If anyone is the queen of sleep anxiety, it might be me. I spend the night awake, unable to turn off my brain from thoughts. Or they prevent me falling asleep hours, wake me up in the middle of the night, or act as an alarm clock before my iPhone rings bright and early. I’m clearly exhausted.
By the next night, the anxieties and stress have subsided, but I’m left with a new worry: that I won’t be able to fall asleep again and another one will arise. restless night. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, because that fear keeps me spinning again.
And so goes the vicious cycle of sleep anxiety, Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine specialist and chief medical consultant at the University of Southern California. Fortune Recommends Healthdefines it as: “stress or worry about falling asleep or staying asleep, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart.”
Maybe you can relate. After all, it tells lucky sleep anxiety is quite common among many people and is often caused by a number of factors, such as past sleep problems; poor sleeping habits, irregular schedule or screen use too close to bedtime; the stress of major life changes, such as a new job or financial problems; or ongoing health problems, such as chronic pain or breathing problems.
“People with anxiety or PTSD often suffer from sleep anxiety because constant worries and stress make it difficult to calm down at bedtime,” he added. finish 40 million adults have some type of anxiety disorder that can make it difficult to sleep and cause a case of insomnia—the half related to anxiety, depression or stress. Research shows people with anxiety have higher sleep reactivity, which means they are more likely to have difficulty sleeping due to stress.
Sleep anxiety makes us irritable and anxious, but it can increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart failure, and high blood pressure. Cleveland Clinic.
However, whether your anxiety is causing your insomnia, or your insomnia is causing your anxiety, there are ways get out of sleep debt.
Relax your body
“Try to relax instead of worrying about falling asleep,” advises Dasgupta.
Easier said than done, right? The whole problem with anxiety is that it feels impossible to relax.
But you can try some relaxation techniques, e.g progressive muscle relaxationit involves tensing and releasing every muscle in your body. Practicing memory or deep breathing exercises before bed can help calm the mind and body, says Dasgupta. Start testing best meditation apps to drive
Slow breathing, before bed and throughout the day, can calm the parasympathetic nervous system. Try box breathing, which means breathing in for four seconds, holding for four, breathing out for four, and holding for another four before starting the cycle again.
Reframe your thinking
Self-regulation can also help you relax. Dasgupta says that you should change any negative thoughts about sleep or negative thoughts about the day that woke you up at night to more positive ones.
The first step is to recognize these considerations. Once you develop that self-awareness, try challenging those thoughts to see if you can prove them wrong. Positive self-affirmation and practicing gratitude can help with this writing newspapers Processing those feelings before bed is even better. An examination He found that writing a to-do list for five minutes before bed can help you fall asleep faster.
If you’re struggling to reframe them, consider trying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Your mindset focuses on recycling to see the bed only as a place to sleep.
Create a routine
Routines can help reduce anxietyand being relaxing at night also makes for good sleep hygiene. Follow a regular sleep schedule when you go to bed and when you wake up at the same time every day, says Dasgupta, and practice the habit before bed.
You might want to take a warm bath at night to signal that it’s time to relax. It certainly means avoiding caffeine and heavy meals, which can disrupt sleep. If you want a late night snack, experts suggest fruits like kiwi—Nutrient-rich foods can help facilitate sleep—or even whole grain crackers, because complex carbohydrates can make you sleepy. Foods rich in magnesium or tryptophan, such as almonds or sunflower seeds, respectively, can also be a good choice.
And cut out screens and electronics 30 minutes before bed, says Darlene Marshall, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)-certified wellness coach and positive psychology expert. previously told luck.
“Many people don’t realize that the light on your phone, the volume of the TV while watching a murder documentary, or the blood sugar spike from your food are all types of overstimulation that keep our nervous system in the ‘position,'” he said.
Create a relaxing environment
The best bedroom to sleep in is one that is cool, dark and quiet, says Dasgupta. National Sleep Foundation he recommends lowering the temperature to 60 to 67 degrees for optimal sleep. If you’re a hot sleeper, you might want to consider one of these best cooling mattresses. And if you’re on a busy street with noise or streetlights, consider using a white noise machine or wearing an eye mask to avoid overstimulation that can increase anxiety.
“Also, keep watches in front of your eyes so you don’t stress about how long you’re awake,” says Dasgupta. (Which is why I personally never pick up my phone when I’m awake in the middle of the night.) Even better: keep your phone on different room at night
If these steps don’t help, Dasgupta recommends talking to your doctor or a sleep specialist for more help.
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