario and come to terms with it. 

Most people have difficulty imagining their lives as “messed-up” because that is what they are trying to desperately avoid. But when you have already made this a foregone conclusion, you have already let go; use it to your advantage and reverse it. As the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu once said, “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

So let go, and let sleep do its thing—as it was meant to do.

https://time.com/6253219/how-to-stop-catastrophic-thinking-sleep/