How to Sleep When You’re Worried You Can’t Sleep

Sleep is important to our overall health and well-being. However, for many people, sleep doesn’t always come easily. When you have trouble falling asleep, you may begin to worry about your lack of sleep and not being able to function well the next day. You’ll start to obsess over how many hours of sleep you have left or keep staring at the clock. Ironically, this stress can make it harder for you to fall asleep! To get out of this vicious cycle, you need to deal with all the stress and anxiety in your life, learn how to calm down before you go to sleep, and make sure your bedroom is in the best condition for a good night’s sleep. good sleep.

Table of Contents

Resolve anxiety

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Write diary. Think about every problem that worries you and write it down every day. Divide the above problems into those that have been handled and those that you have a plan to solve. While writing, imagine that you can take all your worries out of your mind and write them down on paper. This will save you from worrying at the end of the day. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Try not to leave any worries unresolved. If you can’t deal with them before bed, create a simple plan for when and how to deal with them so you won’t have to think about them in bed.
If you have concerns about some things that you cannot address or affect, such as global warming or your child’s health during a school trip, write them down and tell yourself. that you are eliminating anxiety while writing.
Don’t journal right before going to bed. You need to take time to rest your mind and forget the worries you wrote down. ^{[2] X Research Source}
You can also try using a diary to track your daily habits, including the foods you eat and the amount of exercise you do. This can help you see if those patterns are good or bad for your sleep. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Calm your mind with exercise. Exercise is beneficial for the body and mind! If you are prone to anxiety, try incorporating at least 30 minutes of physical activity into your daily routine. This simple change can help you deal with stress. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Try to avoid stimulating exercises before bed. It’s best to give your body a few hours to relax between your workout and bedtime.

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Coping with worries. If your mind is strained with anxiety, or your mind is haunted by thoughts, sometimes the best thing to do is to acknowledge the existence of those worries and work to banish them. The next time you find yourself worrying about something for no reason, take control of the situation by telling yourself it’s a haunting thought and motivating yourself to get over it. Then distract your mind by finding another job or thought instead. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

A mantra repeated to yourself can also help. Try saying, “I have obsessive thoughts about _____. I don’t need to worry about _____, so I’ll think about _____ instead.
Another way that can also be helpful is to take the time to analyze your worries and think about all the reasons why they are not a problem. You could try including something like, “It’s not worth my time worrying about _____ because _____”. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
If you have a valid worry that requires action, focus your energy on thinking of possible solutions to the problem, rather than pondering all the bad things that could happen. Once you’ve found a solution, tell yourself, “I don’t have to worry about _____ anymore because I already have a plan to deal with it.” ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Less sensitive to the unknown. If you’re worried about the uncertainty of the future, try telling your best friend a few times about it. Tell yourself that you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, and that you see uncertainty as normal. Eventually your mind will become comfortable with the present thought and will move on to other thoughts. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Allow yourself to express your feelings. Anxiety may stem in part from a sense of resistance to expressing other emotions, such as anger or sadness. Don’t hesitate to express your feelings or cry when you feel sad. Releasing your emotions this way will make you feel better! ^{[9] X Research Source}

While being aware of your own emotions is important, it’s equally important that you don’t allow yourself to cling to negative emotions for too long, as this can lead to more anxiety. Once you’ve acknowledged how you’re feeling, try to do something to lift the mood. If you’re lying in bed, you can think of something that makes you happy to boost your mood. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Many people with chronic insomnia also have medical depression or an anxiety disorder. Although doctors don’t know for sure if one disease leads to another, there seems to be some connection between them. If you can control symptoms of depression or anxiety with medication or therapy, you’ll have a more pleasant time falling asleep. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Find a cure for chronic insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help if you often have trouble sleeping even without depression or anxiety. This treatment will help you recognize the cause of your insomnia and change your thinking patterns to make it easier to fall asleep. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Calm your mind at bedtime

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Form a habit of relaxation. It’s important to get your body used to a regular sleep pattern, especially if you often have trouble falling asleep. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Doing a daily routine at least 30 minutes before bedtime will help prepare your mind and body for sleep. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Daily routine should be relaxing. Try to choose something that will help clear your mind of the worries of the day but don’t overstimulate it. Reading, playing games, stretching, or doing manual activities are all great options. Find something you find interesting.
If you need extra support to get rid of your worries, give yourself some time before bed to indulge in an activity you find really relaxing. You can try meditation, take a hot bath, do stretching exercises, or take deep breaths. Everyone is different, so try a variety of activities to find ways to reduce anxiety in general. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Turn off electronic devices and dim the lights. Exposure to light late in the day can disrupt the natural circadian rhythm. Try to avoid watching TV or using the computer at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Dim the lights in your room a few hours before you go to bed so your body recognizes it’s evening now as well. ^{[15] X Research Source}

If possible, turn off sleep-disrupting lights from electronic devices such as watches and televisions.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, you should avoid turning on a lot of lights, as this can make your body think it’s time to go to work.
To reinforce your body’s natural circadian rhythm, try to expose yourself to natural light during the day as much as possible.

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Don’t obsess over sleep. While getting enough sleep is important, you should also understand that a bad night’s sleep doesn’t hurt either. If you can’t sleep, tell yourself that you will still be awake the next day instead of worrying about the consequences of lack of sleep. ^{[16] X Research Source}

You’ll only get more nervous if you keep looking at your watch, so avoid doing that at all costs.
A few sleepless nights won’t hurt your health, but chronic insomnia is harmful, so you should seek medical help if you have chronic insomnia.

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Distract yourself. Sometimes the brain just needs to focus on something comfortable to be able to fall asleep. If you find your mind swirling with worries, redirect your thoughts by doing some of the exercises below: ^{[17] X Research Source}

Think of a happy memory or a favorite story and mentally retell the story in your mind with as much detail as possible. You can also focus on an everyday object and try to describe it in vivid detail.
Focus all your attention on the natural rhythm of the breath and try to visualize the breath entering and leaving each part of the body.
Keep the brain busy by trying to think as many things about a certain genre. For example, you could try to list all the animals whose names start with the letter A. ^{[18] X Research Source}

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Get up if you can’t sleep. If you haven’t been able to fall asleep in bed for a long time, it’s best to get up instead of lying there worrying. Try going to another room and choose a relaxing activity like knitting or reading until you feel drowsy.

Remember to keep the light as dim as possible and avoid worrying about the consequences of not getting enough sleep.

Create a comfortable sleeping environment

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Prepare your body for a good night’s sleep. Many people find it helpful to take a shower, warm bath, or sauna before bed. This activity stimulates your body’s natural soothing response and helps you fall asleep. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Try using bath oils that have a gentle scent like lavender.
It’s also important to wear comfortable pajamas with a material that draws moisture from the body, such as cotton. That way you will be comfortable all night. ^{[20] X Research Source}

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Arrange the bedroom so that it is comfortable. To create the most ideal sleeping conditions, your room needs to be cool, dark, and quiet. You can use a fan or white noise machine to help reduce outside noise if you like. ^{[21] X Research Source}

You should also make sure the mattress, sheets, and pillows are comfortable. Many people find that they sleep better when lying in a neat bed. Make your bed with new or freshly laundered linens. While choosing bed sheets, you should choose a gentle color, without texture, made from natural fibers and gentle to the skin. A freshly made, neat and comfortable bed will soothe you to sleep or at least won’t make you toss and turn.

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Set aside a bed to sleep. If you have never done other activities in bed, your brain will associate the bed with sleep, and this will help you fall asleep more easily when lying in bed. Avoid certain activities such as watching TV, working, and using your phone in bed. ^{[22] X Research Source}

It’s best not to do these activities in the bedroom, but if you can’t avoid it, sit on a chair or sofa instead of in bed.
Remove non-sleep related items from the bed area, such as plates, magazines, laptops, and others. Place only a few essentials on the nightstand: an alarm clock, a reading light, a book, and a glass of water.

Advice

Watch out for alcohol and caffeine, which can disrupt your sleep. ^{[23] X Research Sources}
Prescription medications can also keep you from sleeping, so talk to your doctor about taking them at a different time or switching to a different medication. Never stop taking your medicine without first talking to your doctor. ^{[24] X Research Source}
Try to avoid napping during the day, especially in the late afternoon. ^{[25] X Research Sources}
Prepare a cup of Baldrian or valerian tea before bed. Several studies have shown that Baldrian is effective in reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and improving sleep quality. ^{[26] X Research Sources} Although there are some other studies with conflicting results, this is a therapy worth trying. Before drinking, cover the tea cup and steep the tea for about 10-15 minutes on the nightstand.

Warning

If you have chronic insomnia, see your doctor. Maybe you have an underlying health problem, or you need prescription medication to help you sleep.
Never take sleeping pills without a doctor’s prescription.

Steps

Resolve anxiety

Calm your mind at bedtime

Create a comfortable sleeping environment

Advice

Warning

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