Stressed and Depressed: 4 Ways to Reduce Anxiety at Night

When was the last time you had a good night's sleep? If you always find yourself wide awake at night, even when your mind and body are entirely exhausted, then you definitely need to get some help. Loss of sleep weakens your immune system, which makes you more prone to catching a cold, suffering from depression or anxiety, and even developing more life-threatening diseases. 

Reasons You Are Losing Sleep

If you are suffering from anxiety or stress, this is probably the reason why you're struggling to fall asleep. Your problems and worries keep your mind from resting because instead of going to sleep, your brain continues to think of solutions. This disrupts your regular sleeping pattern as your mind is too busy and can't relax. 

Lack of sleep makes concentrating at work even more challenging. Sleep disruption, much like feelings of anxiety, is a common symptom of a mental health problem. However, you don't need a medical diagnosis for an anxiety disorder to feel the impact of stress in your life.

Consistently not being able to get a good night's sleep is a clear indication that there is something wrong and you need to do something about it. 

More than 40 million Americans say that they are suffering from some sleep disorder. Many more have admitted that they experience occasional sleep disruption. Most of these people are adults who experience a lot of stressors in their day to day activities. 

Which came first: the anxiety or the lack of sleep?

Which do people suffer from first--losing sleep over their anxiety or feeling anxious because they weren't able to sleep? The reality is, the relationship between the two is bidirectional; one could be the cause of the other in any given situation. 

Your lack of sleep could make you feel anxious, and your anxiety could be causing you to lose sleep. Either way, both feelings put you in a situation where you begin to doubt yourself. 

The causes are not as important as finding a solution to deal with both. When you meet with a doctor or any health care professional, you must open up about your sleeplessness. When your body is not getting the rest it needs, it begins to weaken, and that could cause you a lot of health concerns. 

If you choose to take a sleeping pill, make sure that you understand all the sleeping pills' effects on your body. Sure, it may help you sleep through the night tonight, but is it good in the long term, or will you have to deal with addiction later?

There are several OTC for anxiety (over the counter drugs) that your friends may recommend but never take any new medication without a doctor's blessing. After all, you'll never really know how these medicines affect your body in the long run. 

How do you reduce anxiety at night? 

Can anxiety make you tired? It sure can, but it can also keep you awake. As long as it takes control of your feelings and thoughts, stress could drain the life out of you. 

Wondering how you could get yourself some good sleep without the help of sleeping pills or anxiety medications? Here are four tips to make it happen:

Get your body moving

Experts say that exercise is beneficial for your body. Not only does it help burn the extra calories you ate for lunch, but it also helps diminish the unwanted fats that tend to stick to your body. However, several studies show that exercise helps lower anxiety and improves sleep. Exercise keeps you energized the whole day, so it is best to do it first thing in the morning. Doing it at night would keep you awake, and that will defeat the purpose of it all. Try walking for twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes in the afternoon. This will encourage your body to rest at night. 

Make your room sleep-worthy

Be in control of your immediate environment. If you can, dim the lights, keep the room as quiet as possible, and adjust the temperature. A dark, quiet, cool place can help entice much-needed sleep into your life. In addition to a calm mind, you will have a higher chance of getting a good night's sleep if your surroundings encourage a peaceful night. Another idea is to prepare yourself for bed by freshening up in the shower. A nice warm bath can also help lower the temperature in your body, allowing it to be at ease and ready for bed. 

Meditation

Whether you already have a meditation routine or if you haven't even tried it before, meditation and mindfulness can not only help reduce anxiety but can help relax your body enough to encourage sleep. There are several sleep meditations available on YouTube, but if you're trying to avoid screens before bed, you can lay in your bed and focus on your breathing. Just five minutes can help you feel calmer and, therefore, more sleepy.

Quit drinking coffee

All caffeine-rich drinks are bad for you if you are already losing sleep. Drinking too much caffeine or consuming them towards late afternoons increases the feeling of anxiety at night as it can make you feel jittery. You should also avoid alcohol as it increases your heart rate, which can keep you awake. Instead, you should stay hydrated with water, low-sugar juices, and non-caffeinated teas. 

Sometimes, managing your anxiety or putting yourself to rest at night can be quite a challenge. But this does not mean that you cannot do anything about it. Instead, allow yourself to rest and relax. Free yourself of your worries and just sleep. 

Give yourself the gift of a good night's rest and see how it helps you in the long run.