By Sandy Rayman MA, LPCC
Have you noticed that when you lie down for bed, your mind is flooded with worries, fears, and thoughts of the future? Do you realize that you’ve been caught up in an imagined future scenario, plotting out potential actions and outcomes? Does your body flip into overdrive, leaving you tense, panicked, and overwhelmed?
Nighttime anxiety can be super frustrating because it’s the exact opposite of sleep. It can rob you of much needed rest and relaxation. And unfortunately, the anxiety can be self-perpetuating once you associate attempting to sleep with anxiety. Then you get anxious about getting anxious, which — of course — leaves you feeling anxious and frustrated.
The good news is, there are a few steps you can take to lessen the intensity of nighttime anxiety and build bedtime routines that work for you.
1) Practicing good sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene refers to the actions you take leading up to bedtime. This normally looks like setting a consistent bedtime, keeping your bedroom dark, avoiding large meals right before bed, and limiting blue light sources (phone, computer, TV, etc) at least an hour before bedtime.
Avoiding screens can be especially challenging if you’re trying to put off or avoid the anxiety you feel at bedtime and comfort yourself with distractions. While it may help in the short term, it can keep your brain in an active state for longer and make winding down more difficult
2) Getting exercise
Exercising during the day can help tire your body and mind for a more restful night’s sleep. If the gym isn’t affordable or accessible for you, you can try out different kinds of activities at home like dance, calisthenics, yoga, running or walking. The endorphins released during physical activity can also help your mood and perspective, giving you a break from anxiety that can carry over into bedtime
3) Quiet practices and meditation
“Quiet practices” are activities that can help you wind down at the end of the day that don’t involve looking at a screen. This could include reading a physical book, drawing, crafting, playing music, podcasts or audiobooks, gentle stretching or yoga, or slow chores, like folding laundry (or any chore that feels neutral or positive to you).
I add these activities in with meditation because they can be a helpful first step before a bedtime meditation like square breathing or yoga nidra. Or they can serve as a meditation practice themselves, if they draw you into the present moment. These kinds of activities can help shift your nervous system from a sympathetic (action oriented) to parasympathetic (rest oriented) state.
4) Bedside anxiety journal
One of the toughest things about anxiety is that sometimes, it serves a purpose. It can keep us from forgetting deadlines, important details, or tasks. This is why having a little journal, or even a scratch piece of paper next to your bed can be helpful when nighttime anxiety pops up. Then, you don’t have the additional worry about remembering something important — you can jot it down and let it go until the next day. It can also hold the anxiety from the day if you explore a bedtime journaling practice.
If these tips don’t meet your needs, or if you struggle a flood with self-judgment and painful memories when you try to sleep, you might need some extra help. There’s no shame in that. I can offer you specialized support based on your unique strengths, needs, and goals.
Together, we can explore the roots of your anxiety and how to best manage your symptoms, no matter what time of day. I take a collaborative approach with clients and enjoy finding self-regulation techniques that work for you. If you’re curious about what our work together might look like, please reach out for a free 20 minute consultation.
Learn more about our anxiety therapy in Colorado. Serving Boulder, Longmont, Denver.
