Stress Relief: 5 Techniques to Sleep Well, Sleep Deeper
Shifting nervous system dominance from sympathetic (arousing) to parasympathetic (calming) is key to sleeping deeper and recovering faster. Strategies that effectively promote this include deep breathing, meditation, massage, VNS, and reduced blue light exposure.
Sleep and Stress
Stress is an inevitable part of life. An essential stimulus to adapt to. When stress increases too high, or lasts too long (chronic), it overactivates the sympathetic nervous system, stimulating hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. (1) This increases sleep reactivity, or how easily sleep can be disrupted and how difficult it is to fall and stay asleep. (2)
Such heightened state of arousal, so-called fight or flight, disrupts hormones to a degree that’s detrimental to sleep. The data shows consistent decreases in REM and slow wave sleep associated with stress. (3)
For one to sleep well, the body needs a solid restful state characterized by parasympathetic nervous system dominance, leading to lower heart rate, breathing rate, and lower brain activity. In such a state, sleep-regulating hormones like GABA, serotonin, and melatonin dominate, helping one unwind and create a peaceful state conducive to sleep well.
How does stress affect sleep?
Stress overactivates the sympathetic nervous system, stimulating hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. This increases sleep reactivity (how easily sleep is disrupted), making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Studies show stress consistently decreases REM and slow wave sleep.
How to get sleep when stressed?
Shift from sympathetic (arousing) to parasympathetic (calming) nervous system dominance through techniques like deep breathing, meditation, massage, vagus nerve stimulation, and reducing blue light exposure before bed.
How do you fix insomnia from stress?
Create a sleep-conducive environment (cool, dark, quiet room), establish a consistent sleep schedule, practice stress-reduction techniques (meditation, deep breathing), limit stimulants (caffeine, screens, food) before bed, and consider techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
How to Relieve Stress
Psychological stress is harder to control and requires specific techniques like thought observation, journaling, or change of perception. However, most people can decrease the arousal of the body by following a few simple techniques. The goal is getting the physiological stress level down to slow down heart rate, breathing rate, and brain activity.
There are various tools to help reduce stress, even acutely.
How do you relieve stress quickly?
Change your breathing pattern (slow, deep breaths), increase vagal tone through cold exposure or meditation, apply self-massage to relieve muscle tension, or use heat therapy like sauna.
In terms of deep breathing, slower and longer exhale can slow down heart rate and de-activate the sympathetic nervous system.
How do I manage my own stress?
Focus on what you can control:
your breathing – slow it by lengthening the exhale
physical tension in your body – lower it via stretching
exposure to stressors – limit unnecessary environmental toxins
calm your mind – use techniques like thought observation, journaling, and meditation
Just changing the pace of breathing changes oxygenation and heart rate in a profound way. Increasing vagal tone, whether by cold exposure, meditation, or vibrating devices, has also a strong effect. Applying pressure via self-massage and heat via sauna can help relieve muscle tension and muscular stress.
The practicality of such tools is that it’s in one’s voluntary control. Everyone can voluntarily control the breath, massage the muscles, or use a neurofeedback device. It takes the uncontrollable psychological pressure off, focusing on the things one can do.
Meditation and Deep Breathing
Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. The brain is trained to achieve an observant, non-reactive state while focusing on only one thing, the breath. Deep breathing and mindful meditation can reduce physiological stress, decreasing how active and aroused one’s system is. This shifts the body towards a more parasympathetic, or chill state, which is healthier.
The data shows mindfulness or body scan meditation to be an effective way to improve sleep quality. Potentially by reducing sleep-interfering thoughts and changes in sleep architecture, meditation can improve how deactivated and peaceful one is. (4) (5)
Mindful breathing has also been used as an additional tool for insomnia. Alongside sleep-inducing exercises, it was shown to improve sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and reduce negative emotions associated with stress and anxiety. (6)
The fact that modern lifestyle is comprised of heavy stressors that contribute to work overload and burnout makes meditation an effective tool to enhance sleep.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve which runs from the brainstem to organs like the heart, digestive system, and the lungs. Increasing vagal tone is associated with increased parasympathetic activity, stress-reduction, and longevity.
Numerous practices that are being promoted as stress-relievers share one thing in common, activating the vagal nerve. Such methods can include cold exposure, meditation, humming, deep breathing, or listening to classical music. (7) (8) (9)
Increasing vagal tone is important, particularly as the modern-day life is filled with tasks, pressures, and deadlines. One of the primary drivers of health degradation is chronic stress that disrupts sleep. By increasing vagal tone, one can set the body in a proper rest and digest state where the strongest regenerating benefits occur.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been widely used for its application in modulating cardiovascular function, as a potential therapy for CVD. (10)
The common, non-invasive technique to increase vagal tone is by using a device that attaches on the ear or near the neck, vibrating to stimulate the vagus nerve.
The reason vagal nerve can be so profound is its link to HRV. Increasing vagal tone has been generally shown to increase heart rate variability (HRV) (10) (11), an important measure of autonomic nervous system activity, heart health, and ability to adapt to stress.
However, not all studies align with this thesis. Some show that using a taVNS (vibrating device to stimulate the VN) is not effective at increasing vagal tone or HRV. (12) (13)
Self-Massage
Massage has been marketed as one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and tension. The practice of applying mechanical pressure to the muscle seems to shift the body towards a higher parasympathetic dominance, improving recovery.
During a massage, the pressure that’s applied increases temperature and stimulates blood flow in the muscle. To an extent, activating specific pressure points can lead to increased vagal tone and reduce neural excitability. (14) (15) These are the two main mechanisms that contribute to relieving stress.
Although there are various types of massages, the general trend suggests massage to be an effective way to improve sleep, relieve stress, and daytime fatigue. (16) (17) (18)
Since most people store a lot of tension in their body, in their muscles, relieving this by engaging in a self-massage, focusing on the main tight spots in the body can profoundly improve sleep and relieve stress.
Supplements for Stress
Most neuroscientists explain that being aroused enough throughout the day, via exercise, cognitive tasks, and light exposure is critical to allowing the body to develop a restful state later on.
Neurotransmitters in the brain like dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, and GABA greatly impact the level of arousal vs sleepiness. These can be manipulated by all previous – exercise, light, sleep, or nutrition.
Reducing ultra-processed food (UPFs) like refined sugars and trans fats from the diet will do the heavy lifting required to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. Just eliminating bad nutrients from the diet and adding healthy fiber-rich probiotic foods can substantially improve gut microbiota and mood. (19) (20)(21)
Next source is supplementation. Providing the brain with the required nutrients – healthy fats, B-vitamins, and choline builds the foundation of a healthy functioning brain, the base for good mood and stress tolerance.
Adaptogens that can specifically target pathways related to higher stress adaptability include Ashwagandha (22) and Rhodiola Rosea (23). Additionally, L-theanine (24) and Magnesium (25) are great ways to stabilize brain function, contributing to reduction in hyperexcitability or arousal.
Red Light at Night
Light exposure significantly affects arousal states, brain function, and sleepiness. Light health refers to the proper light exposure that aligns closely with one’s circadian rhythm. Using light, whether via sun exposure or devices in the morning, to raise cortisol levels and activate the brain, and cutting light at nighttime, to let the brain and body rest.
Due to the increased use of devices at nighttime – watching shows, working late nights, scrolling social media – blue light exposure has dramatically increased.
Blue light at nighttime is detrimental to sleep, as it targets specific photoreceptors that stimulate the brain. (26) Late-night use of blue-light emitting devices reduces melatonin production and impairs sleep. (27) (28) (29)
One of the ways to block it is by using blue light glasses. However, it’s even better to rely on infrared, red light, or candles as a more natural, less stimulating source of light, close to nighttime.
Replacing artificial blue light with red or ambient lighting at night helps align the internal clock, promoting better sleep and deeper rest. (30)
Does deep breathing calm the nervous system?
Yes, deep breathing reduces physiological stress by decreasing sympathetic activity and shifting toward parasympathetic dominance, which calms the body. This is true particularly about extending the exhale. The 4-7-8 breathing is atypical example.
Inhale for 4 seconds
Pause for 7 seconds
Exhale for 8 seconds
Does meditation calm the nervous system?
Yes, meditation trains the brain to achieve a non-reactive, observant state that reduces physiological stress and promotes parasympathetic activity, helping improve sleep quality.
Most of us are hyperaroused, solving hypothetical problems and communicating with people, inventing problems, trying to solve ones we don’t even have. Meditation let’s us learn that we can spend time not doing or thinking anything, that it is okay to do it. This way we are better equipped to observe some of our thoughts throughout the day, without responding.
Can vagus nerve stimulation reduce stress?
Yes, stimulating the vagus nerve increases parasympathetic activity, which counteracts stress responses and promotes a “rest and digest” state.
It can be done by stimulating the vagus nerve directly, using a transcutaneous device, or taVNS. Or it can be done by training, cold exposure, deep breathing and similar techniques that increase vagal tone.
How do you reset the vagus nerve for anxiety?
Through techniques like cold exposure, meditation, humming, deep breathing, listening to classical music, or using specific vibrating devices designed to stimulate the vagus nerve.
How does self-massage reduce stress?
Self-massage applies mechanical pressure that increases temperature and blood flow in muscles, activates pressure points that can reduce neural excitability, shifting the body toward parasympathetic dominance.
Since a lot of tension is stored in our body, releasing that tension by deep stretching or massaging can help restore healthier mood, lower anxiety and stress.
Sleep Routine to Relieve Stress (10-Minutes)
Creating a sleep conducive environment is the base for healthy sleep. A healthy sleep environment entails a cool, quiet, and dark room. The bedding should be comfortable, clean, and ideally, the room without a TV. A consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time daily, is very important as well.
2-hours before sleep, it’s best to reduce all stimulators like:
- blue light: wearing blue blocking glasses if using devices, turning all artificial lights down and instead using red light panels or infrared light bulbs, or candles.
- food intake: limiting food intake to at least 3 hours before bed, particularly refined sugars that act stimulatory.
- stimulants: limiting total caffeine intake to 2 cups daily (200-300 mg of caffeine) no later than 2 PM. limiting or totally excluding any alcohol consumption.
10-minute sleep routine before bed:
- deep breathing: whether meditation, mindfulness, or breathwork, this will allow to restore parasympathetic activity, reducing physiological arousal. Longer exhales, longer pauses.
- self-massage: massage your trapezius muscle with a small massage ball against the door, as the most tension is stored in the neck. Stretch out the hips with deep squats, quad and hip flexor stretches to release hip tightness.
- vagus stimulation: potentially adding a vagus stimulating device to increase parasympathetic tone and calm down.
- supplements: magnesium may help reduce muscle tension, improving sleep onset latency, particularly if one’s deficient in it.
What are the best supplements for stress?
Adaptogens like Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Rosea, an amino acid L-theanine or a neuromineral, Magnesium, can help
- improve brain function
- reduce hyperexcitability
- reduce arousal
- prevent burnout
- stabilize HPA axis activity
- balance stress hormones.
How can I reduce stress and anxiet through diet?
- Reduce ultra-processed foods
- Add fiber-rich probiotic foods
- Ensure adequate nutrients (healthy fats, B-vitamins, choline)
- Consider adaptogenic supplements.
What to do 20 minutes before bed?
Practice deep breathing with longer exhales, do self-massage focusing on areas of tension, reduce all blue light exposure, avoid food/stimulants, and consider taking magnesium to help reduce muscle tension.
