5 Ways To Prevent Work Stress From Ruining Sleep (From Someone Who’s Been There)

April 26, 2023

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As a holistic healthcare provider, I know the importance of sleep and the things I need to do to improve my quality of sleep. But walking the walk myself is much easier said than done.

Last year, I began to feel increasingly burnt out from the stress of running my own busy practice. To make myself available to patients, I would typically work till 8:30 p.m. and often attend to paperwork between dinner and bedtime. Though I have always been a great sleeper, I started waking up feeling tired and sometimes with a sore jaw. I knew I have been clenching my teeth at night from stress, which can impact sleep quality. 

I started using an Oura ring a few months ago, and the sleep data confirmed that it was an issue. I noticed my deep sleep could be insufficient at times. Working late and eating dinner late would typically increase my heart rate, and lead to a poorer night’s snooze. Now I have the data to prove it—no more excuses. 

I knew I had to make a change to sustain my own well-being. I needed to create a sanctuary for my sleep, both physically and figuratively, and protect it against my workaholic self.

So beginning this year, I set strict boundaries and made a few changes:

• End work earlier
• Have dinner sooner
• Have a gap of 3-4 hours between dinner and bedtime
• Do not discuss, watch or do anything stressful after dinner and before bedtime
• Reserve an afternoon every weekend for myself, even if to do nothing, just to allow myself the space and time to simply be. 

• Average hours I sleep a night: 8 hours
• Ideal bedtime: 11 p.m. According to the TCM organ clock, some of the most important organ systems go through their routine detox and replenishment during the hours of 9 p.m.-5 a.m. So it’s best to not eat after 9 p.m. and sleep by 11 p.m.
• Ideal wake-up time: 7 a.m.
• Nightstand essentials: A glass of water, essential oil diffuser, hand cream, and lip balm
• Favorite place I’ve ever slept: My own bed with my ergonomic foam pillow
• Sleep bad habit: Watching suspenseful TV series before bed
• Caffeine consumption: 1 cup of coffee in the morning. I try to stay away from coffee after 12 p.m. If I need an energy pick-me-up in the afternoon, I go for ⅓ to ½ a cup of matcha latte.
• How I track my sleep: I wear my Oura ring to sleep
• The last product or habit that changed my sleep for the better: Using the Miko foot massager as part of my wind-down routine
• The first thing I do when I wake up: Checking my work email—a bad habit I am working to change. Ideally, I would like to wake up to a 5-minute meridian stretch.

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8:30 a.m.: I walk to my office on the sunny side of the street, without wearing sunglasses. Since I rarely have a chance to leave the office during the day, this is the time to get sunlight exposure to help my body make essential melatonin and regulate my circadian rhythm.

5 p.m.: On Tuesdays, I get out of the office early, and this allows me to attend a yoga class for some movement and to quiet the mind.

7 p.m.: Walk home from yoga class and get ready for dinner. 

8 p.m.: Clean up after dinner. I try my best to not do work on my laptop and treat this as a time to relax and catch up with my partner about our days.

8:30 -10 p.m.: Watch some TV. Even though I love a good suspense/ mystery series, I have been trying to watch more light-hearted content during the last hour before bed. There were nights when I stayed up binging The Last of Us, and my nervous system got too fired up to fall asleep after the show. 

10:30 p.m.: I start my wind-down routine. I take a hot shower and spray on Alo magnesium oil on the soles of my feet. Then massage it in while applying some acupressure on Kidney 1. I will then turn down the lights, and continue to watch a little more TV, while doing a 20-minute session on my foot massager (sometimes a warm foot bath with lavender essential oil). There are so many benefits to warming and massaging the feet before bed.

11 p.m.: As part of sleep hygiene, my bedroom has black-out curtains and no major electronics (TV, computer, speakers). With heavy eyelids, I get into bed and turn off the lights, usually dozing off in about 10 minutes.

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