Tips for falling asleep with stress and anxiety
One-quarter of Australians will suffer from an anxiety condition in their lifetime. The remaining three-quarters may not experience anxiety regularly, but they will likely have the occasional sleepless night owing to stress.
Stress and anxiety are bad bedfellows when you are looking for a good night’s sleep. They disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, preventing you from falling asleep or sleeping through the night.
During times of stress and anxiety, falling asleep can be difficult. But there is hope: by learning how to calm your mind, you can fall asleep fast even when anxiety has other ideas.
How stress and anxiety affect sleep
Stress, the body’s natural protection system, raises your heart rate, speeds up breathing, and has many other physical or mental manifestations. Headaches, depression, clenched teeth, excessive sweating, stomach pain; these can all be symptoms of stress.
Anxiety – stress in the absence of a stressor – can produce the same effects.
Insomnia and disturbed sleep are common among people experiencing prolonged stress. Unfortunately, so is fatigue.
The combination of feeling exhausted and being unable to sleep can create a vicious cycle. If you suffer from chronic stress or anxiety, seeing a doctor or mental health professional can help.
8 tips for falling asleep with stress and anxiety
Stress is unavoidable. But it doesn’t have to stop you from getting enough good-quality sleep. These tips can help you fall asleep by neutralising the physical effects of stress and calming your mind.
Some people find a single method effective, while others use a combination of stress-relieving routines to fall asleep (and stay asleep).
1. Meditate
Meditation is an ancient practice with benefits in our stressful modern world. There are many types of meditation, all aimed at calming your mind by focusing its attention on something soothing.
It could be rhythmic breathing, a chant, or your body movements.
Regularly practising meditation has been shown to help with sleep problems, stress and anxiety. If you have never tried meditating before, there are many courses, apps and classes to help you get started.
2. Learn deep breathing techniques
Anxiety quickens your breathing, which can make it harder to fall asleep. Deep breathing is both a meditation method and a relaxation technique.
Try to focus on taking slow, even breaths. Counting the seconds in and out can help.
As you breathe in and out slowly, your heart rate slows, counteracting the effects of stress to help you fall asleep.
3. Limit caffeine late in the day
Australians love our coffee. And there are many benefits to drinking moderate amounts of caffeine, including a lower risk of type-2 diabetes, higher energy levels and improved alertness.
But consuming too much caffeine is also shown to have a negative effect on sleep quality. A 2016 study from the University of South Australia found that “shorter sleep is associated with greater caffeine consumption, and that consumption is greater in adults with reduced sleep quality.”
Limiting caffeine at least 3 to 7 hours before you go to bed gives the stimulant time to leave your system.
And remember, you can find caffeine in a few unexpected places:
- Coffee
- Black tea and green tea
- Dark chocolate
- Milk chocolate
- Soft drinks
- Weight loss products
- Cold and flu medication
We are sorry to inform you that a favourite stress reliever, chocolate, might work against you when you struggle to fall asleep due to stress or anxiety.
4. Create a soothing bedtime routine
The idea of “winding down” can seem elusive in our busy lives. But a bedtime routine can calm your mind even on the most stressful days, helping you fall asleep faster.
Try incorporating some of these ideas into a bedtime routine:
- Take a warm shower
- Avoid blue light from screens
- Write in a journal
- Read a good book
- Practise aromatherapy for sleep
- Meditating
After a stressful day, self-care strategies can help you dissolve the tension in your mind and fall asleep faster.