By Eleesha Lockett, MS
Nighttime anxiety can manifest as racing thoughts, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping, and may be linked to both stress and underlying anxiety disorders.
Lifestyle adjustments like meditation, deep breathing exercises, consistent sleep schedules, and avoiding stimulants before bed can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.
Treatments for nighttime anxiety range from psychotherapy and medication to herbal supplements. Consider speaking with a healthcare professional to determine the most suitable approach.
For some people, anxiety can feel especially loud at nighttime. With fewer distractions and more quiet, worries and racing thoughts can become harder to tune out.
However, there are strategies that can help ease nighttime anxiety and make it easier to relax before bed.
What can anxiety at night look like?
Everyone experiences anxiety differently. For some people, anxiety may become more noticeable at night, when there are fewer distractions and more time to focus on worries or physical sensations.
You may notice symptoms as you’re getting ready for bed, while trying to fall asleep, or if you wake up during the night.
Common signs of nighttime anxiety include:
• a frequent or urgent need to urinate
• abdominal discomfort or pain
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or worry
• jaw tension or pain
• muscle tension
• racing thoughts
• sweating
Some people may also experience a nocturnal panic attack, which is a panic attack that occurs during sleep. You may wake suddenly with symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or an intense feeling of fear.
These symptoms can make it difficult to calm down and return to sleep.
How does anxiety affect sleep?
Anxiety can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep because it activates your body’s stress response, leaving you feeling alert when you’re trying to wind down.
Worrying about the day ahead, replaying past events, or noticing physical symptoms of anxiety can keep your mind active and make it difficult to relax.
In turn, poor sleep can make anxiety feel more intense the next day, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break.
Causes of anxiety at night
There are several reasons anxiety may feel more intense at night. For example:
• Fewer distractions: When the day winds down, there may be fewer activities competing for your attention, giving worries and anxious thoughts more room to surface.
• Increased alertness: Anxiety activates your body’s stress response, which can increase alertness, heart rate, and muscle tension when your body is trying to wind down for sleep.
• Greater awareness of physical sensations: Lying quietly in bed may make you more aware of sensations such as your heartbeat, breathing, or muscle tension. If you interpret these sensations as threatening, they may increase your anxiety.
These factors can also contribute to an anxiety-sleep cycle. Anxiety can make it harder to sleep, while poor sleep can make it more difficult to manage anxiety the next day.
Treatment options for anxiety
It is important to remember that it can take time to find the right treatment approach for your anxiety. This means a doctor may record various treatment options until you find what works.
This includes:
• treating any underlying conditions
• trying psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• taking anti-anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines or antidepressants
• trying herbal supplements such as saffron, valeric acid, and rosemary
Consider talking with a doctor before trying a supplement to discuss its potential risks and whether it’s appropriate for you.
Lifestyle tips to manage nighttime anxiety
There are several lifestyle measures tips that may help you relax and ease your anxiety at night:
Meditating
Meditation can help clear the mind and allow you to focus on the present. Research suggests that it can lower stress over time and improve your overall mood.
Meditating right before you tuck in for the night can be a great way to turn down nighttime anxiety.
Practicing deep breathing
Deep breathing is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. Breathing deeply can slow your heart rate and improve your blood pressure.
If you’re experiencing a panic attack at night, try deep breathing to ease the attack.
Creating a to-do list
If one of your anxiety triggers involves worrying about your daily activities, you may notice your anxiety spikes more at night. Creating a to-do list for the day or week may help relieve some of that anxiety.
Implementing healthy sleep habits
One of the most important ways to ease anxiety at night is through healthy sleep habits. Making sure you’re happy and comfortable in your own bedroom can help improve your sleep quality.
There are many ways to establish good sleep habits to ensure you’re sleeping better and for longer:
Exercising daily: Exercise can help improve both sleep quality and duration. If you experience nighttime anxiety, consider setting aside some time to exercise each day, such as going on a run in the morning.
Developing a sleep schedule: Establishing a sleep schedule can help keep your circadian clock in check. When you keep your wake and sleep around the same time each day, you may find it easier to fall asleep.
Avoiding stimulants before bed: Stimulants like caffeine can worsen anxiety symptoms as they increase brain activity. Taking them before bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Creating a comfortable sleeping environment: Pillows and mattresses should be comfortable and supportive for your body and sleeping style. Your bedroom is your own, so making it a comfortable, safe space to sleep can make all the difference for your nighttime anxiety.
When to see a doctor
Occasional nighttime anxiety is common, but ongoing anxiety that makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get enough rest can affect your quality of life. You may notice changes in your mood, concentration, work or school performance, or ability to manage your usual daily activities.
If anxiety or sleep difficulties are regularly affecting your daily life, consider reaching out to a healthcare professional. They can help identify potential causes, determine whether an underlying anxiety or sleep disorder may be contributing, and recommend treatment options based on your needs.
source: healthline.com