Professionals in the event industry are frequently under an overwhelming amount of stress, trying to ensure the big day or weekend runs smoothly and according to plan. Unfortunately, stress can have serious ramifications on our quality of sleep, and in turn, the state of our mental and physical health. So, what is an event professional, a career that was voted the fifth most stressful occupation of 2016, supposed to do in order to salvage their sleep? As somebody who takes the time to ensure the people around them are accommodated and taken care of, it’s important to practice self-care and redirect some of that time to making sure you’re happy and healthy.
Benefits of a Nighttime Routine
According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, participants who slept 4 ½ hours a night during a study by the University of Pennsylvania reported feeling stressed, angry, sad, and mentally drained throughout the day. When they got back in the habit of receiving a full night’s sleep, however, their mood significantly improved. That’s why taking an hour or an hour and a half before bed to unwind and de-stress after a long day on the clock can seriously improve your quality of rest and your general well-being.
When work-related anxiety messes with your headspace before bed, it prevents you from getting your proper rest, which then perpetuates your anxiety even farther. Avoid that vicious cycle and consider practicing these effective nighttime activities which help induce sleepiness and relieve anxiety.
Brew A Pot Of Herbal Tea
Not only is tea a delicious and comforting way to get your daily dose of caffeine, but it also has the ability to relax the muscles, ease anxiety, and even make you feel sleepy — like chamomile tea in particular. The tea has been used as a sleep-aid for thousands of years, but event professionals in particular can benefit from its stress relieving and irritability reducing properties.
Ensure Your Bedroom Is Set Up For Sleep
Your bedroom should be dedicated to two things and two things only; sex and sleep. Everything else, especially anything work-related, should be done elsewhere in the home. That way, when you eventually retire to bed at the end of the night, you’re automatically alerting your brain that it’s time for sleep.
Furthermore, your bedroom should be the epitome of a sleep haven. Furnish it with things like cozy rugs, dimmable mood lighting, an essential oil diffuser, but most importantly — a comfortable mattress. Your bed should be perfectly accommodating and fit your specific needs, or else it could be one of the contributors to your poor sleep.
Like for event professionals, for example, whose job requires a lot of time on their feet, might suffer from lower back pain and benefit from a firmer mattress. The best medium-firm mattress is one with a pillow-top so it’s nice and supportive, yet plush enough to provide pressure relief.
Keep Away From Electronics
During the day, electronics are incredibly helpful in keeping you organized and on-track with your day-to-day work responsibilities. At nighttime, on the other hand, electronics are definitely not your friend.
Our bodies are equipped with an internal alarm clock, otherwise known as our circadian rhythm, and it’s heavily influenced by light and darkness. As such, the blue light that illuminates from electronic device screens like your phone or laptop can throw off your circadian rhythm and delay the release of melatonin. This makes it harder for your body to recognize that it’s time to start winding down for bed.
Not only does the light from electronics affect your quality of sleep, but so does the constant buzzing from texts, work calls, emails, etc. When your phone is turned on near your nightstand, your brain can stay alert for longer than it should, waiting for another notification to check. Accordingly, to avoid device-related sleep disturbances, stay away from electronics an hour to an hour and a half before bed to give your brain a chance to unplug and unwind.
Read A Book
Before bedtime, you can trade your planner for a good book because reading is one of the best ways to distract your brain from work-related stresses and prepare your mind for a full night’s rest. In fact, just six minutes of reading day can reduce stress levels by 68%.
Practice Meditation And Yoga
Meditation and meditative movements like yoga are known to help reduce stress, and they teach you how to cope with your anxieties so they don’t overwhelm you to the point where it’s affecting your mental health. Yoga is a popular daytime practice, but doing so at night can be real beneficial for your stress levels and not to mention your muscles, which will get a good stretch after a long day on the job.
About the Author:
Matthew Ross
Co-Founder & COO at The Slumber Yard