Anxiety before bed

[lepapillon]

I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get to sleep or calm oneself before bed. As soon as I get into bed ready to sleep, my heart rate hits the roof, I am short of breathe, irritable and feel extremely claustrophobic. This happens almost every night now. I have tried cubic and concentrated breathing but isn't working as well as it used to. I am also aware it may be worse due to exam time (not to mention boyfriend drama)! I really don't want my anxiety to get out of control or spiral down back to depression again as I have been doing so well for the past year.

Any pointers would be great as I don't deal well with lack of sleep
x

[geoff]

hello Lepapillon, once your mind starts thinking and thinking even more, then it's hard to get to sleep, because you toss and turn, turn on your electric blanket and have the radio on to whatever music you like, hum away to the songs, and yes you might start to cry, but don't take this as being bad, because eventually you will drop off to sleep.
Maybe have the radio going on all the time, sometimes this may distract your self-conscious from thinking about any of those nasty thoughts. Geoff.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi lepapillon,

Thanks for your post.

Dealing with anxiety before bed can be a lot like dealing with anxiety during the day; what sort of stuff helps you when you notice anxiety generally?

Here are some general suggestions; hopefully some of them may help you a little!

- Focus on your breathing. Maybe you can tell us why it isn't working as well as it used to - what sort of breathing exercises are you doing? Muscle tension and relaxation ones can also be helpful because our muscles often become naturally tense when we are anxious.

- Making sure that you're getting enough exercise and eating well. Although it sounds a bit cliche and overrated I know if I've exercised I'm usually more exhausted, and if I eat something sweet before bed I'm all hyper. A lot of people find cups of tea can be helpful.

- Being mindful of what you're doing before bedtime. Staying up late studying can be a big trigger for anxiety! Or maybe it's certain TV shows that might be very fast paced or social media that causes that FOMO.

- Consider listening to something. Like Geoff said the radio can be helpful or others find white noise or nature sounds to help them drift off, or even guided meditations.

- Have a routine. It's not much but it can be the difference between easing your body and mind into that sleep process vs crashing because you're exhausted.

- Calm your brain. What are you thinking about when you're in bed? Sensory grounding can help you feel grounded, and constantly reminding yourself that you are safe and you are breathing (like when you are claustrophobic) may help. Journalling is a great tool so that things are out of your head and onto paper.

- Smells. Find something that calms you naturally. Sadly I can't have a batch of cookies next to my bed (hehe) but I've started to use lavender which is supposed to be helpful, or maybe it's a bottle of perfume or a candle - anything that you can associate with good things.

[Hope_for_the_best]

Have you tried hypnosis videos? There are a lot of hypnosis videos for going to sleep on Youtube. I haven't listened to the ones for sleeping, but I have listened to the ones for stress and anxiety and I feel drowsy and fall asleep every time.

I know it is exam time, but it is best to stop studying an hour or two before you go to sleep to calm your mind down. It is also best not to use electronic devices right before sleep too, as the blue light emitted can disrupt sleeping. I usually take a hot shower to relax myself before going to sleep.

As you mentioned, insomnia is not good for your anxiety and depression. So if you have tried very hard and still cannot sleep, you should go to your doctor for some sleeping pills. Using them for a short time under a doctor's supervision is unlikely causing any problems.

[lepapillon]

Thanks romantic_thi3f
If possible I seperate myself from the situation, go sit somewhere quiet and outside without my phone. It's often hard during the day as my boyfriend tries to understand but often thinks I'm over reacting or pushing him away Baths really help me as well but I work nights and come home late often so it isn't always ideal.

I'm definitely going to try a light scented candle or diffuser and try out listening to quiet podcasts, i used to have to always listen to audio tapes when I was younger to get to sleep so maybe eben the nostalgia will help!
Thank you you're tips are ones I haven't tried yet!

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi

Oh yes that definitely makes it difficult when you're in bed; can't exactly switch to a different bed!

Baths are definitely relaxing; nothing better than wrinkly fingers! I'm just wondering maybe there's something about the bath that you can try and use in your shower routine? Things like loofahs, body scrubs, shower gels or even candles and shower radios - they can all provide that sense of luxury but without that big time commitment. I personally am a big fan of leave-in conditioners and body scrubs to make it more relaxing.

The other technique that I've heard and used before is trying to visualise some of your worries going down the drain. It can seem a bit silly at first but it can be helpful; as the soapy water runs down the drain I try and let go of something, like fear or doubt - just trying to say goodbye to whatever I don't 'need' anymore for that day.

I'm happy to hear that there's something new in there! Hope that the tips work for you!