How To Get Rid Of Anxiety So You Can Sleep Better
If youre struggling to fall asleep due to anxiety, it could be that treating the anxiety will help solve your insomnia and lack of sleep as well. Anxiety disorders should only be diagnosed by a licensed therapist or medical professional, and these professionals can also help you find treatment regimens as well as, potentially, medications to control the condition. You should not try to self-medicate for anxiety disorders, and should only medicate per the medical advice and supervision of a psychiatrist.
Therapy
One of the most common and effective treatments for anxiety disorders is continued and guided therapy with a professional counselor or therapist.
The branch of therapy known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be effective for many people, as it helps patients suffering from anxiety disorders create new, positive thought pathways that can help when in anxious situations. There are three different types of CBT, each with an individualized approach in treatment, including interpersonal therapy, thought records, and modern exposure therapy.
Another form of therapy is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, also known as ACT. This form of therapy is more focused on mindfulness training and taking action based on personal values, and is unique in that it is not focused on symptom reduction.
Mindfulness
Shifting Your Perspective
Leave Some Extra Transition Time
Transition time is the time that is needed between tasks. Many of us underestimate how much transition time is needed. For instance, your evening may consist of numerous different tasks that you need to do before you go to bed.
Whatever amount of time you have allotted for each task, consider adding a bit more time as a buffer in case the task takes longer than you think. That way you will avoid feeling overwhelmed, trying to cram too much in before bedtime.
How To Deter Anxiety At Night
As in any other type of anxiety, the main thing is to recognize you have a problem and maintain a change-oriented attitude. Its easy to overcome anxiety with some effort and the right tools. However, seek professional help to overcome it if youre not sure about the guidelines to follow.
You can definitely try it on your own. Just follow these simple guidelines. All you need is motivation and perseverance.
Some of them are:
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Sleep With A Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets have been found to be an effective way to help calm anxiety and help you fall asleep, thanks to what’s called deep-pressure stimulation. A 2020 study found that people who use a weighted blanket have lower rates of insomnia and anxiety. Using a weighted blanket isn’t the only thing you should do, but it is an easy way to integrate comfort into your nightly routine. You can choose from the hundreds of options on the market or even make your own weighted blanket.
The Conventional Approach Falls Short With Insomnia & Anxiety At Night
As a layperson with a passion for health, one of my biggest frustrations with the conventional philosophy in Western medicine is their unwillingness to look at the big picture. In general most health & wellness complaints are treated as single, isolated problems.
This leads our healthcare to be both reactive and surface level .
Im really thankful that I decided to start digging in and asking questions over a decade ago, which continues to this day.
In my experience, most conventional doctors offer just two options for a patient with anxiety at night and sleep trouble:
- 1) Do nothing, or tell you to try relaxing
- 2) Pharmaceutical medications
In reality, there are SO many other options to try.
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Establish A Sleep Routine
Developing a ‘wind-down’ routine before bed helps your body recognise when it’s time for sleep.
“Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even at the weekends, try to get up at a time that isn’t too different to when you get up during the week,” Bijlani advises.
It’s also important to make sure you give yourself time to get the sleep you need, too.
“Going to bed too late and not leaving enough time for sleep may result in you constantly checking the clock and worrying that you’re not going to feel rested the next day,” Bijlani explains. “These negative thought processes can fuel anxiety.”
Aromatherapy Diffuser And Essential Oil Set
Aromatherapy is a great self-care tool because its said to help improve pain levels and relieve stress.
In particular, while research is somewhat limited on essential oils, lavender oil is one thats generally considered a natural sleep aid. For example, one older study found that lavender increased the amount of slow and deep wave sleep.
Thats why this diffuser and essential oil set is a great tool to help you work aromatherapy into your nightly routine. Plus, the wood diffuser will look cute on your bedside.
Sense a pattern here? Products that give you something calming to focus on before bed are a great idea because they help take your mind off your worries.
Lighting a scented candle before bed is a great way to do that.
Homesick makes a whole line of candles designed to evoke the smells of your home state or specific memories so its pretty easy to find a scented candle that youll find calming.
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What To Do When You Cant Sleep: 9 Tips
Prioritizing a good nights sleep isnt just important for your general health, it can also help with feelings of anxiety, as your body is less likely to feel overwhelmed or on edge when youve slept well.
However, falling asleep can be difficult, so its important to build a strategy for a better nights sleep. Below are some tips to try in order to improve your chances of falling asleep naturally.
Don’t Ignore Your Anxiety
All the tips in the world won’t help you sleep easier with anxiety if you don’t acknowledge you’re feeling anxious. Whatever you’re feeling — stressed, scared or worried — accept it so you can address it.
It’s a good idea to try to incorporate stress-relieving activities into your daily routine to help keep things from building up at night. Try a daily walk or other exercises to reduce anxiety. There’s no set time frame for when you’ll start falling asleep faster — it likely won’t be instantaneous. However, if you find that your anxiety is continually getting the best of your sleep, it may be time to talk to someone.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Build A Sleep Routine To Transition From Day To Night
What that routine looks like really depends on you and your needs. For some people, its meditation. For others, its as simple as taking a bubble bath before bed, lighting a scented candle, petting your cat, or reading a good book.
Whats important is that you take some time to wind down.
This means stepping away from stressful activities like paying bills, listening to the news, talking about politics, scrolling through your phone in the time leading up to you going to bed.
Its especially important to limit your screen exposure because blocking blue light at night can help you sleep.
How Common Are Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness, affecting the lives of around 20% of American adults and 25% of teenagers each year.
| Adults Affected in U.S. | Percentage of U.S. Adult Population |
|---|---|
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder | |
| 7.7 million | 3.5% |
Not all people with anxiety disorders have the same degree of symptoms or impact from anxiety on their everyday life. In one large survey, around 43% of adults described having mild impairment of their life from anxiety. Around 33% said it was moderate, and nearly 23% said it was severe.
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Make A Pledge To Accept Uncertainty
Your anxiety may be tied to a problem that is understandably keeping you up at night. But you have to let it go if only for this moment.
Repeat the phrase I accept uncertainty for now. I will take action when action is possible, says Coleman. Accepting uncertainty is crucial because otherwise one is resisting uncertainty at a time when resisting only adds to tension.
How Does Anxiety Cause Night Sweats
Anxiety symptoms result from the activation of your brains fight or flight system. An anxiety disorder is when your fight or flight system is responding inappropriately to certain situations. In other words, people with anxiety disorders have extreme fear responses in their brains and bodies, in response to situations which do not necessarily warrant such a reaction.
When the fight or flight system is activated, blood rushes to the parts of your body where energy is needed to fight or flee in the face of a threat. During this process, you experience what’s known as vasoconstriction, or the constricting of the blood vessels. Once they’ve constricted, your body starts to heat up as a result.
At this point, however, your body needs to cool down before overheating. The sweating, therefore, is your body attempting to cool you down.
The Cyclical Nature of Night Sweats and Anxiety
An interesting question, though, is why you experience anxiety at all, especially at night. It could be due to several different factors.
- It’s not uncommon to have stressful or nagging anxious thoughts at night, and this can lead to anxiety.
- It’s not uncommon to worry about not sleeping, and then become more attuned to your body as a result.
- It’s not uncommon for those with anxiety to simply suffer from anxiety symptoms even without a clear cause.
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Ways To Relieve Nighttime Anxiety
So, how do you actually relieve the anxiety at night? I have a handful of tips and pieces of advice here to help you get your sleep and relieve the anxiety at night, and encourage you to investigate for yourself what helps and what doesnt. Everyone has their own unique experience, so remain open to different practices and methods. Feel into your experience and investigate. Remember, if you are having trouble with any of these you can always work with a therapist online or in person to help you reduce night time anxiety.
Ive separated this list out into things you can do at night while youre experiencing anxiety, and overall changes you can make during your day that may help reduce anxiety once you get into bed.
How To Stop Night Sweats
When you feel a hot flash starting, there are a few things you can do. First, adjust your clothes or sheets so that you don’t overheat. Your physical environment does affect how hot you become during sleep and so a cooler environment can reduce the extent of your night sweats as well as improving your quality of sleep.
Also, if your night sweats cause you so much distress that you cannot fall asleep while you’re suffering, don’t try to fall asleep. Instead, get up and walk around so that you’re more comfortable. Trying to sleep when you’re suffering from night sweat insomnia can cause further anxiety.
It’s better to get up, move around, and do things to help you relax rather than trying to force yourself to sleep. During this time, try to avoid activities that are going to expose you to bright lights or stimulate your mind, as this will make it harder for you to fall asleep. Instead, engage in a calming routine that takes place primarily in the dark. This will help your mind wind down for the night.
If your anxiety is caused by a thought or thoughts that you simply can’t shake, write the thoughts out in a journal. Writing thoughts on paper can help your mind to feel more comfortable about letting them go. This can help you to relax and get a better nights sleep without any anxiety-related night sweats.
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How To Cope With A Panic Attack At Night
Waking up and discovering youre having a panic attack can be an overwhelming and scary experience, and the fact that youre probably still groggy and trying to come round from sleep, can make you feel out of control and cause you to panic even more.
If youre having a nocturnal panic attack, try the following:
Dont fight it
If you wake up and youre having a panic attack, its important not to fight it, as this could make things worse. Accept the panic attack for what it is and let the feelings wash over you. Remember, it is only temporary, and it will fade eventually. You just need to let it happen.
Try and relax
Try to get your body back into a relaxed state. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly to regulate your breathing. Relax your muscles, and try to focus your mind on positive thoughts and images.
Get up and do something
Go back to bed when youre ready
Only go back to bed when youre beginning to feel tired again and ready for sleep. When youre in bed, keep yourself calm by breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth, to the extent that your whole abdomen, not just your chest, is rising and falling.
What Is Sleep Anxiety
Sleep anxiety is a type of performance anxiety that involves a cycle of anxious thoughts before going to bed, many of which involve unease, nervousness, and worry. While there are dozens of tasks to occupy your cognitive functions during the day, your brain can often struggle to keep itself busy at night, thus resorting to any anxious emotions and thoughts. Anxiety can lead to an endless cycle of stress and poor sleep. If you often experience nighttime anxiety, it may be hard to tell whether youre having trouble sleeping because youre anxious or youre feeling anxious because you cant sleep. According to research, sleep and anxiety go hand-in-hand. Having anxiety can cause sleeping problems and make it difficult to sleep, but sleep deprivation can also trigger anxiety. If youre unable to sleep, you may dread going to bed and waking up feeling even more sleep deprived. UC Berkeley researchers suggest that the lack of sleep can ramp up regions in the brain that trigger excessive worry, which provokes further anxiety and makes sleep even more elusive
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