How to Get Good Sleep When You Suffer From Anxiety

Sleep affects your mental health

When you suffer from anxiety, you sometimes have trouble dealing with the thoughts in your head. You could struggle to understand all the things you’re thinking. It’s difficult to stop thinking when you’re trying to fall asleep, and in fact, it can feel nearly impossible for some people. Sometimes, anxiety can prevent you from having a restful night’s sleep. Here are some things you can do to help yourself get a good night of rest when you have anxiety. 

 

A bedtime routine

Sometimes, anxiety is exacerbated by a lack of routine. If you’re anxious because you also have ADHD, a routine can be even more beneficial for your sleep schedule. Maybe, the steps you take each night will be something along the lines of the following:

• Turn technology off after dinner
• Spend 30 minutes reading a book
• Wind down by doing some meditation or yoga
• Take a bath

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After completing your routine, lay in bed and listen to an audiobook or continue with meditation. Having a bedtime routine can calm an overactive or an anxious mind. Another thing that can help you when you have anxiety is to become aware of your thoughts and feelings and let them be there. If you’re trying to sleep and find that many thoughts are going through your head, don’t try to stop them; they’ll only come back stronger. The best thing you can do is to let yourself feel your feelings and acknowledge that your emotions are valid.

 

Practice breathing exercises

If you suffer from sleep conditions that impact your breathing, you should consult a doctor and consider using devices such as a cpap machine to help improve your sleep. Breathe in through your nose, hold it for four seconds, and then breathe out through your mouth. 4×4 breathing can help you feel more relaxed. Trying to push your thoughts away will typically only frustrate you, so let yourself be and focus on your breath. You can challenge negative thought patterns that are impacting you but don’t berate yourself for your emotions.

 

You don’t have to force yourself to sleep; rest

Sometimes, when we’re anxious and lay down to go to bed, it can be tempting to want to snap your fingers and fall asleep, but often, that’s not how it works. Getting frustrated over not falling asleep can ramp up our emotions and prevent us from falling asleep. Something that can help is the mantra, “you don’t have to sleep; just rest.” let your body relax and rest. If you fall asleep, you fall asleep, and the chances are that when the pressure is off, you’ll naturally go to bed. 

 

Getting help for sleep issues in therapy

One place you can talk about insomnia or other sleeping issues is with a licensed therapist. Whether you see someone in your local area or work with a therapist online with a company like BetterHelp,https://www.betterhelp.com/start/, you can get support. It’s crucial to get to an understanding of why you’re anxious before going to bed. You can learn coping skills that aid you in getting a good night’s sleep regularly. 

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.