Shattered Peace

Why three out of five consumers are stressed and sleep-deprived

This year’s Wellness Report by Kantar identifies a problem most of us are aware of – only worse than we thought.

More than three in five consumers (61%) identify stress as a significant health barrier.

The Who Cares? Who Does? Report says this is creating a vicious cycle: stress leads to poor eating habits, which makes managing weight harder, which in turn adds more stress.

Many know they need improved sleep habits to combat this – 45% of consumers recognise that going to bed early is crucial to reducing stress, though less than two thirds (63%) of people regularly get a good night’s sleep.

This could be down to prolonged screen time, which only a third of people are actively limiting – despite many expressing a desire to disconnect.

Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer Health and Nutrition Survey adds UK detail to the problem. People’s ability to cope with these pressures has worsened over the past four years with larger percentages of the population experiencing daily stress and anxiety. And younger generations appear to be among the worst affected.

Euromonitor percentages of respondents experiencing daily impacts of stress and anxiety, broken down by age group, are:

39% of Gen Z
36% of Millennials
29% Gen X
22% Baby Boomers

The most common causes of stress in adults are: Not getting enough sleep; Finances; Family & relationships; Health; Work and workload; World events; Weight issues; Busy schedule; and Loneliness.

Revive Active Nutritionist Nicola Sainty tells us: “While the old adage of ‘keep calm and carry on’ is emblazoned on mugs, t-shirts and t-towels and might have been the mantra of older generations, it’s clear that ‘putting up and shutting up’ is not the answer, and that we need to start building our inner resilience to handle everyday pressures more effectively.

“Your Aunt Gertie was right when she said a good cup of tea and chat will make you feel better! L-Theanine is an amino acid found in tea and is revered for its calming properties by promoting alpha brainwave activity, leading to a relaxed yet alert mental state. Bundle that with a good old chat and all seems well in the world.

“High amounts of L-Theanine have been found in green tea, plus it packs a powerful punch with its catechin compounds, potent antioxidants helping to neutralise free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.”

She recommends Montmorency cherry juice a couple of hours before bedtime. With its natural compounds, Montmorency cherry juice offers a holistic approach to sleep support, making it a popular aid for better rest as it contains both a natural source of melatonin and tryptophan.

“Tryptophan is an amino acid needed to make serotonin, a ‘feel-good’ chemical because it helps regulate mood, promoting feelings of happiness, calm, and well-being, as well as needed to make melatonin, our key sleep hormone, signalling it’s time to rest,” Sainty adds. “Naturally, as it gets darker in the evening, our melatonin levels rise, helping us feel sleepy and set the body’s internal clock for a good night’s sleep.

“Tryptophan can also be found in bananas, oats and turkey, and many other natural whole foods. My favourite? Dark chocolate! Not only a source of tryptophan but also rich in magnesium, a mineral known for its role in relaxing properties and calming effect on the nervous system. Magnesium is also found in leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds and many other natural wholefoods.

“Serve up fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna steak for their rich content of omega-3s, vitamin D, tryptophan, and magnesium, providing a plethora of calming nutrition as well as a great source of protein which supports blood glucose balance.

“Botanicals have long been seen as an aid to calm – Chamomile Tea being the most well-known but other botanicals such as lemon balm and saffron have been shown to aid relaxation and adaptogens such as Ashwagandha have the ability to balance the body’s responses.”