How to Improve Sleep and Reduce Night Time Anxiety
In this particular article I wanted to give you some of the key strategies you can start implementing now to improve your sleep and start feeling more energised during the day.
There are few things more frustrating than not being able to sleep at night.
We also know that sleep has an amazing ability to help us heal and recover from the stress and overwhelm of the day just gone.
Chronic lack of sleep has been closely associated with:
Alcohol abuse
Depression
Suicide
Psychosis
While it’s unrealistic to expect to sleep soundly every night it’s important that for the most part you are getting adequate sleep and we know that time in bed doesn’t always mean sleep. It’s good practice to start noting how many disruptions you experience to your sleep, kids, partners snoring, environmental noise and start noting how many hours of unbroken sleep you actually get.
Getting an adequate number of REM cycles while you're asleep is important, as a shortage of REM sleep can lead to, compromised immunity, poor brain function, increase in the risk of Alzheimers and dementia, inability to lose weight and even fertility issues.
“I go to bed early but even then I still wake up tired?”
We’re creatures of habit, and it’s likely that we’re doing things that are going to lead to poor sleep cycles. Stress and night time anxiety is a common issue for many and if you think this could be you then find out more about some of the factors that contribute to anxiety check out this article.
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do in the 3-4 hours before bed will significantly influence how you sleep. In order to sleep well, it’s vital that you start focusing on emotional patterns, habits around sleep and bed, as well as some of the biological factors that impact sleep.
Natural Ways to Sleep Better
Pharmaceutical medications for sleep can have some significant side-effects and so to achieve a better nights sleep, it may be worth considering natural ways to help you improve your sleep. Some of them will cost nothing more than effort and time.
Here are some things to consider to improve your sleep at night:
Expend Energy During The Day
Several studies have shown that exercise of some sort during the day is very useful for improving sleep onset and quality. The key thing here is to avoid intense exercise 3 hours before bed. Earlier in the day is best for high intensity exercise.
If you wish to do evening exercise the best options available to you is something like yoga, or a gentle stretch class. We know that if you over do the exercise this can decrease your sleep quality, this is in part why athletes are notorious for having sleep issues. So balance is key here. Even better if you pair this up with our next point and do 20-30 mins of exercise in daylight.
Soak up some Vitamin D
You need daylight for so many reasons vitamin D but also for stimulating a strong circadian rhythm. Try and spend at least 30 mins outside at the brightest time either morning or lunch time.
One of our biggest struggles is that we’re spending much of our time indoors now and it does have an impact on your sleep wake rhythms. If this is a challenge where you are, and your insomnia is accompanied by low mood you may wish to consider investing in a light therapy lamp. 10,000 Lux minimum output for the lamp. If this is something you’re exploring expose yourself in the morning for 20-30 mins.
Clients are often amazed at the significant improvements in their sleep after introducing light therapy into their daily routine. It can be game changing.
Take a Nap
Napping is great for lots of things and the research has shown this, but generally not ideal for insomnia. Of course everything is context based so I will often recommend this as an option for my pregnant clients, clients who have issues with immunity or significant degenerative conditions or if you’re driving or handling heavy machinery of course and need to power up your energy and focus. However if you struggle with insomnia you want to limit yourself to 20 minutes max.
Make sure you set an alarm and hop out of bed when that goes off.
There are some non sleep deep rest practices that you can try and implement like Yoga Nidra. This is a guided visualisation that has a very restorative effect on both the brain and body. The research has shown it’s effective at helping with anxiety, PTSD and study/memory. Guided recordings for these will be made available on the online platform soon.
BUILDING YOUR SLEEP BANK
You build up your sleep bank similar to how you’d build up a piggy bank, so you want to slowly increase waking hours at the time you’d like to wake up so that when it comes to night time you’re actually tired and ready for sleep.
The temptation to sleep in when you’re struggling with insomnia is real!
However to create a healthier circadian rhythm you want to be building up your sleep bank by getting out of bed at an earlier time.
This is also helpful when your clock is back to front for example you’re a night owl and you want to wake up early… The best way to do this is build up your sleep bank, so that you will feel tired earlier and will be more likely to fall asleep earlier.
Just note the first 2 weeks are often the hardest so it’s a matter of being patient and knowing it gets easier.
Hot tip with this one… once you’ve clawed your way out of the warm bed early. Go and sit in the brightest sunlight available to you. It will help stimulate the hormones for alertness and help with the resetting of your internal clock.
Reduce Calories, Coffee and Alcohol Intake
Calorie intake absolutely influences activity in your nervous system. If you’re consuming sugar
close to bed you’re also causing spikes in blood sugar and insulin which is going to make sleep an issue. Also digestion requires a lot of energy to break down and move food along.
Try not to consume calories at least
2 hours before bed. I would aim for 3-4 hours if possible.
Some people also lack the enzyme in the liver that helps break down caffeine and alcohol meaning it
hangs around in the body a lot longer. It competes with some of the essential factors that help facilitate sleep.
So no later than 12 noon for that last coffee, and if sleep is an issue you may even wish to leave it out all together. I can’t tell you how many clients report amazing results with simply cutting it out.
Avoid drinking alcohol! But it makes me feel sleepy you say?
And yes that’s true initially when you have a glass or two of red it may help you feel sleepy however once the liver starts processing that alcohol into acetate it has a stimulating effect on the body. Which is why a lot of people experience that 2-3am wake-up after consuming alcohol.
If alcohol is your go to in the evening know there has been plenty of sound research showing that while sleep onset can be quicker overall sleep quality takes a significant dive even on just one glass of alcohol. Not to mention the other risk factors associated.
So try ditching the alcohol so that you can stay soundly asleep.
Herbal Medicine for Sleep
Valerian Root
Valerian Root is the most common herbal supplement used in promoting sleep wellness across the world. It is commonly used as a natural treatment for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It is said to have great results in helping overcome insomnia. Some people report Valerian root has the opposite effect on them and actually contributes to their insomnia. I strongly suggest before taking any herbs you consult a naturopath or herbalist. There are also herb drug interactions that you need to consider.
Lavender
Studies have shown that smelling lavender oil before sleeping can help improve sleep quality especially with people experiencing mild insomnia. Do note that lavender aromatherapy is advised and not oral intake of lavender oils. We do use the herbal extract as part of a more complex herbal formula which can be blended specifically for you.
Chamomile
Chamomile is easily accessible in most grocers and including it as a cup of tea in the evening is a great idea. It helps to reduce inflammation and anxiety as well as supporting those with insomnia. The calming effects of Chamomile tea is mainly driven by the antioxidant called apigenin. Chamomile is often also added to herbal formulas to be taken at night to help with sleep onset.
Melatonin
Have a conversation with your GP about this one as it’s a scheduled medication here in Australia, however it can be very helpful to bring on sleep at a reasonable hour and if you’re using a time release version it can help with maintaining sleep. Research shows that supplementing with melatonin doesn’t impact your body’s own production and it’s a fairly safe one to use as there is no drowsiness on waking as is often the case with pharmaceutical sleeping tablets.
sleep environment
The little things actually matter when sleeping. Consider doing the following before going to sleep as these may actually improve your quality of sleep…by a lot.
Make sure that you have a comfortable bed to begin with. It is essential that your body is laid on a bed where you can actually sleep and feel relaxed. Use natural fibres as much as possible for coverings and pillows. Choice of pillow is important as it can influence your blood flow and temperature. The temperature of your head decreases while you're asleep and so if your head overheats due to synthetic fibres and inappropriate bedding this can affect your ability to sleep well.
Address your mattress foam often leads to overheating as well so best to stick to a proper spring support mattress with good comfort and support. Remember you spend a huge amount of your life in bed. Investing here is crucial.
Try sleeping with little to no light.
Low light lamps only after 7 pm and limit screen time or use blue filter glasses at least 2 hours before bed. This turn down of lights should ideally start at sunset. Studies have shown that darkness increases melatonin helping you sleep faster and deeper at night.
Remove devices that emit electromagnetic fields, phones, computers etc. Get the gadgets that can distract you from sleeping outta the bedroom. TVs and all clocks- research has shown people who clock watch take double the time to fall asleep than people who don’t.
Several apps on the market help to block blue light- blue light filter for eye care or twilight are good options if you’re hooked on that evening screen time. If you’re watching tele get yourself some blue blocker glasses to wear.
Overall, sleeping in a comfortable and peaceful environment will definitely help make your sleep less disturbed. This encourages your body and mind to focus on sleeping peacefully.
Research has shown the ideal room temp for sleep is 21 degrees so if you are using air conditioner’s just be mindful to ensure the cold air is not blowing directly on you.
And you’re thinking this is all so detailed and somewhat basic, ask yourself…
“Am I creating the optimum conditions for a great nights sleep how can I implement these?”
Hypnosis for Sleep
There could be several factors that actually prevent us from getting a good night sleep and while I haven’t addressed them all in this article if you’re struggling with ruminating thoughts then developing your ability to compartmentalise is crucial.
You lay there exhausted and yet you can’t stop going over the same conversations or the to-do list’s for tomorrow. This is a huge factor for many.
If you’re experiencing anxiety,
depression or stress this leads to disturbed sleep or insomnia. Too much mental activity can really affect your sleeping patterns and hypnotherapy is a great tool we have available to support better sleep.
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention. Sleep hypnosis can be used to really illicit an experience of relaxation both physically and mentally which can then enhance your sleep. However beyond this we start building skill sets that will help you feel more in control and capable of breaking the pattern of ruminating.
Sleep hypnosis is found to promote deeper sleep at night reducing the occurrence of insomnia or
disturbed sleeping patterns. It improves the mental well-being that leads to a clearer state of
mind which is essential to sleeping well.
You may have tried recordings and they didn’t work all that well. This is because everyone does insomnia a little differently, and having a customised and individualised approach to the hypnotherapy can be very helpful. So that your main factors are addressed and new skills are learnt. One of the better apps for hypnosis is called mindset health, you can find out more about them here.
Alternatively bring this up as something you’d like to explore a little more during our sessions together.
I hope you found that helpful, remember these seem super simple and straight forward but you will be surprised how much you can improve your sleep quality if you follow them. Of course if you wish to get individualised guidance on this issue you’re more than welcome to reach out and book a time to see me.
If you’d like specific guidance and support please fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you shortly.