4 Actions You Can Take Today to Improve Night Time Anxiety
Have you noticed that you feel more anxious at night? Do your worries feel louder and more intense at bedtime? Do you worry about whether you’ll be able to sleep and how you’ll survive tomorrow if you sleep badly? Maybe you’ve found yourself stuck in a vicious cycle of anxiety and poor sleep.
In this article I’m sharing why your anxiety may be worse at night and four actions you can start taking today to improve night time anxiety and worry.
Table of Contents
Why do I feel more anxious at night?
Anxiety at night can be caused by various factors. As a sleep therapist, two of the main factors I see influencing bedtime anxiety are: general anxiety or stress and sleep anxiety.
General anxiety and stress
Anxiety and stress can feel overwhelming at night. You might find that you can distract yourself from worries during the day, but at night they pop up again, keeping you awake.
Maybe you wake up at 3am, unable to switch off your busy mind, ruminating on the past and worrying about the future. Or, despite feeling exhausted when you go to bed, your mind is alert and wired meaning you lie awake for hours tossing and turning.
On top of this, when you are tired it’s more challenging for your brain to regulate your emotions, including anxiety. It becomes harder to problem solve or think rationally, and your emotions may feel more intense.
The physiological effects of stress and anxiety may impact your sleep too. This is because stress & anxiety trigger your ‘fight or flight’ response. You might notice symptoms, such as increased heart-rate or breathing rate and butterflies in your stomach, which make it difficult to relax and fall asleep.
Sleep anxiety
Put simply, sleep anxiety is anxiety about falling asleep and staying asleep. I work with clients experiencing poor sleep or insomnia and this is something I see many of them struggling with.
And it’s understandable. If you’ve spent weeks, months or even years having trouble sleeping this may lead to you feeling anxious about your ability to sleep and how you’ll cope with lack of sleep. You might wonder whether you’ll ever sleep normally again and feel anxious in anticipation of going to bed.
But this anxiety is often what’s keeping my client’s stuck in a vicious cycle of poor sleep. This is because anxiety activates your body’s threat response, signalling to your body that you’re not safe, keeping you awake and making it even harder to fall asleep.
Addressing anxiety about sleep is key to overcoming poor sleep and insomnia and this is why I created my free masterclass on managing sleep anxiety.
How to sleep better when you have night time anxiety
There are many strategies and approaches to managing anxiety, but here are four tips that you can start implementing now to help you cope with anxiety at night. If you need more support please reach out to a professional, such as your GP.
1 - Relaxation
Relaxation helps get your body into a sleep-ready state, creating the conditions for sleep to occur naturally. The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response (aka ‘fight or flight’) and we can learn to actively engage it. Making sure you allow yourself time to unwind at the end of the day will help you transition to bedtime and sleep better.
Further reading: Unlocking Relaxation: 5 Barriers to Effective Rest and How to Overcome Them
2 - Stress Management
Throughout the day you experience multiple micro-stressors, such as getting stuck in traffic, dealing with emails or spilling your coffee. These can build up over the course of the day, leaving you feeling increasingly anxious by the evening. By utilising techniques to manage stress more effectively, you can reduce the build up of anxiety & tension throughout the day. Some examples of ways to manage stress include:
Breathwork
Further reading: The Power of the Breath (& one technique you can use to feel calmer)
Problem Solving
Exercise or movement
Talking to someone you trust & connecting with friends
Practising self-compassion
3 - Addressing Your Thoughts
Take a moment to notice what thoughts are coming up for you when you feel anxious.
Are they accurate, rational or helpful? Is this something you’d say to a friend? Can you do anything about the worry? Is there an alternative way that you could reframe the thoughts?
Our thoughts affect how we feel and behave, so becoming more aware of them is an important aspect of dealing with night time anxiety.
4 - Worry time
If your mind feels especially busy at night, try keeping a worry journal. This is just a notepad by your bed where you can scribble down any thoughts that pop-up. Then schedule 10-15 minutes each day for addressing any worries.
This can help as you know that you have a dedicated time for dealing with worries.
When addressing worries, consider whether the worry is about a hypothetical situation or a real, current problem.
If it is a current problem, try a problem-solving approach and create an action plan.
If it is a hypothetical situation, try to change the focus of your attention. Grounding, mindfulness and breathing exercises can help with this. Be patient and gentle with yourself, this can take practise.
Anxiety can be challenging to tackle alone. As a sleep therapist, I offer compassionate and actionable 1:1 support, to help you feel calmer, sleep better and reduce overwhelm. Ready to get started?
Disclaimer: Please note that this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional support. If you are struggling with anxiety or difficulty sleeping please seek support from a professional, such as your GP, who can advise on your individual circumstances.