Sleeping with chronic anxiety: *what works*

[VictoriasRaisinBran]

Healthy sleep is essential to a healthy lifestyle, but anxiety can make it hard to unwind. This can decrease your quality of sleep, which in turn makes it harder to cope with your anxiety.

A couple years ago, I fell into that anxiety/sleep(or lack thereof)/repeat cycle, and looking back, I gotta say it was a huge challenge to break it. I saw sleep doctors and therapists, took medication, and tracked my sleep cycle. I tried every sleep tip offered and every method suggested.

I want to prevent you all from having to go through that, so I have compiled a list of the things that *actually helped*.

Here they are:

1. I put this at the top, because it truly deserves to be here. Stop obsessing over your sleep. I don't mean stop thinking about it. Continue attempting to maintain a healthy sleep cycle. But if you're feeling anxious and can't sleep, the one thing you can count on to make it even harder is to think about it more.

2. Use a weighted blanket. about 1/10th of your body weight is usually a good weight. Ever since I started using one, I've been sleeping deeper than ever.

3. Listen to audiobooks. Everyone says "read a book before bed to unwind". The problem with that is, books require you not only to have the light on, but also to have the patience and the time to read words on a physical page. Audiobooks can be used while *in bed* with the lights *off* and without having to be in uncomfortable positions required to read in bed.

4. Give yourself time to snooze. Don't set your alarm for when you need to be up. Set it about an hour earlier. This way you can snooze a couple times and wake up more gradually.

5. Last but not least, listen to your body. Go to sleep when you're tired instead of at 11:00 PM sharp every night. This works for some, but I've found that when I set a bedtime for myself, I never go to bed before my bedtime, even if my body wants to sleep. I'd tell myself--just keep studying until 11, then you can sleep. Sleep isn't a reward for working, or something we should put off when our body needs it.

I hope these help ya'll. G'night, sweet dreams, and **sleep tight**

[Seroma12]

I second the weighted blanket suggestion! I have one and it works really well. I also find ASMR videos helpful to get to sleep (listening only, not watching).

[VictoriasRaisinBran in reply to Seroma12]

I feel ASMR is kinda hit or miss for people. it really helps some people, but if i were listening to ASMR i would not be able to sleep. I would want to see whatever they're eating/playing with, and it would be distracting. its definitely something to try for those who haven't, though.

[HJMac]

I can't get on with the weighted blanket, drives me crazy. But I like it for lying on the sofa watching films.

I've made a life study of this having always had problems and now much better...my other tips are that - Richard Wiseman has written a book called Night School, very easy and helpful read. In it he looks at the studies of insomniacs and how in sleep studies they report an hours sleep but the machines record 6 hours. The theory is that we dream we are awake. My tip which really works is, don't get up and do stuff, take this theory seriously and regard yourself as having a nice snooze and rest. I always think, if I stay in bed and just rest, it's still restorative. I think bad nights are often tossing and turning and sleeping in short bursts, but deciding you've had no sleep.

I still have those nights, but most nights sleep often 8-9 hrs with waking once. A bit too long probably!

My other bug bear is I naturally wake about 9am. But that won't work for work...so I am sleep deprived on weekdays. But I agree, you can't force sleep earlier, I've tried. I do try and get to bed by 10:30 on weeknights and sometimes do fall asleep.