Sleeping Problems... Stress Related?

Question

Hello, I am a college student, and it is time to take finals... I am under a HHUUUUGE amount of stress b/c of the pressure of my parents and needing to do good on these tests. For a little background information, I am a "worrier" big time, it's hereditary. Anyways, my sleeping patterns are MESSED up! One night i will stay up till 6 in the morning, and sleep from 7am to 4pm. That has happened to me about twice now, but last night I didn't sleep at all, and tonight I've slept for 6 hours (i went to bed at 5pm and woke up at 12 and couldnt go back to bed). My parents keep telling me its b/c of stress, and i'm pretty sure thats the reason also, but lemme know what you think!

Answer 1

oh college life.. i have finals next week.. i totally understand where you're coming from, although i always have sleep troubles..

it's stress related.. finals week is horrible.. blah..

the best depression/anxiety reliever i can recommend is exercise.. it takes your focus off what's bothering you and hey it's just good in general.. exercise also releases serotonin, dopamine and a few other nuerotransmitters in your brain.. serotonin helps you sleep and dopamine is related to pleasure and happiness.. those chemicals i just mentioned are the ones that your brain lacks when depressed (i'm not saying your depressed, but your serotonin levels are out of whack since you an't sleep).. exercise helps to balance them.. this has been clinically proven to work faster and longer than medication.. simply taking a twenty minute walk each day could really help.. this will also help to tire you out for when night rolls around..

exercise also releases endorphins.. the body's natural pain killers.. this is related to "runner's high"..

other than exercise you could try deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, listening to music, writing in a journal, or talking to a friend about it.. i also drink ungodly amounts of tea.. haha..

get a good social support network.. talk to a friend or family member about how you feel..

take time out for yourself each day.. to just reflect, relax, and settle your thoughts.. do things that relax you and that you enjoy..

warm milk also helps to produce serotonin.. so maybe drinking a glass before you go to sleep may help..

try to get at least an hour of sunlight each day.. this also helps to balance your brain chemistry and produces serotonin..

when you lie down to sleep concentrate on your breathing.. keep a steady inhale and exhale going.. in through your nose and out through your mouth.. do this if you feel yourself getting anxious also.. it calms your heart rate..

eat a healthy diet.. and drink lots of water.. this is important as many people don't eat right during finals.. mixed with the stress it can kill their immune system and make them sick.. you don't want that.. make sure you're taking some vitamin c each day..

sorry this is long winded lol.. i'm a sophmore so i have lots of finals experience.. if you ever need to vent some worries or frustrations feel free to send me a message through my profile..

i really hope this helps.. and best of luck..

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I think it is stress because I have had a similar problem. I know what helped me was to focus on my breath and try and quiet my mind. I would just focus on being in the moment and not thinking about tomorrow. Don’t try to sleep because you will just spend all night trying and not actually sleeping. If I couldn’t control my mind I would get up and have a hot drink or read a book and then go back to bed again. I found that I had to try and trick my mind into thinking it doesn’t matter if I sleep or not. It helped to feel like I had something to fall back on like spirulina. When I’m really tired I take spirulina every three hours and drink lots of water that helps clear my head. Also eye drops to sooth my eyes. Also this cd helped me so much http://www.quietearth.org/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=36
I don’t know whether the subliminal messages worked or not but it’s the most relaxing cd I’ve come across and it really helped me sleep. Hope this helps. Sleep well.

Answer 4

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 5

The effects of stress on the body are well documented and stress management can reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including heart-related problems. Stress is also a huge aspect of emotional health problems. Breathing exercises, relaxation exercises and meditation exercises can all be useful in managing stress. Check out Your Total Health for great tips on how to manage the stresses in your life!

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/stress

Answer 6

you're sleeping at really random times! not so good.... i sorta have the same problem though... try to get yourself into a more regular schedule, like go to bed around the same time every night and wake up around the same time each morning... also you can learn some relaxation techniques if you're stressed... you NEED time to relax no matter how busy you are... take little breaks from studying or you won't be able to think so well... also maybe exercize during the day so you will be able to fall asleep better at night... good luck!

Answer 7

I've been having a lot of stress too before. I've heard of aromatherapy and tried it and it helped both my stress and sleeping problems. Makes me sleep better and easier.

Answer 8

I know what you're going through.
Partially it is stress.
And relieve that stress mate.
Don't be pressured by others to do well.
Only yourself.
And college will do that to you for the first few years...

Answer 9

if you have a counselor on campus, i'd suggest you go and talk with them.. maybe you and the counselor can roll it around and try to figure it all out?

when we put ourselves under a lot of stress and pressure, we are sometimes so exhausted, we don't sleep well, or at all.

Answer 10

Stress related.Drink a warm cup of milk before you go to bed.
Milk has an enzyme in it that when heated will make you sleepy.