Here’s The Most Common Intrusive Thoughts Keeping People Up All Night
How do stress and sleep relate? Do you find yourself tossing and turning all night? You’re certainly not alone. Many things can cause people to wake up in the middle…
How do stress and sleep relate? Do you find yourself tossing and turning all night? You're certainly not alone. Many things can cause people to wake up in the middle of the night. A major one though? Stress. And April is Stress Awareness Month. (Do we need more awareness of stress? I just need less stress but getting that is a whole other discussion).
And National Stress Awareness Day is April 16th. And on the topic of stress and sleep our friends at MattressNextDay conducted a survey of 1,500 Americans. And they were kind enough to share their research with us. What was the topic of the survery? The reasons they wake up during the night. Here is what they found:
The Most Common Worries Disturbing Americans' Sleep
|
What do you believe the reasons are for waking up during the night? |
Male % |
Female % |
% Difference in Men/Women |
|
Worries about your general to-do list on the following day |
15% |
21% |
47% |
|
Randomly thinking about something you forgot to do that day |
15% |
19% |
41% |
|
Stressing that you’re going to oversleep/miss your alarm |
13% |
16% |
32% |
|
Work stress for the following day |
15% |
11% |
21% |
|
Thinking someone is in your home e.g., hearing noises downstairs |
10% |
7% |
39% |
In addition to this Martin Seeley, Sleep Expert at MattressNextDay offered up some tips to decrease stress at night.
“It's crucial to acknowledge and manage worries and stress to promote restful sleep." He says. Ensuring a good night's sleep is equally vital for managing stress levels effectively. During sleep, the brain processes emotional experiences, and enough rest can enhance cognitive clarity, regulate emotions, strengthen the immune system, and boost our ability to cope with worries and stress.”
Here are some of his tips:
- Write Down Your Thoughts
- Weighted Blanket for Anxiety
- Practice Mindfulness or Meditation
Stress and Sleep
He goes on to say, "It Is important to manage worries before you get into your bedtime routine to create a better sleeping environment for sleep and rest. By addressing worries and implementing these practical tips, individuals can enhance their sleep quality and overall well-being.”
So perhaps some of these tips will help. I know personally I've tried to get into journaling and I just am not good at it. Additionally, while I am a fan of yoga, mindfulness and meditation aren't really my things. I guess I need to add a weighted blanket to my Amazon list.
Things I've found helpful to avoid waking up due to stress include lavender pillow spray, doing a full skincare routine, and just taking time to decompress. But I'll still admit I have a lot of work to do when it comes to stress and sleep. Thanks to our friends at MattressNextDay for sharing their research on stress and sleep with us. You can view the full study here.
Here’s How Much Money It Takes To Live Comfortably In The 5 Major North Carolina Cities
It's hard to not be stressed or depressed about money these days. Prices have skyrocketed and I often joke that the value of everything seems to have gone up- except me. But goods and services don't tell the entire pictures when it comes to cost of living. So how much money does it take to live comfortably in each of the major cities? A lot. The financial experts at Smart Asset recently conducted a study about the salary needed to live comfortably in cities across the country.
How Much Money It Takes To Live Comfortably
Smart Asset recommends a budget they describe as the 50/30/20 budge. This means that 50% of your salary should go to to needs. They include costs such as housing, transportation, and groceries in this category. The 30% is allocated to entertainment and hobbies. While the final 20% should be used to pay off debt, or if you're lucky enough to be debt free saving or investing.
So to conduct this study they took the "local cost of necessities and taxes" and factored it into the 50/30/20 budget to determine the "pre-tax salary needed to live comfortably" in the 99 largest U.S. cities. They found that $96,500 is the amount needed for an individual to live comfortably in a major U.S. city. 5 North Carolina cities were included in this study. The five largest in the state- Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, and Winston-Salem. When it comes to the amount of money it takes to live comfortably in North Carolina cities, only two were less than average. I thought the south was supposed to be cheaper!
These days it truly feels like most people are living paycheck to paycheck or at least not able to save significant money. Even though when it comes to salary people are making higher than they have before that money doesn't go near as far as it did even a few years ago. Keep reading to see how much money it takes to live comfortably in each of the 5 largest North Carolina cities. Don't say I didn't warn you though, it may sting a little!
Read the full study from Smart Asset here.
Winston- Salem
According to this data the most affordable North Carolina major city to live in is Winston-Salem. This Triad city is the fifth most populous in the state. It features a vibrant downtown, historic sites including Old Salem, and lot's of character and charm. It's the home of Wake Forest University, and provides easy access to other areas of the state as well.
Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $39.36
Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $81,869
Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $194,605
Greensboro
Staying in the same area the next city on this list is Greensboro. It's slightly more expensive than Winston and located in Guilford County. Greensboro is the third most populous city in the state.
Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $41.88
Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $87,110
Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $203,674
Durham
We now move to the Triangle. The third most expensive city to live in is Durham. The city offers lots of great jobs in tech and is home to Duke University. Downtown Durham has lots to offer from breweries and restaurants, to sports, arts, and entertainment.
Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $47.62
Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $99,050
Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $233,043
Charlotte
No Charlotte doesn't require the largest salary much to my surprise. The largest city in the state is the 2nd most expensive. And that hourly wage? I don't know many people making that.
Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $48.72
Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $101,338
Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $235,123
Raleigh
Which means the city where it takes the highest amount of money to live comfortably? The state capitol of Raleigh. Though it was a close race and fair to say the cost of living is fairly comparable between Charlotte and Raleigh. But hey if they want to win this one I'm ok with it since it impacts my bank account!
Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $49.40
Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $102,752
Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $235,872
