Recently, one of the doctors form the Mayo Clinic created a blog stressing the importance of sleep in relation to stress management. This is due to the fact that when we sleep, our bodies flush stress hormones out of our bloodstream. When we avoid sleep or subsist on only shallow, intermittent sleep, those hormones build up and lock us into a constant flight or fight state.

The most common symptoms of being in such a state are constant fatigue, impaired cognition, emotional instability and craving for foods that are rich in fat and sugar. To combat the stress that comes with not getting enough proper rest, the Mayo Clinic has a few tips on how to get deep and truly restful sleep.

First, the article highlights the value of establishing a regular pre-sleep routine. In addition to making sure that you get to sleep at roughly the same time every night, you should also make sure that you abstain from eating or drinking any foods that contain artificial stimulants like sugar or caffeine.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that you keep from using a laptop, tablet or smartphone the hour before you plan to fall asleep. The reason being, the light emanating from those electronic devices has the effect of convincing the brain that its morning time. Follow the link below to learn more ways you can get the restorative sleep you need.

Read the full article here: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/expert-blog/restorative-sleep/bgp-20055967