USEFUL TIPS
5 Ways To Deal With Night Time Anxiety
6 min read
6 min read
If you suffer from nighttime anxiety, you’re not alone.
This is one of the most common mental health issues that people experience at any age. From young children up to the elderly, people experience anxiety in many different ways. Nighttime anxiety can present itself in different feelings, emotions, and fears that vary from person to person.
For some, this might mean nightmares that create physical and mental fear in your body. While this is more common with children, it happens with adults as well. For others, it might just feel like you have a pit in your stomach or like something is bothering you that you can’t pinpoint. There’s no right or wrong way to feel anxiety, and pretty much everyone will experience it in some form or another in their lifetime.
There’s no way around the fact that anxiety sucks. It isn’t fun to deal with, and it can be scary at times. The good news? There are a ton of tips and tricks that really work to help calm your mind down. The key is trying different techniques, finding ones that work for you, and sticking with them. We know this is easier said than done, but it’s definitely worth trying.
If you are stuck and don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together five tried-and-true techniques that can really help to reduce or stop your nighttime anxiety. Get ready for the best and most peaceful sleep of your life!
1. Put Your Phone Down
And don’t just put your phone down; put down every single electronic you own! The blue light that is emitted from your electronic screens is a huge contributor to feelings of restlessness. These feelings can also include anxiety. This is because blue light stimulates your brain, telling it that it’s time to be awake and go into overdrive.
Ready for a bit of science? Blue light actually prevents your body from preparing for sleep because it works to block melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body that causes sleepiness. This hormone is essential for getting a good night’s sleep. When the body doesn’t unwind properly, there’s a much higher chance you’ll start getting feelings of anxiety as soon as your head hits the pillow.
Basically, anything with a screen is going to emit blue light, even though it appears white to the naked eye. This means cellphones, iPads, tablets, and televisions are best left turned off once it’s time to start getting ready for bed. If you must use any of these devices, then you should consider purchasing some blue light glasses. The lenses on these glasses block the blue light, which prevents it from messing with your melatonin production.
2. Try Meditating
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for helping our minds. It can be used for so many different things, such as relaxation, reducing anxiety, and envisioning what you want in life. Your mind is a powerful tool, and it can be extremely helpful if you know how to use it. Meditation involves being still and quiet so that you can focus the mind. For most people, it involves blocking out all thoughts so that you can be completely still and silent.
It looks different for everyone, so you can also chant, repeat mantras in your head, or work on visualizing something comforting. The point is, you want to work to help your body stay calm. By entering a state of zen, your body will rid itself of any feelings of anxiety. A meditative state is a great place to be mentally before you go to sleep.
Don’t worry if you struggle with this at first. It’s harder to be quiet and still than loud and active. Keep practicing until you feel like you can calm yourself down through meditation.
3. Use Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy consists of using essential oils to either create or alleviate specific feelings. Most people who use aromatherapy use an oil diffuser, which uses essential oils and water and produces a light mist with the chosen scent. However, you can also apply the oils to your temples or wrists for a stronger scent. If you are sensitive to smells, it is best to use a diffuser to prevent headaches.
There are several different scents that can help with nighttime anxiety (or any anxiety at all). Inhaling the scent will trigger your scent receptors, which tells your nervous system how to respond. The most commonly used essential oil for anxiety is lavender. Lavender is known for its ability to calm the mind and promote relaxation. But, it’s not the only anti-anxiety essential oil there is.
If lavender isn’t your thing, you have a ton of options to choose from. Here are the essential oils that can help with your anxiety: rose, jasmine, valerian, chamomile, ylang-ylang, holy basil, patchouli, frankincense, fennel, and bergamot. Try a few of these scents and see which one works best for you.
4. Create a Night Time Routine
You’ve heard the phrase ‘consistency is key,’ and that doesn’t just apply to practicing for sports and music. If you are consistent with something, it becomes a routine. This routine then becomes a habit. Over time, your body will begin to understand that your nighttime routine means it’s time to wind down and get ready for sleep.
Your routine doesn’t have to be complicated or long. In fact, the shorter and simpler, the better. Try and do things that you know you will have to do every night before bed. Feel free to pick a routine that works for your needs and your lifestyle, but here is a sample one we came up with to give you an idea:
At 9 pm, turn your phone off or keep it out of sight (along with any other electronic devices you have). Then, head to the bathroom to do a self-care routine. This could be a quick, hot shower, followed by your skincare routine, followed by brushing your teeth. Put on a fresh pair of pajamas. Get into bed by 9:30, and then read or journal until 10 pm. Then it’s lights out!
5. Put Clean Sheets On
This might not seem like something that can help, but it can. You don’t have to do this every single night, but there are some people who like to change their sheets once or twice each week. You can use the process of putting the sheets on to go into a state of calm and meditation. Focus on tucking each corner down on the mattress, smoothing the flat sheet over the fitted one, and putting on all your pillowcases.
Slowly, your brain will start to unwind more and more. Plus, the thought of snuggling into crisp, clean sheets is calming as well. You can repeat certain affirmations, such as “I am safe and sound in my clean bed.” There’s a lot of power in telling the mind what to believe rather than letting it think for itself.
Your body will naturally feel more at peace if it knows it is getting into a nice clean bed. Using high-quality sheets, such as the ones from Miracle Brand, will help to ensure you are getting the best (and cleanest) night’s sleep. Our sheets are made with antibacterial silver, which helps to prevent the growth of bacteria that comes from oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. The sheets are soft and silky to the touch, which means you will be extra comfortable.
In Conclusion
Nighttime anxiety is a struggle for many people, but it can be managed. Of course, if you ever have severe anxiety, you should go and talk to your doctor. However, mild cases of anxiety can be dealt with by utilizing several different tricks, such as the five we discussed. Whether it’s using high-quality, antibacterial bedding from Miracle Brand, meditating, aromatherapy, or something else entirely, it’s all about what works for you.
What works for one person might not work for you, which is why it’s a great idea to try out different methods. Once you find one that works, stick with it and incorporate it into your nightly routine. With time, your anxiety will be reduced and become more manageable. And hopefully, you might be able to get rid of it entirely if you find a method that really works. Don’t get discouraged, and know that there are plenty of other people who are dealing with anxiety.
Sources:
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How Blue Light Affects Your Sleep | Web MD -
Try This: 18 Essential Oils for Anxiety | Healthline
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The Effect of Aromatherapy on Anxiety in Patients | US National Library of Medicine
