How to Calm Anxiety Before Bed

There is nothing worse than coming home from a long day at work, getting into bed, and being unable to stop thinking. Your brain is buzzing with anxiety while your body begs you for rest. Closing your eyes and trying to force sleep to come does not always work. This type of stress can be debilitating if it goes on long enough, so you must find out how to calm your anxiety before bed.

Anxiety is tough to deal with in your daily life. It is even worse while you are trying to let your body recover from your day. How do you calm yourself down enough to get the rest you need finally? It may not seem like it, but there are ways to shut it off long enough for you to fall asleep.

Listen to Music or Sounds

One of the easiest ways for you to calm anxiety before bed is to listen to relaxing music. Binaural beats, ASMR, and white noise are good options for those who need something a little different. There are also many playlists with nature sounds, and some phone apps let you mix and match different audio clips to make the perfect sleep aid.

If the traditional music or white noise does not work for you, ASMR or binaural beats might. Binaural beats are two sounds at different frequencies that affect your brainwaves in many ways. On the other hand, ASMR stimulates a particular relaxing or tingling sensation with sounds or images. This therapy may not be your cup of tea, but it could be just what others are missing.

Some of the same apps that have meditations mentioned later have sleeps sounds, too. There are so many options that you are highly likely to find something that works for you. If not, maybe there is another type of solution that will work better for you.

Do Something Else

If you have been lying in bed for 20 minutes with no success, it is time to try something else. Get out of bed, first and foremost. There is no point in staying if it is not working. You are only causing your thoughts to become more anxiety-ridden at that point.

By staying in bed, you are allowing yourself to associate your bedroom with not sleeping well. Do not let yourself get stuck feeling trapped in a place that is supposed to bring you comfort. That will only cause more anxiety as a result.

Once you are out of bed, find something relaxing to do with the lights low. Leave your phone and electronics alone, for screens can make your sleeplessness worse. If you can, make yourself a mug of herbal tea and find a comfortable spot to sip it. Flipping through a magazine or reading a book while you do this might help take your mind off things.

Taking time to relax outside of your bedroom before trying to get into bed might help. Avoid your phone and wind down for the day. A warm bath relaxes you and will likely help you feel sleepy as you continue a relaxing routine.

Meditation

Meditation is one of the most recommended methods for easing anxiety, and that is for a good reason. This practice of focusing on your breath and calming your mind has been in practice for centuries. Many people have found solace from their anxieties with the help of meditation.

When you meditate, you concentrate on your breath, allowing your thoughts to come without judgment. The 'no judgment' aspect of a meditation routine can be frustrating, but with practice, it becomes second nature. You must have patience with yourself to benefit from this method of calming your anxiety.

Several phone apps exist if you find more guidance useful. Most of them have courses of various lengths that you can take to introduce you to the basics. Some are more intensive than others, so you will have to try a few before finding which one works for you.

With centuries of practice and scientifically proven benefits, meditation could be your best friend. Those nights of tossing and turning, thinking about that conversation from earlier, may lessen significantly. Your whole mental wellbeing will benefit from meditation but take it slow. It is easy to become impatient with slow results.

Address Underlying Causes

Many things can cause anxiety, and if this is frequent for you, talking to your doctor might have to be your next step. If no other ways work, there could be something else preventing you from falling asleep at night.

From sleep disorders to hyperthyroidism, an array of conditions can cause anxiety. Your doctor can do tests and ask the questions they need to figure out what is going on with you. They may want to try to take care of whatever could be causing it biologically before moving to medications.

Another way to address potential causes is alternative medicine. If this is an avenue that you would like to try, again, speak to your doctor to avoid any adverse interactions. Not every method is going to work for everyone. Ensure that you have someone who knows what you are taking or trying if it is something that could be questionable.

Conclusion

An unhealthy lifestyle could be causing sleep anxiety. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to calm your anxiety before bed. By getting into a good sleep schedule and routine, you can minimize these problems. Diet and exercise are integral, as well as avoiding stimulants before trying to settle down.

Regardless of what could be causing it, there are many options to consider when trying figuring out how to calm sleep anxiety. Whether it is medication, changing something about your habits, meditation, or listening to music, there should be something for everyone. Trial and error are probably the best way to go in this situation.

It can be frustrating to toss and turn listening to your own thoughts battle with each other, but there is relief out there, so you must try to calm your anxiety before bed. If you cannot, there is nothing wrong with asking your doctor for help. That is what they are there for, after all.