When you juggle between a thousand activities while trying to reconcile your professional, social, family, romantic and personal life, it's normal to feel overwhelmed. This feeling often comes with an increased level of stress felt at certain times of the day, more precisely in the evening, right before bedtime.
Effects of Stress on your zzz
According to sleep expert Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., stress triggers our sympathetic nervous system, which in turn leads to increased heart and breathing rates and makes relaxation very difficult.
These physiological changes lead to over-arousal and affect sleep processes. A vicious circle then sets in where stress prevents you from sleeping well and lack of sleep exacerbates stress.
To fix this, the solution remains simple: you have to tackle stress in order to improve the quality of your sleep. Easier said than done? Yes, but there are still easy, effective ways
Make a to-do list, not a check list
According to a study[1] published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, participants who took 5 minutes to write down a to-do list before bed fell asleep faster than participants who wrote about tasks they had already completed.
The key, the researchers say, is to mentally "unload" responsibilities before bedtime, theoretically freeing the mind for restful sleep.
Be Mindful
The goal: to disengage the SNS (sympathetic nervous system), which is automatically activated when you are in stress mode, to activate the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system), which is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" function.
The key to triggering it: mindfulness. A few ways to activate it includes: mediation, breathing techniques, massage, stretching, etc. When the PNS is activated, a person will feel calm, relaxed and be more receptive to getting a good night's sleep.
Take a natural supplement
Along with all of these solutions, a little extra help can't hurt. Combining an anti-stress supplement with a sleep-aid supplement can be doubly effective.
Our experts recommend taking one Bazzzics Pre-Sleep* capsule to calm the body and mind before bedtime + one Bazzzics Stay Asleep* capsule to help you get that uninterrupted sleep you’ve been dreaming of.
* Both formulas are made with plant extracts, 100% vegan, non-habit forming and made in Canada.
[1] https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-47677-001