5 Steps To Help You Deal With Sleep Anxiety

Insomnia can be a real pain, especially when the anxieties and stresses of the day leave you hoping for a good night’s sleep. You can lie for hours on end hoping to drift off, only to find negative thoughts circulating your head making you even more tense.

Here are five ways to prevent insomnia and anxiety throughout the night.

Go running

One of the best ways to prevent anxiety before bed is to let off a bit of steam by going running. However, don’t go immediately before you go to sleep, or there will be a high oxygen level in your brain can cause you to stay awake. Instead, try and aim to go running before dinner, so you have plenty of time to recover.

Not only will going for a run tire you out, but it also sends endorphins into your brain, helping you feel happier rather than anxious. You should end your run feeling much more balanced and able to cope with any anxious thoughts.

Try not to nap

Though it’s tempting to have a snooze throughout the day when you finally feel sleepy and relaxed, try not to give in to temptation. Regular or late afternoon naps may make you feel wide awake at night and interfere with your sleeping pattern even more.

Create a regular sleep environment

In order to feel relaxed in the evenings, make sure your bedroom is a place you feel comfortable. Noise, temperature, and lighting can all have an impact on your quality of sleep. Ensure your setup is appropriate for you. If you’re living in halls at university and believe any of these factors are out of your hands or affecting your sleep, talk to your warden and see if they can assist or provide other arrangements for you.

Your bedroom should be solely for sleep and a place of rest. If you don’t live in halls, find another room within your home to study or work in, so your brain doesn’t confuse the two.

Create a routine

Your body needs routine in order to fall into a sleep pattern. Put steps in place to ensure the rest of you knows when it’s time for a snooze. Going to bed at 9 PM on some nights and 3am on others will  only make things worse.

Aim to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at roughly the same time each morning by setting your alarm.

Aim to relax before going to bed

Give yourself the best chance of getting a good night’s sleep by allowing yourself to relax beforehand. One method would be to take a warm bath – or why not try and unwind by practicing meditation or yoga?

It’s also a good idea to switch off your phone before bed, as hard as that may be. The bright light from devices tells your brain it’s still daylight, which could make it even more difficult to drop off. The less light in your room, the quicker you will fall asleep due to the lack of visual stimuli you have to focus on.

Sweet dreams!

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