Night Blindness In Senior Dogs
Night blindness is yet another thing that can make a dog suddenly anxious at night. Usually, it occurs in senior canines, and its a sign of an eye condition such as progressive retinal atrophy . This symptom can make your doggy nervous during the night, as it cant see well in the dark.
Aside from causing anxiety, night blindness can also change the appearance of your poochs eyes. For instance, its pupils may dilate for no reason.
If left untreated, this condition can lead to complete blindness. Therefore, its essential to take your dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
How To Prevent Night Anxiety
To prevent anxiety at night, the most important thing to avoid is to lie in bed and try to fall asleep.
Get up and do something else
A few more effective ways to prevent night-time anxiety are:
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3. Avoid Caffeine, nicotine, or wine in the evening these only made the problem worse.
I actually tried living with or without them and saw the difference.
These can actually make your attacks worse and caffeine can cause insomnia, so you cant sleep at all.
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.
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Get A Bed That Fits You
When you sleep on an uncomfortable mattress, pressure points build up on your body, causing you to toss and turn. A supportive mattress and pillow provide support to the contours of your body and neck, and keep you cool and comfortable for sleep.
For drool-worthy sleep at a price point that wont break the bank, you may want to check out the Casper Original Mattress. Engineered for cool, comfortable sleep, the Casper Original provides targeted layers of support and unique cooling perforations so you can spend less time counting sheep and more time catching Zs.
If youre looking for that sleeping-on-a-cloud experience, the Casper Nova Hybrid may be the right option for you. As our most plush mattress yet, the Casper Nova provides sturdy support with a luxuriously soft top layer so you can sleep worry-free.
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
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Read But Not On Your Phone
Getting lost a book is beneficial for many reasons, and it can be pivotal to sleep health.
Reading is a great way to quiet your mind and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts that might creep up at night. When you are engaged in a story, your thoughts are in the moment, instead of worrying about the future, says Dr. Sal Raichbach, a licensed clinical social worker at Ambrosia Treatment Center. On the other hand, the blue light emitted from cell phones does the opposite. Even if you turn down the brightness, blue light from LED screens interferes with the production of essential brain chemicals like melatonin that tell your body it’s time for bed.
Pick up a real book, and I recommend from extensive experience with insomnia, that you pick the densest, dullest tome in your collection.
Treatment For Anxiety At Night
Getting good quality sleep is so important for a healthy and happy life it impacts on everything from your physical and mental health to your career and relationships. Creating positive sleep habits can begin with discovering relaxation techniques like breathing exercises. These are even available to download as an app on your phone, so you can learn the principles of meditation from the comfort of your own home.
Wind down by taking a warm bath before bed and ensure that your bedroom is a haven of calm. We are all addicted to our phones these days. Implement a no-electronics rule in the evening and make a conscious effort to use the time to re-charge yourself and not just your phone.
You can also invest in some blackout blinds or curtains for your bedroom to keep it dark. Your body interprets light as a signal to wake up, so blocking out any street lights or early morning sunshine may help you stay asleep longer.
Make sure you exercise regularly, because exercise will help in two ways. First, it helps combat anxiety by boosting your mood and reducing stress. Second, being physically tired will help you sleep better and make you less likely to suffer from disturbances like restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea.
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Causes Of Night Sweats
There are many potential causes of sweating at night or on unusual occasions. So, you should always check out for other signs to diagnose with the correct condition. Following are a few of the possible reasons that may relate to your condition. Identifying other symptoms may help you to analyze your sweating is due to anxiety or any other disorder.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Critical Infections
- Side effects of various medications
Managing Depression And Anxiety
Being a teen doesnt come without its challenges. If youre a parent/caregiver and youre seeing any of the symptoms of depression or anxiety previously mentioned, professional treatment may be beneficial.
At SUN Behavioral, we offer evidence-based adolescent therapy treatments to help with mental health and mood disorders. Our adolescent therapy involves identifying psychological issues affecting your teens mental health and causing emotional distress. A therapist will then work with them to identify healthy ways of dealing with and managing those issues.
Through teen mental health counseling, your teen can learn how to manage their depression or anxiety so theyll have the tools to live life without a disorder holding them back.
We use the combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy to help make managing symptoms of depression or anxiety much easier. Our trained staff of psychiatrists and trauma-informed professionals is here to make sure your teen is receiving the care they need throughout the treatment process.
Here at SUN Behavioral Columbus, we believe in empowering our patients to be the expert in their life. This includes being able to identify their needs and learning how to overcome obstacles. To learn more about how we can help, call .
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Focus On The Negative
I can get panicky at night, thinking about everything I need to do or mulling over something that went wrong that day â but that just makes things worse. “Focusing on what is good in your life as opposed to what is going wrong with your life not only calms you down … but also helps you reflect on your day,”NYC-based therapist Kimberly Hershenson, LMSW previously said to Bustle. Even write it in a list if it helps.
How To Prevent Evening Anxiety
There are some very simple ways to reduce evening anxiety, at least comparatively. Overall, the only way to guarantee that you do not get anxiety in the evenings is to manage your anxiety altogether. But in the absence of that option, there are strategies that can help you break the cycle of anxiety at night. These include:
These are all tools designed to break the evening anxiety cycle. They are not going to cure your anxiety altogether, because they are not anxiety coping skills. Instead, it will work towards helping you properly assess evening anxiety and possibly reducing it.
You will still need to partner any of these strategies with a long-term anxiety treatment. It ensures you experience less anxiety overall, not just at night.
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Meditation And Relaxation Techniques
What if you could start your day with a clear mind, seizing the day and living it as it comes instead of worrying about what might happen in the future? Wouldnt that be ideal?
Well, let us tell you it is possible. There are plenty of guided meditation exercises out there you can use, just find the one that suits you or makes you feel more relaxed.
In addition, consider accompanying your meditation with deep breathing and even journaling.
This could be a worry diary where you can put all your thoughts and take them out of your head but also helps when you write at least 3 things you feel the most grateful that morning.
Causes Of Evening Anxiety
The potential causes of anxiety are numerous. Anxiety in college students may be fueled by holding onto negative emotions and difficult financial situations, while anxiety in parents may be caused by employment worries or family issues. For each individual, the circumstances that cause nighttime anxiety may be unique.
We do know of many potential causes of anxiety, and I will cover ways to relieve anxiety next. First, lets look at some of the common causes:
- Stress at work, school, or in family life
- Financial stress
- Use of stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and cocaine
- Overactive thyroid
- Mental health disorder such as generalized anxiety disorder, phobic disorder, depression, or other mood disorder
For those that struggle with anxiety, there may not be anything youre doing wrong. Generalized anxiety is a recognized disorder, and it may be largely biological. However, there are certain habits and actions that can increase anxiety in the evening and diminish sleep quality. These include:
- Using screens
- Lack of consistent routine
- Poor eating habits
- Too much light
- Consuming stimulants in the afternoon or evening
You can start dealing with your evening anxiety by looking at your bedtime routine to see if there are things you can do to help yourself sleep better.
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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.
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.
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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.
Check Your Sleeping Habits
When we dont get a proper good nights sleep we tend to feel irritable, anxious, and even unable to concentrate the next morning so having this happen repeatedly can actually affect your mental and physical overall health.
According to Sheryl Ankrom from Verywellmind.com, here are some healthy sleep habits to consider:
- Avoid stimulating activities two to three hours before bedtime .
- Engage in a relaxing activity before bedtime like curling up with a good book or getting a back rub from your partner.
- Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
- Keep your bedroom cold and dark .
- Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
Add a cup of this Best Night Time teas to your sleep hygiene routine for anxiety-free nights.
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