Below are some lifestyle tips that may help you relax and ease your anxiety at night:
Meditation
Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. Meditating right before you tuck in for the night can be a great way to turn down nighttime anxiety.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. If you’re experiencing a panic attack at night, try deep breathing to ease the attack.
Grounding
Grounding is one way to keep yourself present in the moment. Grounding techniques include cognitive and sensory awareness, such as touching an object or saying today’s date out loud. Doing this at night before bed can help bring you back to the present moment so you can sleep.
To-do list
If one of your anxiety triggers involves worrying about your daily activities, you may notice your anxiety spikes more at night. Creating a to-do list for the day or week may help relieve some of that anxiety.
Healthy sleep habits
One of the most important ways to ease anxiety at night is through healthy sleep habits. Making sure you’re happy and comfortable in your own bedroom will help improve your sleep quality.
Exercise daily
Exercise can help improve both sleep quality and duration. If you experience nighttime anxiety, morning exercise may help you sleep longer at night, while afternoon workouts also have sleep benefits.
Strenuous exercise also raises your body temperature and heart rate, so working out before bed can disrupt the process of falling asleep. However, regular exercise is better for sleep than not exercising at all and finding a routine that works for you is the most important thing.
Develop a sleep schedule
Establishing a sleep schedule can help keep your circadian clock in check. When you keep your wake and sleep cycles around the same time each day, you may find it easier to fall asleep at night.
Avoid stimulants before bed
Stimulants before bed such as coffee can worsen anxiety symptoms. In addition, because stimulants increase body activity, taking them before bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Though it isn’t a stimulant, alcohol can also disrupt sleep, so be sure to avoid it before you hit the hay.
Turn off electronics
When you finally crawl into bed, you may want to consider avoiding electronics. This is because artificial blue light from electronics is thought to suppress the sleep hormone melatonin, making it harder to fall (and stay) asleep.
Create comfort
Pillows and mattresses should be comfortable and supportive for your body and sleeping style. Your bedroom is your own, so making it a comfortable, safe space to sleep can make all the difference for your nighttime anxiety.Top of Form