When stress sabotages your slumber

Sleepless in South Africa? You’re not alone.

According to Stellenbosch-based sleep expert Dr Hilda Landman, insomnia is a significant problem in the country, and one that’s fuelled by the high levels of psychological stress we experience. 

Stress as a result of work, personal or financial problems, and the subsequent release of stress hormones, leads to activation of the sympathetic nervous system and an increased state of arousal. This, according to The South African Society of Sleep Medicine (SASSM), disrupts your sleep-wake cycle, which means you may wake up during the night and struggle to fall asleep again. If this happens a couple of times, a cycle of chronic insomnia may follow.

If you struggle to doze off every so often, Dr Landman suggests self-hypnosis with the help of a sleep CD. Gentle background music and a reassuring voice guide you on a journey of relaxation while noise that may be disturbing you is blocked out.

If you frequently wake up at night, Dr Landman recommends the following routine.

• Get up, go to the bathroom and have a glass of water.
• Check if you're not too warm or cold. 
• Without switching on the light, pop in your headphones, try to relax, contemplate your dreams, and let an audio self-hypnosis
  programme guide you back into Dreamland.
• Also, remind yourself that you may just be experiencing a completely natural sleep rhythm that we’ve simply forgotten!

If your sleep problem is disrupting your life, and relaxation, self-hypnosis and lifestyle steps don’t seem to work, your insomnia is probably best addressed with medication, melatonin supplements or cognitive therapy. Don’t reach for the box of sleeping pills, which could be dangerous and become a bad habit. Speak to your GP, psychiatrist or psychologist, or get help from a sleep centre instead.

There's a good reason why the siesta, a form of biphasic sleep, is still a common tradition in some countries. According to Dr Landman, it's a wonderful way of giving your brain a break from compulsive thought cycles. Research shows that longer naps help boost memory and enhance creativity and immunity. Now show us the employer who would complain about that!