Stress Management Effects on Health How to Deal With Stress-Related Insomnia By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD Twitter Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 30, 2020 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," and the host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Kai/Aflo / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Progressive Muscle Relaxation Journaling Work Through Your Stress Take the Pressure off Sleep Don't Do It Alone Are you stressed enough over finances, your job, relationship conflict or other stressors that you're experiencing insomnia? You're not alone! While sleep researchers generally agree that insomnia prevalence statistics vary because of the criteria used to define insomnia, at any one time about one-third of adults sampled will experience some form of insomnia, either difficulty going to sleep, trouble staying asleep, or insomnia so severe that it disrupts daytime activities. New diagnostic criteria for insomnia released in 2020 reinforce the connections between insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Although not always stress-related, these associations with mental health and the pace of daily living make insomnia an important topic for us to discuss here. Because sleep is so important to overall health, insomnia can affect your life in many ways. A sleep deficit can make you feel mentally slower and more emotional, which can exacerbate your experience of stress. Dealing with lasting insomnia can cause stress, too, which can lead to more stress-related insomnia. And, if your insomnia is stress-related to begin with, being overly tired and stressed does nothing to help solve the problems creating the stress in the first place. Here are a few things to try if you are dealing with stress-related insomnia. Press Play for Advice On Getting Better Sleep Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring news anchor Diane Macedo, shares the strategies she used to getter better quality sleep. Click below to listen now. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Progressive Muscle Relaxation Tension in your body can make it difficult to sleep. While people often don't even realize when they're stressed about something, their bodies are feeling the stress, and are tensed up as a result. Progressive muscle relaxation has been an accepted evidence-based treatment for insomnia for twenty years. PMR is a great tool for de-stressing your body. Journaling If you find yourself waking up in the night because you can't stop thinking about something that's causing you stress during the day, journaling may be an effective technique for you. The act of journaling carries several health and stress management benefits. In this context journaling can help you clear your mind, process strong emotions that are causing you to lose sleep, and brainstorm and construct plans that can help you manage the situations causing you stress. Work Through Your Stress If you're losing sleep due to anxiety, you may be able to relax and get better sleep with a change of perspective. Anxiety, including the type that keeps you up at night, is often a natural response to situations that need some sort of action. Viewing your situation as a challenge to be faced, rather than a threat, can help you get into an active, decision-making mode rather than remain in an anxious, passive state. Looking at a situation from different angles can help you see opportunities you may have missed. Cognitive restructuring can help you change your perspective on a stressful situation. Take the Pressure off Sleep As mentioned, when losing sleep becomes a regular occurrence, bedtime itself can become stressful. If you've reached this point, there are a few things you can do to take the stress off insomnia. First, if you're having trouble sleeping, you might want to get up and do something after a few minutes, when you're sure that sleep is a long way off. (This helps take the pressure off watching the clock for hours, and can help you feel more in control of your time as you engage in other activities.) It's also a good idea to use your bedroom primarily for sleep so that you associate your bed and your bedroom with sleep and not stress. Think of getting up and reading a book, getting things done around the house, and doing other not-too-stimulating activities that can help foster sleep when you're ready. Also, avoid caffeine during the afternoon and evening. Don't Do It Alone Many people who suffer from insomnia do not seek help. This is unfortunate because several interventions can help with insomnia, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication, and can help you take charge of stress-related insomnia. If you're experiencing persistent insomnia, consider talking to your doctor about your options. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Struggling with stress? Our guide offers expert advice on how to better manage stress levels. Get it FREE when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 6 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Roth T. Insomnia: definition, prevalence, etiology, and consequences. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3(5 Suppl):S7–S10. PMID:17824495 Olufsen IS, Sørensen ME, Bjorvatn B. New diagnostic criteria for insomnia and the association between insomnia, anxiety and depression. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2020;140(1). doi:10.4045/tidsskr.19.0041 Medic G, Wille M, Hemels ME. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. Nat Sci Sleep. 2017;9:151-161. doi:10.2147/NSS.S134864 Morin CM, Hauri PJ, Espie CA, Spielman AJ, Buysse DJ, Bootzin RR. Nonpharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine review. Sleep. 1999;22(8):1134-1156. doi:10.1093/sleep/22.8.1134 Colori S. Journaling as Therapy. Schizophr Bull. 2018;44(2):226-228. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbv066 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sleep Education. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Darien, Ill.: American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2020 Additional Reading Varkevisser M, Kerkhof GA. Chronic insomnia and performance in a 24-h constant routine study. J Sleep Res. 2005;14(1):49-59. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2004.00414.x Speak to a Therapist for Stress Management Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.