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There are few things more frustrating than sleep anxiety.
Design by Channing Smith
Its 10 p.m. Youre enjoying your eveningskin care routine.
Youre brewing a cup of chamomile tea.
Youre slipping intosomething silky.
The more you think about this bedtime possibility, the more anxious you get.
The vicious sleep anxiety cycle has begun.
Sleep anxiety is very real, but it’s not an official disorder, per se.
We diagnose them with insomnia or insomnia secondary to a particular anxiety disorder, like generalized anxiety or OCD.
Most of the people who dont sleep, 75% of it is due to anxiety.
Stress and anxiety, in other words, disrupt our sleep.
So how can you prevent sleep anxiety and deal with it when it happens?
We asked the top sleep experts to break it down.
What is sleep anxiety?
Who is most likely to have sleep anxiety?
But if youre constantly having trouble falling asleep or cant stay asleep, its something you should address.
Heres what to do about it.
Recognize how you are talking to yourself about sleep, says Dr. Robbins.
Are you telling yourself youll never be able to figure out how to calm anxiety at night?
when it comes to your ability to fall asleep and get good, restorative sleep, Dr. Robbins says.
For real this time.
She recommends setting aside at least 30 minutes to wind down.
Meditation is admittedly not for everyone.
That means your response to stressors and anxiety triggers also shrinks.
Smith suggests starting with a guided sleep meditation.
There are dozens of greatmeditation appsto help you get started.
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Breathing exercisesare also surprisingly effective at getting you off to dreamland.
Another powerful technique: progressive muscle relaxation.
Definitely one of my favorites, says Dr. Breus.
Its good because it teaches people the difference between when theyre tense and when theyre relaxed.
The premise is simple.
Its very relaxing and has a tendency to put people to sleep, Dr. Breus says.
Theres almost no better way to reduce levels of stress than exercise, says Dr. Breus.
It doesnt have to be intensea 25-minute walk an hour before bedtime can help you calm those anxious thoughts.
Theres a reason sleep experts recommend sticking to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time to maintain good sleep hygiene.
If you find yourself lying awake at night, avoid the temptation to look at the clock.
Nothing good can come of it.Ive been lying awake how long?
Seeing the clock is likely to make you panic and try even harder to fall asleep.
Nobody in the history of time has ever thought their way back to sleep, he points out.
Trying really hard is the opposite of what we want your brain to do.
Most people fall back asleep within a few moments.
If you dont, dont panic.
Unless youre dying to go to the bathroom, stay in bed, says Dr. Breus.
This is called nonsleep deep rest.
Understanding this can help lower your anxiety and allow the natural sleep process to take back over.
