Stay Active During The Day
Regular exercise can help you to relax and improve sleep quality. Advances in Preventive Medicine report regular exercise will help improve sleep quality and duration in middle-aged and elderly adults. So, if youre not in the habit of exercising, it might be time to start.
You dont need to sign up for a gym membership or invest in expensive workout equipment. The goal is just to move, and you can achieve this by going for walks. If you feel more energetic, you can go jogging, swimming, or cycling.
If you like games, you can play badminton or tennis with a friend. The most important thing is finding a type of exercise or activity that you enjoy and to keep doing it regularly. In addition, take lingzhi extract to help improve your bodily functions and calm the mind
Meditation And Breathing Exercises
For some people, even a single meditation session can start relieving anxiety symptoms so you can feel ready for sleep. By focusing your attention on your body and clearing your mind of the days worries, you can relax and reset. Apps like Headspace and Calm offer sleep-specific meditation guides to make this easier than ever.
Similarly, deep breathing exercises can reduce blood pressure and heart rate, which can help the body calm down even during a panic attack. Another popular relaxation practice is to tense and then relax each muscle group in the body. This can help release muscle tension that you weren’t even aware of.
What Causes Anxiety Before Sleep
According to clinical psychologist Emily Knott, Anxiety before bedtime often takes the form of a phenomenon referred to in psychology as pre-sleep arousal.
Knott says that pre-sleep arousal may cause the body and nervous system to enter a state of heightened awareness that may take the form of problem-solving, thinking about your own thoughts, focusing on stimuli in the environment such as noise and light, and ruminating about the consequences of not being able to sleep.
While there hasnt been extensive research conducted on sleep and anxiety, there are a few reasons why your anxiety may be worse at night. Here are possible causes.
You May Like: Is Stress And Anxiety The Same
Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
The basics:
- Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
- Donât eat or drink any caffeine in the four to five hours before bed.
- Resist the urge to nap.
- Avoid exercise two hours before bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark.
- Limit your bedroom activities to sleep and sex.
If you canât sleep, get up and do something boring. âKeep a boring book on your bed table,â Obolsky says.
Also, create a restful routine. Prime your body for bed by doing the doing the same things every night. A restful routine that involves a warm bath, listening to music, or deep breathing can be especially helpful if you have insomnia, Edlund says.
Sleep As A Clinical Recommendation
The researchers sought to replicate their findings, so they conducted another set of experiments in a larger sample, of 30 participants, as well as an online survey, of 280 people.
The lab experiments confirmed that people who experienced more deep sleep at night had the least anxiety the following day. The online survey confirmed that the amount and quality of sleep that people got reliably predicted their anxiety levels the following day.
The studys lead author also suggests that good sleep should be a clinical recommendation for treating anxiety.
People with anxiety disorders routinely report having disturbed sleep, but rarely is sleep improvement considered as a clinical recommendation for lowering anxiety, she says.
Our study not only establishes a causal connection between sleep and anxiety, but it identifies the kind of deep REM sleep we need to calm the overanxious brain.
Eti Ben Simon, Ph.D.
The studys senior author also comments on the findings, saying, We have identified a new function of deep sleep, one that decreases anxiety overnight by reorganizing connections in the brain.
Deep sleep seems to be a natural anxiolytic , so long as we get it each and every night, concludes Prof. Walker.
Also Check: How Can You Help Someone With Social Anxiety
How To Avoid Waking Up With Anxiety
First and foremost, if morning anxiety is significantly impacting your quality of life, you should consult with a health care professional. While the ideas we’re going to talk about here can definitely help relieve symptoms, those with GAD may need cognitive behavioral therapy or other care.
To avoid waking up with anxiety, examine your sleep hygiene and bedtime routine.
First, consider sleeping with a weighted blanket. Weighted blankets use deep pressure therapy to provide what feels like a gentle hug. This calming “embrace” lowers cortisol levels while also helping the body produce serotonin and dopamine so you can feel relaxed and in a better mindset for sleep.
You can further improve your bedroom environment by turning down the thermostat and using blackout curtains and a white noise machine to block out unwanted light and sound. A blackout eye mask can also help.
Choose relaxing activities in the hours leading up to bed. While physical activity is a great stress reliever during the day, the rush of adrenaline you get from exercise could make it harder to fall asleep. Similarly, drinking caffeinated beverages or using devices that emit blue light will cause you to feel more awake.
How you feel when you go to bed can set the tone for how well you sleep and how you feel when you wake up.
How Does Cbti Combat The Sleep Anxiety Cycle
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is an evidence-based therapeutic approach to relieve insomnia symptoms. This therapy focuses on altering your thought processes and behaviors before sleep and analyzing the relationship between these two factors.
CBT for insomnia uses several approaches that stop the sleep anxiety cycle in its tracks, leading to a faster sleep process and more restful sleep overall. The primary ways CBTI combats this cycle are through psychoeducation, stimulus control, and sleep restriction.
You May Like: How Do I Know If I Need Anxiety Medication
Sleep Anxiety: Are You Afraid To Fall Asleep
by Gingras Sleep Medicine | Oct 15, 2020 | Insomnia, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Medicine
Sleep is just as essential to life as food and water. We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. When we have difficulty sleeping, it interferes with our daily routine and it could really hinder us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes people are scared to fall asleep or just have trouble closing their eyes and relaxing, especially after countless hours of tossing and turning, this is called sleep anxiety.
With Halloween soon approaching, children may be too afraid to fall asleep after seeing ghoulish decorations in their neighborhoods. Whether it be a black cat, a witchs cauldron, or even what appears to be a friendly scarecrow, these images can linger in childrens minds, creating fear and anxiety. Perhaps they recently watched a scary movie, and now they are too scared to go to sleep. Fear takes over. A parent may need to stay with the child until the child eventually falls asleep.
Somniphobia is the fear of falling asleep and staying asleep. You may feel that you will not be in control of what is happening around you when you sleep, or you may miss out on life if youre not awake. Some people also fear that they will not wake up after having a good nights rest.
Menu
Sleepless Nights Try Stress Relief Techniques
In a recent national survey, 44 percent of adults said stress had causedsleepless nights at least once in the previous month. All that tossing,turning and staring at the ceiling can leave you feeling tired andmore stressed the next day. If youre caught in this vicious cycle ofanxiety and insomnia, theres good news: Simple stress relief techniquescan help you sleep better and feel calmer.
You May Like: How Many Anxiety Disorders Are There
Understand You Are Not Alone
While you may be self-conscious or feel isolated with this phobia, its important to remember that you are not alone. There are others who struggle with sleep anxiety as well, and though you may be concerned about opening up about your condition, a trusted friend or family member can be a great source of support.
/ Be Strict About Sleep Hygiene
Its important for everyone, but particularly if youre prone to insomnia. That means leaving phones outside of the bedroom and no screen time two hours before trying to sleep. Not only does the blue light mess with our Circadian rhythm, but checking emails or social media can up anxiety levels. If you know you run through a mental to-do list the second you’re distraction-free, then write out everything you need to remember for tomorrow, on paper, before you begin to wind-down.
To ensure your circadian rhythm isn’t being disrupted throughout the evening, try wearing a pair of blue light blocking glasses
Recommended Reading: Does Sleep Deprivation Cause Anxiety
/ Get Into The Habit Of A Relaxing Practice Before Bed
Try an evening breathing session, meditation, gentle yoga class or series of stretches to help relax your body and clear your mind. Though late night runs can feel useful as youre expending energy, they raise your heart rate which in turn will affect your sleeping. Instead exercise in the morning or afternoon, which has been proven to reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
‘You can use your breathing to calm your nervous system down, teaching it to shift from a state of high arousal to a state of rest and relaxation,’ says Bostock. ‘Focusing on your breath will also help you to come into the present moment and slow down those racing thoughts.’
Say Goodbye To Technology
We all know how detrimental technology use can be for our sleep cycle but using our phones before bed can also exacerbate anxiety, too.
Insomnia preys on mobile phone usage before bed, Park explains. Not only can the blue light keep you awake, but an innocent scroll can heighten anxiety in a flash.
Read Also: What To Do If You Have Bad Anxiety
Talk To Someone Friendly
Another very effective technique is to talk to someone you like and trust, especially on the phone. Don’t be shy about your anxiety – tell them you feel anxious and explain what you’re feeling.
Talking to nice, empathetic people keeps your mind off of your symptoms, and the supportive nature of friends and family gives you an added boost of confidence. If you’re suffering from a panic attack, it also helps you feel more confident that if something were wrong, you’d have someone that can watch over you.
Relieving Anxiety That Keeps You From Falling Or Staying Asleep
If sleep worries are getting in the way of your ability to unwind at night, the following strategies may help. The goal is to train your body to associate the bed with sleep and nothing elseespecially not frustration and anxiety.
Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex. With many of us working from home now, it can be difficult to avoid, but if possible dont work, use your computer, or watch TV in your bedroom. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep alone, so that your brain and body get a strong signal that its time to nod off when you get into bed.
Move bedroom clocks out of view. Anxiously watching the minutes tick by when you cant sleepknowing that youre going to be exhausted when the alarm goes offis a surefire recipe for insomnia. You can use an alarm, but make sure you cant see the time when youre in bed.
Get out of bed when you cant sleep. Dont try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only amps up your anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing, such as reading, meditating, or taking a bath. When youre sleepy, go back to bed.
Don’t Miss: Can Anxiety Cause Heart Problems
The Connection Between Anxiety And Sleep
People who have anxiety disorders cannot help but feel nervous, even when all is well. Restlessness and fear overcome their other emotions, making it harder to see things from a clear perspective. Simply put, they tend to overreact and blow things out of proportion. Sadly, these tense and anxious feelings will last up to six months or more.
Sleeping disturbances, including insomnia, are known as the symptoms of anxiety disorders. The most common issue is when people get worried about not falling asleep, thus preventing them further from fully resting. Once they fall asleep, they might wake up in the middle of the night because of anxiety-inducing nightmares.
The person may keep on thinking, Will I have insomnia tonight? which in the end leads to a vicious cycle of insomnia. From a TCM point of view, chronic insomnia can result in a deficiency of kidney yin , loss of vitality of liver yang , and qi and blood deficiency, says Luke Yau Wai, a Traditional Chinese Medicine physician for Eu Yan Sang.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anxiety disorders belong to the category of stagnation syndrome, caused by a dysfunction in liver dispersion. Overthinking or worrying could hurt the spleen, which could easily lead to stagnation of qi, blood stasis, phlegm, heat accumulation, and so on.
Take A Tip From Your Kids With A Strict Bedtime Routine
We know how important it is for children to have a nighttime routine as it creates a sensed of structure and security, well the same goes for adults especially if you suffer from anxiety, says Bianca L. Rodriguez, a psychotherapist and spiritual coach. A bedtime routine can help you self soothe and act as a container for your anxiety. I recommend taking a warm bath or shower before bed to relax your muscles as the state of your body impacts the activity in your mind. Imagining frustrations, negative energy or worries flowing down the drain can help you approach sleep feeling more clear and calm.
You May Like: Does Lithium Help With Anxiety
Keep A Worry Journal Beside Your Bed
Anxiety is always about what ifs and trying to be prepared by situations that may or may not occur a kind of fruitless rehearsal for potential problems. Its not an effective tactic and can compromise our wellbeing over the long term. Keep a notebook by your bed to jot down any worries. The act of recording them can zap their power. Review them in a few days when you can ask yourself, Did the situations I was so worried about actually happen? Over time, you may learn that the majority dont become reality, helping to ease anxiety.