Plenty of us have gone to sleep at a reasonable hour just to find ourselves tossing and turning, accelerated heartbeat, and shallow breathing. Anxiety enters and ruins many potential nights for great sleep. But is anxiety really the problem, or just a symptom? Sleep and anxiety are more connected than we know.
Amanda Huggins, Anxiety and Empowerment Coach, is an expert on this subject. Huggins tells us that stress and anxiety are more closely related than we imagine, and the repercussions of a poor night’s sleep or anxiety can then affect one another.
Huggins shared that a recent study found that after a sleepless night, “the brain’s medial prefrontal cortex (which is associated with emotional regulation and our ability to de-escalate anxiety) can completely shut down. The next day, your mind and body have to do overtime to regulate stress. If you’re already anxious to begin with, your existing stressors may seem intensified.”
If you’ve ever continuously checked the clock during a stressful night to see the hours flying by, only to be more stressed out by the sleep lost, then you’ll understand this intensity. Studies have also concluded that deep sleep (non-REM) is a natural anxiety inhibitor. After a good night’s sleep, anxiety levels have been found to plumet.
“While that’s great information to have on hand, for those who struggle with chronic anxiety, getting good sleep isn’t all that easy,” Huggins admits. “Many people fall into the classic cycle of: ‘I’m anxious, so I can’t sleep… now, I’m anxious the next day …now I’m anxious about how much sleep I’ll get tonight …. and then I will stay up all night again because I’m thinking about it!”
Huggins’ data begs the question: if deep sleep is crucial for anxiety reduction, how does an anxious person get good sleep?
Of course, Huggins has solutions. The key is building better, realistic sleeping habits.
“I suggest approaching sleep habits in the same way you’d approach nutrition: We all know crash diets don’t work, but long-term lifestyle changes do. As you explore creating better sleep habits, it’s important to create a long-term strategy – this isn’t just about getting one or two good nights of sleep a week; it’s about regulating your relationship with rest altogether! Here are my tips:
Routine and Structure
- I hate to say it, but you’ve got to set better boundaries with yourself. If you find yourself scrolling mindlessly on TikTok until 12 a.m., it might be time to commit to making small adjustments until you’ve changed your habits. I recommend against extreme rules like ‘no social media at night!’ – it’s likely not sustainable, and you’ll fall back into old habits. But can you close your apps 10 minutes earlier each night? Start with smaller increments, and build from there.
- Watch your screen time in general: phones, TV, laptops, etc. Screen time within a two-hour window of bed can begin to seriously disrupt our body’s ability to produce melatonin naturally. Again, small adjustments here are better – if you have to be on your computer late at night, try blue light-filtering glasses – there are so many cute styles on the market now!
- Commit to a better sleep schedule. Have a plan, set alarms, write it down! It becomes much harder to ignore a commitment we’ve made to ourselves when we’re getting constant reminders about it.
Use Tools to Support
- I’m a big fan of CBD. The cannabinoids work with the brain’s neuroreceptors to regulate anxiety and relax your body. On days where I’m feeling a little extra stressy, I’ll take a few drops in the afternoon and evening to assure I can rest easy at night.
- Essential oils/diffusers are great. Scents like chamomile and lavender offer great relaxation benefits, plus your home will smell amazing! I just purchased a diffuser that I can set to turn on at certain times during the day. I set mine to turn on at around 8:30 p.m. The scent is a nice reminder that it’s time to start winding down.
Address What’s Keeping You Up At Night
- Here’s the big one: If you’re super anxious about something and it’s keeping you up at night, you’ve got to address it. Anxious thoughts and feelings will always find a way to catch up with us in the evening and hinder our sleep.
- The ‘big stuff’ that keeps you up at night (relationship, work, confidence) should be addressed through therapy or coaching, but one simple next step now is to incorporate affirmations into your daily inner dialogue.
- A regular affirmation practice provides an opportunity to take ownership of your thoughts, change negativity patterned thinking, and creates in your mind so that you can drift off to sleep with ease.
- As you’re preparing for bed (phone is down, lights are off, and you’re starting to cozy up), begin taking a few deep breaths. Focus on the depth and expression of your exhales, allowing each breath out to release any stress or tension you’ve accumulated from the day. As your body begins to relax, gently repeat your affirmation in your mind on loop. Don’t worry too much about pacing or frequency; simply allow the affirmations to flow in tandem with the breath. Gentle is the name of the game here: imagine these words are melting off of you, relaxing you and encouraging you to drop into deep rest.”
Huggins reminds us that, because sleep and anxiety are so interconnected, we must prioritize our mental health and acts of self-love. We can’t relax successfully without good rest, and vice versa.
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