* Sleep The secret of good sleep? Embracing your stress Boudicca Fox-Leonard Can meditation bust sleep stress? Credit: Andrew Crowley * Boudicca Fox-Leonard -- mind. We’re in the grip of a stress-insomnia epidemic. A report by the Sleep Council in 2014 found that 72 per cent of those questioned blamed stress for sleeping problems, and with one in six people in Europe suffering from chronic anxiety, it’s small wonder. -- be primed, exhausted, and filled back up again with calories so that we can keep going. But the result of that behaviour can be burn-out: and our sleep is where we often feel the effects of stress first. So why, when we want it so badly, is sleep so elusive? Woman in bed Stress induced insomnia is affecting more and more of us Credit: Andrew Crowley/Andrew Crowley -- to ruminating thoughts,” she says. It is estimated that up to a quarter of the population now suffers from insomnia, with as many as 45 per cent citing work stress as the primary cause. At the extreme, Dr Lederle sees people whose anxieties have taken over their nightlife and, indeed, their daytime lives to the point where they avoid going for that promotion or that exciting trip abroad for fear the stress will stop them sleeping. “Allowing these monsters in their heads to take over is removing all the joy from their lives,” says Dr Lederle. Far from being a modern malaise, our stress and worry isn’t all down to the frenetic pace of 21st-century life. Worry is an instinct. It affects the sleep of everyone, not just those in the developed world. -- It’s to do with our fight-or-flight response. Thousands of years ago you might have been wondering if there’s a lion behind a bush, so our body releases [the stress hormone] cortisol to get us ready. Worry is a good thing for our survival. However, there could be no lion behind the bush, it could be some delicious berries. ” -- If you’re not quite ready to face your night fears head-on, then there are other approaches to de-stressing you can try. The not very soothing term “sleep hygiene” is used to describe the environment in which we attempt to put ourselves to bed. -- “For insomniacs, obsessing over the details of sleep, whether by wearing a fitness tracker such as a Jawbone or keeping a sleep diary, can add to sleep stress” Boudicca Fox-Leonard -- top-of-the-range Vividus bed I had the pleasure of trying, has seen a rise in demand for beds for teenagers who are struggling with exam stress. “It’s all about unwinding from the day and getting your bed right is a -- overanalysing our sleep habits. For insomniacs, obsessing over the details of sleep, whether by wearing a fitness tracker such as a Jawbone or keeping a sleep diary, can add to sleep stress. Woman in bed Meditation could open the gates of Somnus for you Credit: Andrew -- like an entirely different person: more upbeat, more productive and, most importantly, not sleep-deprived. One of the biggest changes for Williams was learning that relying on stress to get things done was counterproductive. “Being a stressy person was elevating my cortisol levels so that when I lay down to go to bed I was still supercharged from a busy day,” he says. -- While meditation might not be the answer for everyone, we can all recognise ways our lifestyles are at odds with restful sleep. So perhaps next time I’ve had a stressful day I’ll leave the cork in the wine bottle and pour myself a relaxing bath instead. Stress busting sleep kit * S+ Res Med sleep tracker. Pop this non-contact sleep tracker on -- 21 Dec 2016, 9:55am Mind healing: tips for taking the stress out of Christmas 11. oncology department, Patient with cancer receiving chemotherapy in day hospital. -- The sisters who helped each other through breast cancer 17. How to de-stress in the lead up to Christmas Gallery 18 Dec 2016, 7:00am Gallery: How to de-stress in the lead up to Christmas 18. Graham Norton 16 Dec 2016, 11:08am