Looking After Yourself – Stress and Sleeping Problems
CarerLinks Carer Portal
Supporting Carers to Live Well
Reducing Stress
Being a carer can be a stressful role, it is important that you don’t let your stress build up as this can cause future complications.
Even though it could seem like a small problem, stress can add additional weight onto a person’s routine making it harder to make time for yourself after caring for your loved one.
We are always here to help listen to your problems and aid you in finding the relevant help, just to make your life that little bit easier.
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What stress can look and feel like
Stress can take on many forms, most of which can be physical. Common symptoms of stress can be any of the following:
- Heart feels like it's pounding
- Breathing quickens
- Muscles may begin to tense
- Sweating
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When to seek help for stress
Stress can lead to many problems in the future if not managed. It is important you speak to your GP if you have any concerns about feeling stressed. Whilst they can give you information on what support is available, you can also refer yourself directly to a psychological therapies service.
You can find out more on how to deal with stress on the NHS website.
Having sleeping problems is common among carers, taking full responsibility for someone else can sometimes put your needs into second place. It is important you take time for yourself, not only for you but for the person you are caring for – so you can be alert and give them the best care.
It is recommended that you have at least 7 hours of sleep per night. If you have trouble getting to sleep for 7 hours, or feel as though you are still tired throughout the day and it is affecting your daily routine – you should seek help.
Getting help with sleeping problems when you’re a carer
If you’ve contacted our CarerLinks service, we will do a Carer’s Assessment where we can give you support and advice on what will work best for you. This could include arranging overnight care so you can have that much needed rest.
Sometimes people find it easier to speak to a pharmacist. Treatment can include sleeping aids in either tablet or liquid form. These can offer great short term solutions for people having problems sleeping however, they should not be taken for a period longer than two weeks.
If you need a more long term approach to your problem, it could be a good idea to speak to your GP. From here you could either be referred to take part in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or a Sleep Clinic.
You can also find some great tips on how to get a better night’s sleep on the NHS website.