4 Steps To Sounder Sleep And Finances

You can read the full article on Forbes.com.

How many nights do you find yourself staring at the ceiling because you’re worried about your money? Countless? You’re not alone. Research from CreditCards.com reveals 62% of Americans are losing sleep over their finances – namely saving enough for retirement, paying for educational expenses, health care costs, mortgages and credit card debt. And it's a bigger issue for women (68% of whom say they lose shut-eye) than for men (56% comparatively).

One of those sleep-deprived women – media mogul Arianna Huffington, who revealed her surprising bag lady fears on HerMoney – decided to do something about the issue. In her best-seller called The Sleep Revolution, she says we should approach the problem in reverse. Sure, we all sleep more soundly when we’re not worried about money, our family, our jobs or our relationships. But, she says, being well rested will put you back in control. So, consider this your wake-up call. Here’s what you need to know, and do, to take back your night.

“Before You Lean In, Sleep In”

Sheryl Sandberg said that when she blurbed Huffington's book. And it's true, we often admire people who work more and sleep less, but we shouldn’t wear sleep deprivation as a badge of honor. Unless you make up the 1% of people who are “short sleepers” – people who can not only exist, but thrive on four-ish hours a night – science says you likely need seven to nine hours of sleep. So getting enough sleep becomes a foundational investment in yourself ­– and when you invest, you’ll be better for everyone else around you. “There’s no contradiction between leaning in as a woman and sleeping in, which basically means taking care of ourselves and making sure our lives are sustainable,” says Huffington.

Leave It On Paper

We often can’t fall asleep, because we haven't let go of the day, says Huffington. “We are clinging to our incompletions – and anybody who has a remotely interesting job has incompletions at the end of the day.” We have trouble letting go of financial matters – challenges, questions, problems – too. But not sleeping is not the answer. Huffington suggests keeping a notepad by your bed for thoughts you can't get rid of. Write down what you’re worried about and why. You won’t forget about it (the fear of forgetting in and of itself causes stress) and seeing it on paper in the light of the morning may unleash new ideas about how to solve it. And if there are financial issues that continue to nag you, it may be a sign that it's time to get help. Part of managing this is knowing when the stress is telling you to do something constructive and when you actually just need to focus on ways to calm yourself down – which are two very different things, says Amanda Clayman a financial therapist based in Brooklyn, NY. (In fact, on the topic of therapy, new guidelines from the American College of Physicians says people who suffer from insomnia should try counseling before resorting to sleeping pills. It's effective and safer for your health.)

You can read the full article on Forbes.com.

With Kelly Hultgren

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky is a weekly podcast that empowers women to take charge of their financial lives. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or find your favorite player here. You can also follow Jean on Facebook and Twitter.