Relaxation Techniques To Try
If you’re looking to get your body and mind relaxed before bed, here are some techniques you can try:
- Breathing and meditation techniques help to calm the mind and relieve anxiety before bedtime. A daily practice of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music has a positive effect on improving sleep quality and quality of life among older adults.”
- Stretching or Yoga can prepare the body for restful sleep by relaxing the muscles and settling the mind. Yoga appeared to be effective for sleep quality in participants who maintained an 8-week yoga intervention as well as a sleep diary.
Tips For Beating Anxiety To Get A Better Nights Sleep
Many people with anxiety disorders have trouble sleeping. That’s a problem. Too little sleep affects mood, contributing to irritability and sometimes depression. Vital functions occur during different stages of sleep that leave you feeling rested and energized or help you learn and forge memories. Sleep usually improves when an anxiety disorder is treated. Practicing good “sleep hygiene” helps, too. Here are some steps to take:
For additional tips and strategies for living with anxiety, buy Coping with Anxiety and Stress Disorders, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
The Relationship Between Anxiety And Sleep
According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety is âcharacterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.â
These are hardly ideal ingredients for a good nightâs sleep, by any standards. But thereâs more to the story. Letâs take a look at some key terms that will help delineate the relationship between sleep and anxiety.
Getting caught up in the vicious cycle of anxiety and sleep loss is all too easy, and it can escalate quickly. Before you have to pull yourself out from under hours and hours of sleep debt and possibly even crippling depression, do what you can do nip it in the bud. Take stock and take action, the sooner the better.
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The Relationship Between Sleep And Mental Health
The relationship between mental health and sleep isnt entirely understood yet. But according to Harvard Health Publishing, neurochemistry studies and neuroimaging suggests:
- an adequate nights sleep helps nurture both mental and emotional resilience
- chronic sleep disruptions might generate negative thinking and emotional sensibility
Its also implied that treating insomnia may help alleviate the symptoms associated with an anxiety disorder and vice versa.
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How Does Sleep Relate To Mental Health
There’s a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with a mental health problem can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.
“Poor sleep leads to worrying. Worrying leads to poor sleep. Worrying about sleep is like your mind trying to fight itself. That’s a horrible place to be.”
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What Causes Anxiety Disorders
The exact cause of anxiety is unknown. In fact, researchers believe that there is not one single cause but rather an interplay of factors that include a persons genetics, family history, and exposure to negative life events. Some health problems and drugs can also contribute to symptoms of anxiety.
Sleep Anxiety Tips: How To Calm Anxiety At Night
*This article is for general information purposes only and is not intended as medical or other professional advice. Visit the links within the text for sources. Casper has not independently verified the sources. While some of us may toss and turn some nights, every night can be a restless night for others. If youve ever struggled with sleep anxiety, you know the feeling of anxiously watching the clock as you worry about not being able to fall asleep and waking up sleep-deprived the next day. There are many statistics that reveal Americans struggle to sleep on a regular basis. As it turns out, anxiety and sleep are connected in a number of ways. Fifty percent of those who are sleep-deprived say that their anxiety impacts their ability to sleep at night. Its important to understand how anxiety can affect your ability to get a good nights rest. This guide covers what sleep anxiety is, the effects of anxiety-induced sleep deprivation, and science-backed tips for decreasing anxious thoughts, as well as how to set yourself up for better sleep.
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Use A Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are a type of heavy blanket that typically weighs between 5 and 30 pounds. Theyre known for producing calming effects by mimicking the feeling of a hug using deep pressure stimulation. Because weighted blankets can help increase serotonin and melatonin while decreasing cortisol, they have been shown to promote feelings of calmness and peacefulness.
What Is Sleep Anxiety
Sleep anxiety is fear or worry about going to sleep. You may be apprehensive about not falling asleep or not being able to stay asleep. Some people also have a distinct phobia, or fear, about sleep called somniphobia. They may think something bad will happen to them while they sleep, or that they shouldnt sleep because they need to stay alert and watchful.
Sleep and psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, often go hand in hand. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Similarly, if you have a sleep disorder, you might feel anxious or fearful before bed because youre afraid you wont get the rest you need. One condition usually makes the other worse, so it can feel like a never-ending cycle.
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How To Sleep When Stressed Or Anxious
If you feel stressed and anxious, the last thing you want to do is stay up all night tossing and turning. This will only make your mood worse and make you feel as so. It is crucial you know the importance of good sleep habits and how to achieve them. If you feel stressed or even anxious, you can try taking a warm bath to calm down.
You can also try some deep breathing techniques and even read a book to calm your mind. For long-term goals, you should try to get on a sleep schedule that includes going to bed and waking up simultaneously. You need to speak to your doctor about medications if you think they are a contributing factor. Another great tip is if you are a smoker or drink alcohol to cut back or stop entirely, as this can also affect your anxiety and lead to more sleepless nights.
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How Can Anxiety Affect Sleep
Anxiety and sleep disorders are related because people who are often plagued with worry and other symptoms of anxiety disorders usually have trouble relaxing enough to fall asleep. In fact, many people with anxiety disorders experience anxiety-induced insomnia because they reach a state of mental hyperarousal. People with anxiety are more likely to experience higher sleep reactivity, which refers to the degree to which their stress affects their sleep. Anxiety sleep problems are worse at night, especially in people who are highly stressed.
Sleep problems can occur in people with various types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, and PTSD. One study posted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that over 90% of veterans suffer from insomnia due to anxiety in the form of PTSD.1 People may also have trouble falling asleep at night due to sleep anxiety, or they may even experience panic attacks at night.
Anxiety can not only cause hyperactivity in the brain, but it can also lead to nightmares or night terrors. Once theyre awake, getting back to bed can be difficult, especially if their mind starts racing again, leading to fragmented sleep patterns and reducing both the quantity and quality of their sleep. In turn, this can affect how they perform in other areas of their life. Connections between anxiety and changes in sleep patterns have also been found.
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Should You Exercise Before Sleep
Contrary to popular belief, its been proven that exercising before snoozing can have a wide and beneficial impact on the quality and amount of sleep you get.
In particular, one article published in the Society for Psychophysiological Research found exercise performed before sleep does not impair sleep quality. Rather, its practice improves sleep in good sleepers who are nonathletes, and may be considered to improve sleep pattern, researchers concluded.
But how so? Emerson Wickwire, member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Professor and Section Head of Sleep Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine says: Exercise is a wonderful activity with myriad health benefits. Generally speaking, exercise can improve sleep by reducing stress, increasing the bodys natural sleep drive, and even creating a great end of day ritual, for example going to the gym after work, or taking a neighborhood stroll after dinner.
However, as Wickwire notes, its important not to exercise vigorously too close to bedtime. He says: Getting your heart rate up and breaking a sweat within three hours of bed increases core body temperature, which makes it harder to fall asleep at night.
Recharge Your Batteries By Getting A Good Nights Sleep
Plenty of research shows that lack of adequate sleep can lead to emotional strain for example, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that sleep deprivation is a contributing factor to anxiety disorders. Whats more, poor sleep may cause blood sugar levels to swing: In a large study published in Diabetes Care, people with type 2 diabetes who slept less than 4.5 hours per night had higher blood sugar levels than those who slept 6.5 to just over 7 hours a night. Sleeping too much was also associated with higher blood sugar. Getting enough sleep can help your diabetes management, Campbell says. If youre not sleeping well at night, discuss the matter with your doctor.
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Ways To Combat Stress
Everyone experiences stress from time to time. However, constant stress isnt good for your body, mind, or your type 2 diabetes. Instead of letting stress get the better of you, meet it head-on with some de-stressing techniques, including these:
Stress isnt good for anyone, yet everyone experiences it. Instead of drowning beneath your stress, make an effort to reduce it. Not only will your mind feel freer, but your diabetes will likely be easier to manage.
Diagnosis Of Insomnia Anxiety And Depression
We used the insomnia severity index to define high risk for insomnia. Subjects who received an ISI score of 10 were classified as high risk for insomnia according to a previous community-based study . Using an ISI score of 10 as the cutoff, insomnia was detected with 86.1% sensitivity and 87.7% specificity .
For the diagnosis of anxiety and depression, we used the Goldberg anxiety scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 , respectively. The GAS consists of four screening and five supplementary questions. The validated Korean version of the GAS features a sensitivity of 82.0% and a specificity of 94.4% . At least two positive answers to screening and five or more positive answers to complementary questions in GAS questions indicated anxiety. The PHQ-9 was used to diagnose depression . The Korean version of the PHQ-9 features 81% sensitivity and 89.9% specificity . Participants with a PHQ-9 score of 10 were considered to have depression. We classified the respondents into four groups: individuals without anxiety or depression, with anxiety but without depression, without anxiety but with depression, and with both anxiety and depression. The demographic data of the participants are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Sociodemographic distribution of all survey participants, the total Korean population, and of cases identified as insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
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How Anxiety At Night Can Affect Sleep
Anxiety disorders look much different on different people. Some anxiety flares up with specific triggers, while other anxiety symptoms are more consistent and get in the way of living a healthy, day-to-day routine. Anxiety tricks the brain into believing that it is in danger, which sets off adrenaline in the body, resulting in many physical side effects like an increased heart rate or shortness of breath. Most commonly, though, anxiety can lead to sleep issues like insomnia.
Many find themselves struggling with anxiety worse during the nighttime versus the daytime. A variety of different factors could cause this. One, for example, is that individuals have less distractions at night to keep their mind off their worries, which can lead to symptoms of anxiety and insomnia.
A common phenomenon that many do not realize is caused by anxiety is the fear of not being able to fall asleep. Yes, that is considered anxiety. Youre lying wide awake in bed, stressed about how every half hour that goes by is one less half-hour of sleep you will get before work, a big meeting, or significant life event.
For those experiencing anxiety, its important to keep in mind how this cycle may impact your sleep experience in general over time, not just one individual night.
Dont Let Stress Rule You
Managing your diabetes can often feel like walking a tightrope. And adding in stress management can feel daunting. But we are here to reassure you, you can do it!
As always, keep calm and regularly check your blood sugar and watch the trends in your CGM. If you take insulin, let it run its course when you make small corrections and avoid the angry bolus. Keep good records, use your mySugr App to track yourstressors, and let your coach or doctor guide you on good therapy choices.
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Exercising Results In Better Sleep Efficiency
Sleep efficiency which can be measured in the time it takes to fall asleep, the amount of time spent in a deep sleep and fewer awakenings is something we are all searching for.
In an article published in the Sleep Medicine Journal , researchers found that high exercise exertion before bedtime was associated with better sleep efficiency.
Researchers said: High self-perceived exercise exertion was associated with more deep sleep, shortened sleep onset time, fewer awakenings after sleep onset, and shorter wake duration after sleep onset.
Check In About The Things That May Keep You Awake
For many people, a major factor that interrupts sleep is worrying about how much you need to sleep or how many problems might come from not sleeping well. This pressure can stop you from getting to sleep.
It can help to notice and challenge catastrophic thoughts about sleep. For instance, you might take a minute to consider: Will not getting sleep really mean I wont be able to function the next day?
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Tips And Tricks For Anxious Sleepers
Youve heard it before. It is the go-to phrase that health and wellness writers use time and time again, but it is also our best piece of advice. We dont claim to have all the answers, and were not in a position to know your body like you or your doctor does.
The bedroom should be a place conducive to rest. Nick Littlehales, a professional sleep coach and author of the book Sleep, indicates the only purpose of a bedroom should be for sleeping. He recommends sleepers have a dark and cool environment.
This can be achieved by using blackout curtains and keeping the air conditioner around 66 degrees at night. Littlehales strongly suggest removing a TV or computer from the bedroom as well as keeping your phone in another room and limiting the use of any blue light emitting devices to one hour before sleep.
Sleepers should also establish a routine that prepares them for sleep. Taking a bath or shower before bed can help the body relax and give you some time to yourself. Likewise, reading a book can help distract you from lifes worries.
Anxious types often have their minds racing before they sleep. A recent study shows that journaling can be a resourceful way of getting all your thoughts out and planning for the next day before your head hits the pillow.
It is best not to do anything that involves blue lights or is overly engaging. Just be sure not to relax too much while sitting on the sofa, its best if you still get to sleep in your bed.
Tips For Reducing Stress And Sleeping Better
Check out our other tips for keeping a clean, comfortable bedroom as well as tips on how to improve your sleep. Follow us on or to be sure you never miss a new article!
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a health concern or medical condition.
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