5 Ways to Manage Anxiety for Better Sleep
One thing most of us could use these days is better quality sleep. If you find that you have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep because of anxiety, you’re not alone, and there are habits and tools available that can help. Anxiety in young adult women is not uncommon, so you’re not alone if you experience this, but you also don’t have to live with it forever. Keep reading for five of our most recommended ways to reduce anxiety and sleep better.
1.Do a Brain Dump
If a racing mind is contributing to your anxiety and sleep issues, this tip will be invaluable. Each night before sleep, try to write out everything that’s swirling around in your head. If you’re stressing over your busy day tomorrow, write out a to-do list in order of importance so that you can confidently tackle each task without worrying about forgetting anything. This will help you plan your wake-up time more effectively as well, so that you can set your alarm with confidence and not stress about waking up. If you’re working through difficult emotions, journal about them. Writing down things we’re having trouble communicating to others can help give us clarity about what we want to say and how we want to say it.
2.Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is the habits you develop and practice that help you experience good quality sleep. These habits can be environmental, physical, and mental as well. By doing these over time, your body and brain begin to make a connection between the sleep activities you do regularly and the fact that it’s time for sleep. This can be helpful for overriding feelings of anxiety and inducing sleepiness by starting your bedtime sleep hygiene. Here are a few examples of sleep hygiene habits that you can implement for better sleep:
Environmental
Keep your room at a good temperature for sleep. A slightly cooler temperature is usually ideal.
Reduce distracting light and noise
Keep your sleep area clean and inviting
Physical
Try gentle stretching or deep breathing techniques to induce relaxation
Avoid napping during the day so you’re ready to sleep in the evening
Mental
Try a meditation or visualization practice to calm your mind and reduce anxiety that may prevent sleep
3.Move Your Body Early
If you’re on the search for how to improve anxiety in order to get better sleep, the benefits of exercise are undeniable. Finding movement that you enjoy is the most important and effective way to ensure that you create an exercise routine that you can stick to. If you like running or lifting weights, that’s great! However, for the benefit of improving your sleep, simply walking around your neighborhood is a powerful tool. While exercise is very helpful for reducing anxiety and improving sleep, it’s important to prioritize it earlier in the day if at all possible. Working out too close to bedtime can have the opposite effect, making it more difficult to get to sleep, which can fuel anxiety and create a bad cycle. Try a lunchtime walk, a morning sweat session, or even an afternoon game of tennis with a friend! Remember that anything that gets your body moving is exercise. Having a dance party in the kitchen with your roommate is better than no movement at all. It all counts. The more you move, the easier it is to keep moving, and the easier it will be to get to sleep later in the evening!
4.Have a Nighttime Routine
Now that we have some tools to implement, it will be most helpful to combine them into a daily routine. Creating consistent routines allows us to feel a sense of accomplishment and autonomy. Feeling in control of what we can do for ourselves helps reduce anxiety about what we can’t control. Consistency helps us build trust and confidence within ourselves, which also helps to reduce anxiety. The side effect? Better sleep!
Try going to bed at the same time every night. Start your evening routine at the same time as well, so that you don’t feel rushed as you prepare for sleep. Think of these steps less as a restriction or a requirement, but more as a ritual of care and devotion. You’re worth the effort it takes to rest well and reduce your anxiety.
5.Leverage Support Tools
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to use whatever support tools are available to you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with where to start, a therapist like Emily at Blossom Into A Better You is a wonderful resource for unbiased support and sound mental health solutions. Emily specializes in helping young women and girls navigate the challenges of life. To learn more about why this might be beneficial for you, check out one of our blogs, The Importance of Mental Health: When to Ask for Help. For things like evening stretches, meditation, or breathing exercises, there are plenty of free resources on YouTube as well as several paid subscription services available that might be the right fit for you. If you’re looking for some accountability in your routine, ask a friend to join you!
While the process of developing a routine that reduces anxiety and supports healthy sleep might require a little trial and error, it is well worth the work to develop methods that signal to your brain that it’s time for rest. When we are well-rested, we’re our best selves, and that is something you deserve to experience. Try something new, and if it doesn’t work for you, it’s okay to swap it out for something else that does. If you’re ready to get support through therapy, please contact us at Blossom Into A Better You in St. Pete today!
