How to Establish Good Sleep Hygiene for Anxiety-Free Nights

Anxiety isn’t a condition that follows the clock. It doesn’t have “working hours,” and you can’t control when it decides to push invasive, worried thoughts into your mind.

However, it’s also not uncommon for people to feel greater anxiety at night, and that makes sense. It’s easy to stay busy and distracted during the day. You’re at work or school, socializing with others and finding hobbies to keep your mind busy.

At night, though, you’re alone with your thoughts, and it’s easier for anxiety to creep in. Unfortunately, anxiety and a lack of sleep often create a vicious cycle. The less sleep you get, the more anxious you’re likely to become.

Thankfully, good sleep hygiene can help. Let’s take a look at a few healthy sleep habits you can put into practice that might be the solution to keeping your nighttime anxiety at bay.

Set a Routine

One of the best ways to establish better sleep hygiene is to decide on a routine that works for you. Your body’s natural circadian rhythm can get thrown out of whack when you aren’t sleeping consistently. A routine can help them to regulate.

Try to go to bed around the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Before you go to bed, try to do the same things, and start your morning off the same way.

At night, that might include some light stretching, reading, or journaling before bed. In the morning, you might wake up, take a shower, go for a jog, and eat breakfast.

Not only will a routine tell your mind and body it’s time to sleep, but that kind of consistency can provide comfort and help with your anxiety.

Avoid Electronics

There’s no denying we live in a digital world, and it’s not uncommon for people to do some serious scrolling on their phones.

Unfortunately, that could be keeping you awake in more ways than one.

First, most smartphones and tablets emanate a special type of “blue light” that can stimulate your brain, making it harder to fall asleep.

Plus, if you’re scrolling through social media, watching videos, or even reading the news, your anxious thoughts could easily be triggered by what you’re seeing. It’s very easy to start overthinking things at night, especially if you’re overloading your brain with information.

Stop using electronic devices at least an hour before you plan on going to sleep. Find other ways to entertain yourself and wind down that will help to promote a good night’s rest.

Create a Healthy Sleep Environment

Take a look at your bedroom. Do you feel comfortable there? Your bedroom should only be used for sleeping, not for watching television, reading, or even working. Do those things in another part of your home before deciding it’s time to go to bed.

Additionally, make sure your room is the ideal environment for sleep. Keep it as decluttered as possible, and do what you can to create a comfortable, inviting space that helps you feel relaxed. If you’re not comfortable in your own room, you’re not going to drift off easily.

Keep a Journal

Consider keeping a journal on your nightstand by the bed. If you’re able to fall asleep at night but anxious thoughts wake you up, being able to quickly jot them down can help. Getting your thoughts out, even on paper, often makes it easier to stop dwelling on them, so you can get back to sleep quickly without overthinking.

If your anxiety has been keeping you up at night, consider giving these healthy sleep hygiene habits a try. You might be surprised by how much more control you’ll have over your anxious thoughts.

Time to Get Help!

A man sits with a clipboard while across from another person. This could represent the support an anxiety therapist in Arcadia, AZ can offer. Learn more about anxiety treatment in Phoenix, AZ and overcoming anxiety symptoms in Arcadia, AZ. If you are suffering from anxiety and want to learn positive ways that you can overcome it please consider meeting with one of our Crossroads therapists who can help.  Anxiety therapy focuses on helping the anxiety sufferer to learn positive coping skills such as visualization, relaxation, mindfulness, and breathing techniques. Crossroads therapists also utilize evidence-based treatment protocols like EMDR, EFT, and ACT.  ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and uses strategies of acceptance and mindfulness, along with commitment and behavior change.  This helps to deal with those unwanted thoughts that often lead to anxiety and to effectively manage feelings of fear.

Begin Working with An Anxiety Therapist in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and online in Arizona

If you are ready to turn your panic attack into a plan of attack then please consider anxiety therapy through Crossroads Phoenix and Scottsdale Counseling Centers. Our Relationship Centers are located throughout the valley with counseling centers located in Phoenix, Anthem, Scottsdale and throughout all of Arizona with online counseling.  You can start your therapy journey by following these steps:

  1. Contact Crossroads Counseling for a complimentary 20-minute phone consult
  2. Meet with an anxiety counselor
  3. Start coping with your anxiety symptoms

Our offices are located throughout the valley with counseling centers located in Phoenix, Anthem, and Scottsdale. Call us at 623-680-3486,text 623-688-5115, or email info@crossroadsfcc.com. We offer a complimentary 20-minute phone consultation to answer your questions and better understand how we can help you.

Click here for more information on anxiety therapy.  Also, check out our anxiety counseling video below…