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Stress is a regular part of our lives and when something is stressing us out, our bodies find ways to let us know … especially at night. Our jobs can be a big source of stress and until it starts impacting our sleep, we might not even realize how bad it is.
Sleep expert Martin Sleeley says these red flags could be warning that your workplace may be toxic and that your work stress is affecting you more than you think.
- Regularly waking up at 3 a.m. - Stress can influence our sleep cycles and our levels of the stress hormone cortisol are higher in the morning. Waking up in the early hours on repeat suggests that cortisol levels are peaking sooner than they should be, something Seeley says is worth evaluating to see if workplace stress is to blame.
- Sleepless Sundays - If you struggle to fall asleep on most Sundays, it may have something to do with work. A Sleep Foundation survey reveals that Sunday is the hardest night to fall asleep and 55% of respondents link that to worries about their jobs.
- Workplace nightmares - We spend so much time at work, it’s not surprising that we dream about it, too. But if your dreams are more of the nightmare variety, it would be a warning sign. Seeley explains that if your workplace dreams are “always surrounded by negativity such as missing deadlines, oversleeping or even being fired,” that suggests workplace stress is “ingrained in the subconscious mind” as the brain can’t fully disconnect from the workplace.
- Revenge bedtime procrastination - This is something many of us are guilty of, procrastinating instead of going to sleep, and it could be a sign we feel like we don’t have much control over our work/life balance and we’re trying to regain some, according to the expert.
- You have a weekday sleep schedule and a weekend sleep schedule - Sleeley says sleeping in on the weekends to make up for work week sleep deprivation is a “clear sign” your job is affecting your sleep cycle.
Source: Huff Post UK