How To Stop Night-time Anxiety

Friday, April 20, 2018, 11:23

What is night-time anxiety? It is a sleep disorder that can cause stress or anxiety at night. The clinical term is insomnia, where people have trouble in falling asleep, waking too early in the morning, or difficulty staying asleep. So, how to stop night-time anxiety?

The problem with night-time anxiety is that all the problems from the day have a horrible habit of spiralling out of control after dark. People who have night-time anxiety suffer way more than the ones who face day-time anxiety. Because the person may take hours to fall asleep while disturbing and frightening thoughts take control over your mind. Also, the person can suddenly wake up in the middle of the night due to a nocturnal panic attack.

People with night-time anxiety may also experience hideous dreams that make no sense at all and you wake up feeling awful.

Read here to know how to stop night-time anxiety.

1. Sleep By The Clock

When it comes to sleeping at night, a proper timing should be maintained. Because your circadian rhythm, also known as the biological clock, affects every aspect of your life, including your ability to sleep well. When the biological clock is in order, the better you will sleep. Going to bed at the right time means you won't lie awake feeling tired. It is essential that you get to bed by 10 PM.

2. Follow The Wind Down Routine

Sleep is a natural physiological process, but you can help it and avoid anxiety by having a wind-down routine. This means that you need to relax your body that will prepare the body to get into a sleeping mode. So, if you are going to bed between 10 PM and 11 PM, set aside 30 minutes to an hour for an identical nightly pre-sleep routine. This involves taking a shower, washing your face, brushing your teeth, and moisturising your face.

3. Limit The Alcohol Intake

Alcohol is known to be a stimulant as well as a sedative. Many people drink alcohol before going to bed to fall asleep, it also metabolises very quickly, that it can leave the body craving for more. So, when you drink alcohol before bedtime, you are likely to wake up in the early hours, leaving you for a night-time anxiety attack. Thus, if you intend to go to bed at 10 PM, have a glass of wine at 7 PM.

4. Soak It Up

Taking a relaxing bath before going to bed can help de-clutter your mind. You can try adding lavender essential oil, which is helpful in making you fall asleep. It has soothing properties and calms your mind instantly. By taking a bath, there is a fall in the body temperature that signals the brain to start producing sleep-inducing melatonin.

5. Ditch The Caffeine

It is advisable to avoid caffeine after having dinner. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and the body takes six hours to recover from a single cup of coffee or tea. If you want to have a cup of tea or coffee, have it in the afternoon. The powerful stimulant in caffeine makes it hard for you to fall asleep. A study also found that caffeine can actually delay the timing of your biological clock. These things will affect your sleep timings largely.

6. Breathing & Meditation

Practising deep breathing can distract your mind from worries and troubles. Breathing in and breathing out will instantly slow everything down, as it relaxes the mind and body, and helps channel your energy into the breathing action. Also, meditating for a few minutes will help in relaxing your mind and body. It will remove all the tiredness, which will overcome anxiety and help you fall asleep.

7. Control Your Worries

By controlling we mean writing down what's on your mind at least an hour before going to bed. By writing down the thoughts on a paper, you will be able to control your worries, instead of playing the worries inside your head. Every thought that you have, just write it down, because it becomes very difficult when the thought starts consuming your head.

8. No Electronic Gadgets At Night

Before going to bed, it is crucially important to have a mental switch-off. Unplug all your electronic devices that could stimulate the mind. Browsing through social media at night will keep your brain awake, and you will find it difficulty in falling asleep. If checking your phone is a part of your daily routine, ditch this habit and give your eyes and brain a break. Put your phone in aeroplane mode, so that you won't be tempted to pick them up in the night.

9. Avoid Bad Night Habits

It is recommended to not stay in bed for more than 15 minutes. Because bed is the only place to relax and sleep, not the place for stressing, worrying and obsessing over something. Also, do not go to bed too soon, which means, only go to bed when you fall asleep right away. But this doesn't mean that you go to bed post 11 PM at night. Try to relax yourself by reading a book or listening to a soothing song, which will automatically make you fall asleep.

10. Magnesium Oil

A deficiency in magnesium can cause night-time anxiety and it's one of the leading causes of anxiety disorders. Magnesium is essential for a good sleep and to reduces stress levels. It is better that you rub pure magnesium oil on your feet before you go to sleep. Put on your socks and sleep. This will help in giving you a sound sleep.