How to Calm Feelings of Anxiety for a Better Night’s Sleep

We’ve all had the experience of feeling anxious or stressed about something, to the degree that it keeps us up and makes it hard to fall asleep. If you’re a worrier by nature, your fears and concerns may regularly cause you to lie awake in bed for hours, tossing and turning.

When this happens frequently, one naturally begins to feel anxious or stressed about bedtime as night approaches, making it even harder to wind down. The good news is that anxiety can be successfully treated. Often through simple things you can do yourself, the vicious cycle can be broken and you can reduce anxiety.

In this article, Dr. Susan Biali helps guide us through reducing anxiety before bed using these simple methods…

Taking deep, relaxing breaths can calm the nervous system and decrease general tension. When you notice yourself starting to worry or tense up, take several slow deep breaths in a row (breathe in through your nose and exhale your fears and worries out your mouth). I also use this technique whenever I have a difficult time falling asleep.

Find a guided, relaxation recording that you like (for example, via an anti-anxiety app like Mindshift), and use it daily. Learn to shift from tension to relaxation by listening to the recording when you’re feeling anxious before bed.

If you’re feeling really keyed up, try going for a run, a brisk walk or go to the gym. You can reduce anxiety by consciously shaking off your fears and worries as you do it. Physical activity releases stress and also improves depth of sleep at night.

Anxiety and stress is often a result of poor thought habits such as fearing the worst, focusing on the negative, inaccurate assumptions and negative self-talk. CBT techniques can change your habitual ways of seeing the world. If your anxiety is significant, consider seeing a professional therapist trained in CBT.

Alternatively, there are CBT self-help tools and worksheets available online that can help you work through your worries.

Ironically, the less sleep you get, the more anxious you’re likely to be. It’s also harder to manage stress. If you’ve been feeling anxious, the last thing you want to do is cut corners on sleep.  Get to bed earlier, to give yourself the best chance at a solid night’s rest. For more tips on how to improve your rest and manage stress better, check out our blog on how to sleep better at night.

Sleep Matter Club provides advice on how to sleep when you’re feeling anxious and stressed in a short video…

Finally, if you’ve been feeling anxious or stressed for a long time and it’s affecting your sleep significantly, it’s important to let your doctor know about it, in addition to trying these tips.

Find more tips from the NHS to manage stress and anxiety. And if you’re suffering from stress and anxiety, our sleep expert Sammy Margo advises you to always contact your GP for medical help.