Take Your Supplements
One of the best ways to avoid an anxious mind before bed is to battle anxiety before it becomes a sleep issue Its important to eat healthy so your body gets the nutrition it needs However sometimes your body may not get enough vitamins and minerals from food alone so you may need to start taking supplements If youre not sure whether you have a deficiency ask your doctor to run blood tests
Some common vitamin and mineral deficiencies that affect your mood stability are vitamin B vitamin D magnesium iron and iodine If you can get these deficiencies to acceptable levels your ability to sleep without worry is going to improve greatly B vitamins show promise in treating depression especially if its associated with MTHFR and anxiety
Another possible reason for anxiety is that you may not have enough probiotics in your diet Probiotics relieve anxiety and depression in several ways including increasing serotonin and reducing inflammation Certain probiotic strains also lower corticosterone a major stress hormone while others act as natural antidepressants Yogurt sauerkraut and pickles are three foods that contain probiotics However you can also try supplements Many supplements are intended to help with other issues as well For example some aim to improve constipation while others are weight loss probiotics
Perform Breathing Relaxation Exercises
Relaxation techniques are used to reduce anxiety The main focus of these exercises is to determine how your body responds to stress and alter this reaction if its an unhealthy one Some natural responses to anxiety are heavy breathing increased heart rate lightheadedness and an overall feeling of panic Relaxation practices are used to change these anxious responses into relaxed reactions These techniques are effective because they help you to be in the present rather than to be lost in your thoughts
One way to control bedtime stress is to practice relaxed breathing When you feel your pulse increase due to worry breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth Focus on your breathing and continue this exercise until you begin to feel less anxious Calm yourself down by visualizing a real or imaginary place you feel safe in Picture yourself in this location and concentrate on the intimate details such as how everything looks smells and feels While focusing on your safe place breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth Keep doing this breathing exercise until you feel better
If youre unable to visualize a safe space use your surroundings as a calming mechanism Find somewhere comfortable and relaxing to sit and take note of your breathing Shift your thoughts to your physical surroundings Ask yourself what you hear smell and feel Move your thoughts back and forth between your breathing and the calming environment Soon your breathing is going to reflect the peacefulness of your surroundings which is ultimately going to calm your nerves
Put Down the Electronics
Do you play games send texts or look at social media sites right before you try to sleep If so youre probably sabotaging a good nights rest The blue wavelength light thats emitted from your phone and other smart devices is a sleep deprivation culprit This light increases the amount of cortisol your brain produces which keeps you alert while it simultaneously decreases the sleep hormone melatonin For these reasons its best if you dont use any electronics an hour before you try to sleep
This age of technology has everyone afraid to look away from their phones in case they miss out on something This fear causes anxiety which is why many people wont turn their phones off at night even to sleep If youre easily woken up by a single buzz from your phone and are inclined to check the notification youre probably not getting the rest you need
If you want to decrease your electronic based nighttime anxiety here are a few things you can try Practice ignoring incoming notifications during the day so its not difficult to do at night If you cant help checking your phone turn off the ringer Make it a goal to check for texts and other messages every thirty minutes to an hour This process is going to show you that looking at notifications immediately isnt necessary so you wont stress over it at night Consider moving your devices to another room or at least to a dresser thats not right beside your bed Keeping them farther away is going to discourage usage
If you want an activity to do before you fall asleep try something that wont overload your brain Reading a book yes a paper book listening to music or watching a television show is acceptable Choose activities that will put your mind at ease
Schedule Thinking Time
If youve been away all day its unlikely that youve had a chance to sit down and think about the days events Choose a time when its acceptable to be anxious otherwise bedtime might become an unplanned worry session While anxiety shouldnt be debilitating it is a normal part of life and needs to be dealt with on a daily basis so it doesnt build up
During this scheduled session write down everything that is bothering you regardless of how big or small the issue is After youve created a list think about possible solutions to each problem and write those down as well This list isnt going to solve everything but it will certainly give you peace of mind and relieve your anxiety Getting all of the stress off your chest and onto paper during this designated worry time is going to help you to sleep like a baby at bedtime
Conclusion
Dont let worry keep you up at night especially when there are so many ways to combat it If you can control your nighttime worry you will sleep better and sound sleep leads to decreased anxiety This cycle repeats so you have to take the necessary steps to keep the pattern moving in the right direction If you deal with anxiety directly rather than letting stress take over your life youre going to have restful nights and refreshing days
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