Getting a healthy amount of sleep is essential for our body to work efficiently. Not only does it help you get through the day, but it can improve your physical health, protects you from disease, and assists with mental health too. But for many people find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep and the reason could be sleep anxiety or insomnia or you may experience both. But the good news is that you can learn to manage your sleep anxiety so that it doesn’t keep you up at night. You can also learn to recognize when you are experiencing insomnia so that you can get the proper amount of sleep you need to function at your best. This will help you feel better and get the most out of your day.
Everyone experiences some sleep anxiety at some point. It’s a normal feeling, and it will go away on its own if you let it. Sleep anxiety is different from person to person, but typically shows up as some type of anxiety about sleep. For many people, a bout of sleep anxiety involves emotional distress or an anxiety disorder. If this sounds familiar to you, there are plenty of ways to manage sleep anxiety. These strategies can help you learn to recognize and control your anxiety and help you feel better.
- Creating a sleep schedule that works for your body is the first step to managing sleep anxiety. After all, how many times have you set your alarm to wake up before sunrise but couldn’t fall asleep — even though you knew you should?
- Scheduling a bedtime and a wake-up time is the first step to getting a good night’s sleep. Just because you’re often awake and alert doesn’t mean you can’t get a good night’s sleep. With a little planning, your bedtime and wake-up times can help you to avoid the mid-day crash and fall asleep at night.
- Trying to eat dinner at least a couple of hours before bedtime can also help you to fall asleep more quickly and increase the amount of time you spend sleeping. In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, researchers found that, on average, people who ate a late dinner became more likely to fall asleep in their most-used bed than people who ate earlier.
- Implementing physical activity and exercise into your day-to-day schedule is also a key step in the fight against sleep anxiety. With exercise, you stay fit, take control of your weight, and improve your health. It can also help you to relax, which can prevent sleep anxiety from building.
- Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening can help prevent a caffeine-induced crash. And, if you are sensitive to caffeine, cutting back on the amount you consume prior to bed can help you get a better night’s rest.
- Avoiding alcohol right before bed can also help you to get a better night’s rest. In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, researchers found that people who drank alcohol before bed were more likely to wake up than people who didn’t. Even small amounts of alcohol can keep you up, so try to avoid alcohol before bed.
- Avoiding screen time before bed can also help you to get a better night’s rest. In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, researchers found that exposure to screen time one to two hours before bedtime can cause sleepiness or even insomnia.
- Sleep on appropriate and natural bedding. Natural bedding with air-circulation can also contribute to a good night’s sleep.
Although good sleep hygiene can be helpful, some more severe sleep anxieties or anxiety disorders in general may require the help of a professional. If you think that you may need help, reach out to your doctor or a mental health provider. They can help you to recognize your sleep anxiety and give you the support you need to manage it.