Preparing yourself for a good night’s rest protected from stress and anxiety begins long before you hit your pillow. Let’s look at a few tips you can follow during the day that will help you rest easier and sleep better at night.
Focus on what is within your control, not what is outside of yourself.
Anxiety is a normal part of the human experience. There will be times in our lives that our anxiety symptoms peak. Identifying tools to refocus your energy and gain more control over your habits can help you cope with symptoms as they arise.
For example, aim to understand the difference between a physical symptom and mental factors such as social anxiety. Both can contribute to sleeping problems.
Most importantly, eat a healthy diet full of nutritious healthy leafy carbohydrates and a balance of good fats and protein. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. What we eat and drink is totally something we can control. Limit alcohol and caffeine.
Exercise will help your sleep and anxiety levels too. When we do so, our bodies release feel-good chemicals that help us better manage stress and sleep.
Physical activity is also a great way to reduce negative thoughts and acute stress in a healthy way. Walk daily, go to the beach, or walk in the forest. If you live in the city, make sure you get out to the beach or forest, park etc as often as possible. Pure air is important for cellular regeneration and will help with sleep pattern.
Sleep with you curtains closed.
Sleep Naked. If in a relationship, sleeping naked also leads to greater intimacy with your partner — leading to the release of oxytocin, also known as the cuddle hormone – that helps reduce blood pressure, and relieves stress…sleep better.
Have your hormones tested to see if they are balance. Hormone imbalances can lead to a lousy night.
Develop a nightly routine. Beast rem sleep is between 10pm and 2am
Doing the same thing consistently before bed can help your brain identify when it is time to start shutting down for the day. It cues the brain that you will be going to sleep shortly and allows it to start to unwind a bit.
For example:
Take a warm shower or bath just before bed, read a book.
Meditate or say mantras or affirmations when in bed. Start by finding a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. Take a few deep breaths. Beginning at your feet, slowly move your attention up your body. As you move from your feet to your legs, belly, shoulders, head, and neck, simply notice if you are holding any tension in those areas. Breathe deeply and slowly and release. There are some great apps nowadays to help with guided meditations. Or you can play a CD, which is much better as they do not interfere with melatonin levels. Put on repeat.
Journaling during the day to make lists of things you need to do another day to clear your mind of clutter to help your mind shut down.
If you live in a noisy environment, play some relaxing music to drown out the external noise.
Earplugs can help in various scenarios, from sleeping. on airplanes to sleeping next to noisy neighbors or listen to relaxing sounds or white noise for sleep. They will muffle the noise around you so that you can fall asleep.
If the earplugs do not work, try buying a white noise machine as it will be worth the spend. White noise can help to block surrounding noises and provides nonstop, soothing sounds that can help you fall asleep.
White noise machines have been shown to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. The consistent sound produced by these machines helps to create a peaceful environment that is conducive to sleep.
Remember to turn off all devices, this can be a real challenge for many. Even with light filters turned on, our devices rob us of melatonin, a key hormone our bodies need to help us fall asleep.
Additionally, consider what type of thing you are doing on the device. This could be one last email or scrolling through social media accounts. This can be activating your mind and causing it to become stimulated rather than cueing it to begin the relaxation process.