The 3am club: What helps you get back to sleep? #Nighttime Anxiety

[Guest_10343]

I’m currently writing this after another night of waking up at 3am with my mind racing. It seems to be the time when all my worries decide to hold a committee meeting!

I know I’m not alone in this (unfortunately), so I wanted to ask: What is your #1 trick for quieting your mind when you wake up anxious?

I’ve been trying box breathing (breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4), which helps a little, but I’d love to hear what works for you guys. Even if it's just getting up and making tea.

Thanks for listening.

[randomxx]

Hiya quirk and all. l wondered about some of the natural stuff to quirk. l found though over all my best training was just trying to go to bed at a certain window, time- and sticking to that routine , same with waking up in the mornings. Bc if you sleep in bc you didn't sleep, then your not tired enough the next night at the set time , to sleep yet.So for me a rough waking up time was prob the key.

lf all else fails my ex left me with lots of meds and just 1/2 of this one in particular about 2 hrs before bed , knocks me off, so l cheat now and then to ha ha.

[randomxx]

Admittedly , don't like the routine part of it l need to do much though. l could sleep in now days stay up late or anything l want wouldn't really matter as l'm not even working atm and may not even restart anyway.

[Annas1]

Hello All,

I am a member of the sleep-eluding club too. It has been an early indicator of psychic stress since my adolescence. While I generally get enough sleep, personal stressors can rapidly spike my nervous system which then makes sleep hard to come by.

This Christmastime I want to practice a kinder more accepting attitude toward wakefulness and feeling overtired and wired due to lack of sleep. I have addressed most of the interpersonal stressors that crop up for me at Christmas, so have made some progress in being more self-directed this year. However, I find that I need to stand by decisions each day, as there will always be someone who will question my choices, need justifications, or express disapproval. Prioritising my psychological needs seems to be directly connected to prioritising my physical needs. If I sacrifice my wellbeing I can almost predict the response in my body via overactivation and, as a result, poor sleep!

May we stand for ourselves as best we can in our waking hours so that our sleeptime is restful.