Money worries keep women up at night
Wed, September 17 2008
The New Zealand study examined the impact of stress on sleep and the things women do to cope.
Three-quarters of the women surveyed said stress affected their sleep; more than one in 10 turned to alcohol or sleeping pills.
Financial problems were the biggest cause of sleeplessness among women (28 per cent), followed by relationships (23 per cent) and job (17 per cent).
The survey, commissioned by Johnson’s, found 57 per cent of men were affected by stress, with jobs the biggest worry (30 per cent) followed by money (19 per cent).
One in five women said financial woes had a negative impact on their relationship with their partner. More than three-quarters said lack of sleep had a negative impact on their looks.
The most common stress relief tactics used by women were reading, watching TV or listening to music, followed by making a cup of tea or taking “me time.”
Sleep Well Clinics director Dr. Alex Bartle suggested that people try deep abdominal breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to wind down before sleeping.
“Delay bedtime until you are really sleepy and then tell your mind to stop stressing – out loud if necessary,” Bartle said. He also suggested leaving at least an hour before bed to take a soothing bath or shower followed by quiet relaxation.
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