Can’t Sleep Due to Anxiety

Often anxiety or worry keeps us awake at night. The statistics say that over 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders at any one time, and around half that number report having occasional sleep troubles.

Anxiety induced insomnia comes from feelings of generalized anxiety, as a form of obsessive compulsive disorder, a panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorders, and any type of phobias that are specific to the sufferer.

Sleep anxiety keeps us from falling asleep, wakes us up out of a sound sleep and prevents us from getting back to sleep, or gets us up too early in the morning to feel well rested.

Loss of sleep due to anxiety can be a common complaint, but there are things that you can do to avoid this problem. One thing that will help you get to sleep and avoid the anxiety induced insomnia is to stick to a regular sleep schedule.

Natural Remedies for Anxiety and Sleeplessness:

Enhance your biological clock by going to bed every night at the same time; even if you're not tired, and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.

This will help set a regular sleep rhythm and will help fight insomnia due to anxiety. For this reason it is important that you not take naps during the day. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3pm.

You can also make sure that your bedroom is conducive to sleep by ensuring it is quiet, dark, and cool. Use blackout drapes or an eye mask to block the light.

You can use fans, add an air-conditioning unit, or an open window to ensure you have a pleasant temperature in the room.

Earplugs, a sound masking machine, or low music will help block any outside noise.

There are other things that you can do to help you get to sleep when you are worried or anxious. Here are just some of the sleep supplements that may help you.

Melatonin:

Alone or in sleep aids Melatonin can be a very helpful over the counter sleep supplement. This naturally occurring hormone is produced by your body at night to help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. When it works for people it works very well. But there are some people who it won’t work for. It is especially effective if you have a natural tendency to go to bed and get up later than what is considered normal.

Valerian:

A valerian supplement can also be taken by itself or it can be found in sleep aid combinations. Valerian is an herb that has mild sedative effects. This may help you relax and quiet your mind so that you can sleep. Valerian supplements vary in quality, the higher quality ones work better.

Magnesium & Calcium Supplements:

Magnesium and calcium supplementation can help improve symptoms of fatigue in persons with low magnesium or calcium levels.

Eleuthero or Siberian Ginseng:

Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) has been proven in studies to help enhance mental activity as well as physical endurance, and can in turn help with sleep by allowing you to quiet your mind and body after a full day.

Ashwagandha:

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb used to help the body deal with stress and therefore allow it to sleep.

Meditation:

Simply lay in bed and focus on your breathing. To inhale slowly and deeply, then exhale slowly and deeply while visualize special place or light going in and out of your body as you breathe. Meditation for as long as it takes for you to feel calm and less anxious.

Exercise:

Several hours before you want to go to bed, regular exercise will help relieve your mind of worries and will also help by releasing endorphins that enhance your mood, which can improve your sleep anxiety.

Yoga is specifically helpful in allowing your mind and body to focus on what is really important in life. It can be very helpful in relieving anxiety.