Anxiety can cause a major disruption in your life and be triggered by anything at any time. When it hits you in the evening, it can cause a lot of distress, especially when you’re trying to wind down for the night.
Symptoms during the day can be similar or different from those experienced at night. Common nighttime symptoms include ruminating thoughts, nightmares, racing thoughts, heart palpitations, fear, restlessness, upset stomach, and/or insomnia.
What Causes Nighttime Anxiety?
If you suffer from anxiety, chances are you may have had some sleep disruption. When your sleep patterns are disrupted or your quality of sleep is poor, it can impact your body’s ability to combat anxious feelings or symptoms. As this cycle progresses, nighttime anxiety can become worse.
It can also be caused by physiological or psychological factors. Chronic pain or illness can interfere with your sleep quality and also become more problematic since your mind and body are less busy. The less hustle and bustle means more time for negative thoughts to creep in. Certain medications for either can also influence the onset of anxiety, especially if it is a new medication and your body is adjusting.
And for all the caffeine aficionados, caffeine is a stimulant for the nervous system. Ingested after a certain time of day, it can cause increased energy that will carry through to the nighttime.
How To Manage A Good Night’s Sleep
That nighttime anxiety may not be completely erased, but there are methods to minimize your feelings to promote a better night’s rest.
1. Plan An Evening Ritual
Who doesn’t love a little self-care? Creating a bedtime routine can help prepare your body (and mind) for productive sleep. Not only will it help reduce anxiety, but it might even give you something to look forward to at the end of your day too.
Cut your screen time short, especially social media scrolling, at least one hour before heading to bed. Avoid any high-stress or intense physical activity close to your preferred bedtime. As hard as this one may be, try to eliminate coffee in the afternoon and no alcohol close to that sleeping time, either.
Instead, focus on relaxation. Take a warm bath or shower. Do a meditation practice in the evening. Turn on a relaxing playlist. And for sleep hygiene to work, keep your bedtime consistent.
2. Light Exercise/Activity
Adding regular exercise can help reduce the production of stress hormones allowing for improved sleep. Keep your moderate to high-intensity workouts in the mornings when possible. For the evening, focus on going for a leisurely walk or doing a yoga routine. You don’t want to participate in anything too stressful or active that will get your heart rate going in the evening.
3. Journaling
Keeping a journal can help you identify what your anxiety triggers are. Externalizing your thoughts on a piece of paper can keep them from swirling around in your head and also help shift your perspective. Plus, research has shown that journaling before going to sleep increases your ability to fall asleep faster.
4. Set The Environment
Your bedroom should be your sanctuary. Keep stressful things like work and your phone (when possible) out of that sacred space. Create a space filled with comfortable blankets and pillows. Use color schemes that are calming.
Control the temperature to something sleep-friendly; research recommends between 60-67 degrees. Use calming light, something dimmable. When needed, throw on a playlist of white noise or pink noise.
Sleep is the best way for your brain and body to recharge. When anxiety interferes with that, the short and long-term effects can be unpleasant. If you find yourself fighting to get quality sleep, you might need additional help. Check out our Anxiety Therapy specialty page to read some more information about anxiety or contact us for additional resources and guidance.
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