Anxious thoughts can keep you up at night. Not only does sleep anxiety make it difficult to sleep, but sleep deprivation makes those worries seem even worse the next day. It's a vicious cycle! This article will teach you how to get a good night's sleep when you have worrying thoughts so that you can break free from your sleep anxiety and start enjoying life again.
-Create a sleep schedule to go to bed at the same time every day. Your body will get into a sleep schedule, making it easier to sleep well when you need it.
-Create a relaxing bedtime routine that will help you relax before falling asleep. Try things like taking a hot bath, reading a book, or drinking some herbal tea before sleeping. Please keep it simple by doing one thing in your bedroom when it
It may be essential to consider avoiding specific exercises before sleep because it can cause you to become energized.- Exercise for at least 20 minutes during the day. Some exercises to avoid include cardio, weight lifting, and anything that gets your heart rate up into the aerobic zone.
- Avoid caffeine or other stimulants before sleep because this can keep you alert when it's time to sleep. If this is something you cannot avoid, try having a cup of decaffeinated tea instead so that there are no effects on sleep later in the day
- Meditation and mindfulness exercises can help your brain learn how to stop worrying so that sleep anxiety becomes easier for you in the long run. Even just a few minutes of meditation every day is enough since this will start helping slowly but surely.
-Guided sleep meditation can also be helpful. You can get sleep meditation albums or tracks that are available on iTunes, Spotify, etc.
- Try to sleep in complete darkness with no distractions like alarm clocks and bright lights from devices by your bedside table. If you have trouble sleeping because of the stress of worrying thoughts, try having a lavender-scented sleep mask to help calm down worries before
Stress-reducing activities can help calm down anxious thoughts enough for you to fall asleep more quickly!- Find an activity that helps reduce stress, such as yoga/meditation/reading/etc. Do this regularly, whether throughout the week or right before bed, on days where sleep anxiety is intense.
- If sleep deprivation has become chronic, talk with your doctor about medication options. Medications can help you get some sleep so that you can get back to normal functioning. Some sleep medications include: Zolpidem (Ambien), Eszopiclone (Lunesta) and Trazodone. Talk with your doctor about sleep anxiety medication options to see what works for you!