This week is World Mental Health Awareness Week and the focus is on sleep or the lack of it and its impact on our mental health.
Kalms are working to raise awareness of the ‘stress-sleep cycle’, and the impact that it can have on our mental health and wellbeing.
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive, said: “By understanding what affects our sleep, we can help protect the mental health of millions of people and also support recovery.”
“We want to start a national conversation about how we can all sleep better, and uncover the hidden mental health costs of the poor sleep that affects so many of us.”
One in 4 Britons reports that stress is the main contributing factor for losing sleep.
Stress is our body’s reaction to pressures from a situation or life event.
In many everyday cases, it can be seen as a normal reaction that helps keep us awake and alert, but when stress becomes excessive or persists over some time, the opposite happens.
The knock-on effects of stress can have a vast impact on our mental and physical wellbeing while disrupting the balance of hormones released.
Dr Irshaad Ebrahim, co-founder of The London Sleep Centre and neuropsychiatrist, comments; “When our internal neurochemical systems are working normally, they regulate biological processes like sleep, appetite, mood, and energy levels.
If we are stressed, the Adreno-Cortical System is dysregulated, and our energy sources are diverted, resulting in sleep disruption and mood changes.”
The persistence of stress can affect our ability to sleep. As we continue to accrue a sleep deficit – the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep, our ability to concentrate worsens, mood drops, and productivity decreases, all of which can emphasize feelings of stress and anxiety.
Physical effects of stress can lead to a heightened risk of respiratory problems, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Feeling stressed increases physiological and psychological arousal in ways that are incompatible with the conditions your body and mind need to enter a relaxed, restorative sleep.
This process repeats and a stress-sleep cycle is formed.
Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim explains; “Many peoples’ sleep issues are worsened through anticipatory stress, whereby we fear an outcome before the event has taken place.
When this happens repeatedly, a cycle begins to form.
The Stress Sleep Cycle
Here Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim shares his top 5 tips to help break the stress-sleep cycle:
1. “Ensure consistency with your bedtime routine.” Going to bed and waking up at the same time helps maintain the circadian rhythm – the body’s 24-hour internal clock.
2. “Switch off your electrical devices.” Bright lights before bed can stimulate us, again interfering with a person’s circadian rhythm. Turning off your electronic devices an hour before bedtime is a significant intervention to assist sleep – go on try it for two weeks!
3. “Consider trying a traditional herbal remedy (THR)”. Based on long-standing use as traditional herbal remedies, Kalms Night One-A-Night is used for temporary relief of sleep disturbances. In contrast, Kalms Day is used for the temporary relief of symptoms associated with stress. Both contain Valerian Root.
4. “Relax and clear your mind” Reducing cortisol levels, and in-turn stress levels, before we go to bed is a must. Try 15 minutes of meditation or breathing exercises beforehand to help decrease anxiety and promote relaxation.
5. “Exercise regularly – but not before bed” Physical activity is great for helping our body balance hormone levels, improving sleep, and reducing stress. It’s a great way to release endorphins and other chemicals in the brain, which reduces stress and regulates mood.
Kalms products
Kalms products are available to buy at most supermarkets and pharmacies to suit your needs.
Kalms Lavender
One-A-Day Capsules is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of the symptoms of mild anxiety such as stress and nervousness, exclusively based on long-standing use as a traditional herbal remedy.
Kalms Night and Kalms Night One-A-Night
These are traditional herbal medicinal products used for the temporary relief of sleep disturbances, exclusively based on long-standing use as a traditional herbal remedy – Contains Valerian Root.
Kalms herbal
This is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of; symptoms associated with stress such as mild anxiety and irritability exclusively based on long-standing use as a traditional herbal remedy.
Mental Health Awareness Week is the perfect chance to try out new remedies and techniques.
Have you ever tried Kalms? Share your thoughts below or on our social media pages.