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Best 6 Yoga Poses for Better Sleep

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Crawling into bed for a good night of sleep is a comfort at the end of a long day; a moment of pure, comforting bliss. However, for some people, sleep anxiety creeps in at exactly that moment, bringing stress, anxiety, and sadly, little to no sleep. Sleep anxiety is likely related to an anxiety disorder experienced in one’s waking life, and/or related to the terrifying experiences of parasomnias such as nightmares, sleep paralysis, or night terrors. If sleep anxiety is causing you to experience insomnia and miss out on precious sleep, yoga may be just the tool you need to help you peacefully drift away into sleep.

When practicing yoga, the calming breath technique known as ujjayi (or ocean/victorious) breath aids in flooding your brain with fresh oxygen; this oxygen from deep breathing tells your brain to relax; your brain then slows your heart rate, helps your muscles release tension, and your blood to circulate better. We know why yoga helps us sleep better, but what kind of yoga should we be doing?

What Type of Yoga and Breath?

There are different styles of yoga, but not all are created for the same purposes. Vinyasa, or flow, yoga and hot yoga are geared more towards those wanting a heart-pounding exercise. This is great for another time, but getting your heart pumping before bed is not a good idea for those struggling with insomnia or sleep anxiety. No, what you need is hatha yoga or nidra, which John Hopkins Medicine says focuses on body position, more restorative poses (which involve more sitting and/or lying down), and the all-important ujjayi breath.

The Art of Living states that “uijayi” in Sanskrit translates to “breath of victory”; this breath is also known as the “ocean breath” because the sound heard in the back of the throat resembles waves crashing on the shore. To generate your breath of victory, constrict the back of the throat as if trying to whisper. As you inhale slowly through your nostrils, you should be able to feel the slight constriction and hear the “ocean” sounds. While inhaling, you should also be feeling your belly filling with air and expanding to your sides, back, and up to your chest. Once your belly is full of air, exhale slowly through the nostrils while keeping the constriction in the back of your throat. The breath should flow smoothly and, after some practice, become effortless. Focusing on the movement and sound of your breath will help slow your racing thoughts and bring relaxation into your hatha yoga practice.

What Are the Best Poses?

Before beginning your calming, bedtime yoga, set the stage for sleep. Turn off your screens, have some dim lighting, possibly some soft music or white noise, and even some relaxing aromatherapy. Do not forget your comfortable pajamas; you can even bring some cozy props, like pillows or blankets, to your yoga practice. When you picture someone doing yoga, you might envision them balancing on one arm or twisted into a non-human, pretzel-like shape, but the poses needed for better sleep are not that. They are achievable, meant to help with blood circulation, release muscle tension or swelling, help alleviate back aches or headaches, and overall, simply to help you relax. The Huff Post gives a detailed list of the best yoga poses to do at home before bed. Some of these poses are:

  1. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

    Uttanasana Pose
    This pose is used to release tension in the hips and legs, bring relief from headaches, and lower stress levels. To do this pose, simply stand with your feet about six inches apart, fold your torso over, and reach for the ground. Another option is to clasp your elbows and sway slightly.
  2. Plow Pose (Halasana)

    Halasana Pose
    This pose brings vitality to the body by turning the blood flow around. To do this pose, lay on your back and lift your legs over your head, touching your toes on the ground behind you. Keep your hands on your back for support if needed, or keep them on the ground.
  3. Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

    Viparita Karani Pose
    This soothing pose helps blood circulate differently; this is especially good for those who stand or sit a majority of the day to help with swelling feet. To do this pose, simply lay with your legs up on a wall, buttocks flush with the edge of the wall, stretching your arms out long, or resting by your side.
  4. Reclining Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana – Not pictured)
      This pose helps release tension in the hips, which is especially helpful after a day of sitting at your desk. To do this pose, lay down, and bring the soles of your feet together; let your hands rest at your side or on your belly. For a deeper stretch, bring your heels closer to your body.
  5. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

    Matsyendrasana Pose
    This gentle twist helps release tension in the spine while aiding in digestion. To do this pose (which can even be done in bed), lay on your back, and gently twist both knees to one side. Stay there for a few minutes, then twist to the other side, keeping your arms outstretched at your sides.
  6. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

    Savasana Pose
    This is the pose of ultimate surrender and relaxation. To do this pose (which can also be done in bed), simply lie flat on your back with your arms resting gently at your sides, palms up, feet soft, not flexed or pointed. This pose is all about focusing on your breath; it is here, in this most restorative pose, that you can begin to let your breath return to its normal rhythm.

Stay in these soothing positions for one to five minutes each, focusing on your ujjayi breath, letting your body relax and your thoughts slow down. After completing this calming flow, refrain from doing anything else so you can stay in your relaxed mental state, keeping your body and mind ready for sleep.

Conquering sleep anxiety and overcoming insomnia can feel impossible, but with a good bedtime routine, a healthy lifestyle, and the relaxing assistance of a regular yoga practice, it is possible.

Why Your Morning Routine Matters

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“Mom. Mom. MOMMY!” You jolt awake to see the face of your toddler standing an inch from your face, staring at you like the kid from The Shining. You get jabbed with bony knees and elbows as they clamor over you to cuddle up. You close your eyes thinking maybe you can catch a few more ZZZs, only to feel chubby fingers (how are they already sticky?!) prying your eyelids open and asking for breakfast. The baby starts to cry from the other room. You stumble out of bed, splash some water on your face, try and shoo the toddler out of the bathroom for a moment of privacy; there’s banging on the door, the baby’s still crying.

Somehow, your partner is still snoring. You resentfully shake them awake. Get the toddler juice. Feed the baby. Make breakfast. Get everyone dressed. Arguments and power struggles pop up along the way. You’re running late. Grab something to pack for lunches. You’re officially going to be late. Finally, get out the door. Carseats, buckle up. Only 10 minutes late…not too bad. Forgot something. Turn around. Okay…20 minutes late. The morning frantically rushed by yet again and nobody is happy.

Morning Routing diaryThis hectic morning may sound like something from a sitcom, but, unfortunately, it is all too relatable. Many people struggle with feeling frantic in the mornings with no morning routine. When your day starts out with you rushing around and, let’s be honest, yelling, you can’t help but feel that you brewed a fresh pot of failure along with your coffee. The rest of your day is thrown off, as you’re playing catch-up, then eventually you fall into bed at the end of the day feeling exhausted and still frantic, which affects your sleep, which affects the following day yet again, and so on.

An interview in Forbes states that extremely successful people such as Oprah and Bill Gates are sticklers when it comes to following their morning routines. So the question is: what makes up a good morning routine and how do I get into one?

Steps to a Successful Routine

A morning routine can positively affect your mental health, so it is certainly worth the effort to establish one; the first step to establishing your routine is deciding your biggest stressors in the morning rush and forming a habit to combat that stressor. Some ideas might include: preparing breakfast and packing lunches the night before, putting backpacks/work bags by the door, or setting out clothes the night before. Now that that particular stressor is eliminated, there is more free time in the morning to give to yourself. So what do you do with that freed-up time?

In the same Forbes interview linked above, Benjamin Spall, author of My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired, states that the best morning routines are ones with simple steps that people can faithfully follow every morning. According to Good Therapy, some ideas to work into your morning routine include:

  1. Let light in
  2. Make your bed
  3. Hydrate
  4. Nourish
  5. Gratitude
  6. Make a list
  7. Physical activity

There are additional ideas in the Good Therapy article, but let’s dive deeper into some of the ideas listed above.

The Reason Behind the Morning Habit

Laptop open notebook on bedWe know that blue light from screens can negatively impact our sleep, and similarly, light will help wake your brain up first thing in the morning. Many successful people actually leave their phones on airplane mode in a separate room throughout the night and into the morning, allowing more natural light to simultaneously wake them up and help them feel calmer. So put the smartphone away at night; you’ll sleep better and wake earlier. When you wake, instead of reading your negative news feed first thing in the morning, try reading a book by an open window. A good night’s sleep followed by a relaxing morning is practically a good day guarantee!

Starting your day off by completing a task, such as making your bed and making a to-do list for the day will help you feel successful before the day has even begun. This will lead to feeling like you can, in fact, take on the day ahead and accomplish even more tasks! In the same vein, having a moment of gratitude and/or meditation will allow that gratitude to carry throughout the day, resulting in more calm and less negative emotions.

Good morning. Breakfast on white bed sheets.Breakfast is often touted as the “most important meal of the day,” but it is also skipped by so many. John Hopkins Medicine states the importance of breakfast with many convincing points, such as helping with weight management, digestion, blood sugar, and boosting your brainpower throughout the day. A well-rounded diet, which should include breakfast, is also conducive to a good night’s sleep. A good night’s sleep leads to a better morning, and the cycle continues, either for better or worse.

As mentioned above, preparing sets you up for success; some ideas for preparing breakfast are: setting the non-perishables like cereal out on the table along with dishes, making hot breakfasts such as a breakfast casserole ahead of time to simply heat and eat, and keeping quick breakfasts like boiled eggs and yogurt in the fridge to easily grab. By preparing breakfasts the night before, you can have brain power throughout the day, help your sleep, then, consequently start the following day off well!

Physical activity is a great way to start the day because exercise, even just a few minutes, releases endorphins that will cause you to feel happy and calm. I would much rather start my day happy and calm than frazzled and frustrated! If your morning routine is short because you have to get to work or school early, try incorporating some stretching, and/or a few pushups and jumping jacks to get your blood flowing and your muscles awake. You will head into your day feeling energized and accomplished. Similarly, sleep and exercise go hand in hand. You will exercise better if you sleep better, and you will sleep better if you exercise regularly. After a good night of sleep, you will wake up ready to take on the day!

The Chicken or the Egg

It’s a classic question: which came first? The same conundrum happens with regards to morning routine versus nighttime routine. The morning routine sets your day up for success, and quality food as fuel, exercise, and limiting technology sets up your nighttime routine for success; you get good rest, wake up ready to exercise, and tackle the day, and the cycle of health continues. In conclusion, having both morning and nighttime routines will greatly impact not only your physical health but your mental health as well.

Diet and Your Sleep Quality

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Man in pajamas having breakfast in bed

The average person spends a lot of time (about 30 percent of their life) sleeping. As crazy as that may seem, the third of our time we spend resting at night is incredibly important to making sure we are healthy and happy during our time spent awake. But in the same way, all of the habits and activities we engage in during the day inevitably have a big impact on how we sleep.

Some habits can be detrimental to our sleep quality and in some cases may induce insomnia or raise blood pressure, like drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, using nicotine, or ingesting caffeine late in the day. Others, like exercise and meditation, have been shown to increase sleep quality and duration.

The big picture answer is that diet does in fact play a role. Studies show that a person’s diet impacts how they sleep in a number of ways. This is likely due to the fact that what we eat directly affects important systems related to our sleep, such as brain chemistry, circulatory systems, and overall weight.

And what about popular beliefs about eating habits that harm or help sleep, like drinking milk or avoiding meals before bed? Read on to learn more about how changed to your diet can improve, or degrade, the quality of your sleep.

How diet affects sleep

Diet influences our nights the same way most other behaviors do: by causing changes to the circadian rhythm and the sleep cycle. The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock. An entire part of your brain is dedicated to keeping this clock running, always working to adjust our sleep-wake cycle according to external stimuli like light or sound. Some foods affect the circadian rhythm by triggering the production of chemicals in the brain that encourage or discourage sleep. Most foods that promote better sleep work in this way.

There are two main phases of the cycle: one in which your mind is more active, known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, and a deeper sleep known as Non-REM sleep. Certain dietary habits can interrupt sleep by causing intense digestion or excess weight gain, which disrupts this cycle.

Foods that can promote sleep

Luckily for anyone interested in making changes to their eating habits to improve their sleep, studies show that a well-balanced diet is generally a good first step. A healthy diet can improve your night in two major ways: by promoting the synthesis of compounds that can improve the quality of your slumber, and by limiting the intake of foods that can interrupt it. Three chemicals, each playing a big role in the process, are significantly affected by diet:

  • Serotonin: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate the circadian rhythm and sleep. Scientists are still working to understand all the complexities of the roles it plays, which include stimulating both wakefulness and arousal. One scientific review of over 50 years of serotonin research explains that serotonin is involved in starting, moderating, and ending these cycles.
  • Melatonin: Melatonin is a hormone that plays an important part in regulating the circadian rhythm and promoting a restful night. Evening darkness stimulates the body to produce melatonin, which continues to build up in the brain through the night. Melatonin works in part by lowering core body temperature.
  • Tryptophan: Tryptophan is a protein hormone that is the single precursor to serotonin. That means that in order to make serotonin, the body needs tryptophan. While the hormone can be produced internally, the body can also use tryptophan that is consumed in foods we eat.

Healthy Complete Breakfast served in bedSeveral foods can increase the natural production of these compounds or introduce more for the body to use. While all foods should be consumed in moderation, a 2016 scientific review found that including or substituting the following items into your diet can stimulate your body to produce the compounds it needs for a good night’s sleep:

  • Milk: Milk products contain natural tryptophan. Several studies found that drinking a glass of milk or malted beverage before bed reduced awakenings, increased sleep time and promoted higher quality sleep.
  • Kiwis/Tart Cherries: Cherries contain melatonin and kiwis contain serotonin, among other nutrients. Studies show that people who regularly consumed these fruits had less trouble going to and staying asleep, along with an overall better quality during the night. Note, however, that too much sugar could play a negative role.
  • Whole Grains: Whole grains found in whole-wheat toast and oatmeal can trigger the production of serotonin. Johns Hopkins Medicine says that eating complex carbohydrates before bed can increase serotonin levels without burdening the digestive system late at night.

Diet habits that can degrade sleep quality

poor diet of junk food can lead to bad quality of sleep

Scientists say that a sleep-promoting diet is more about having a balanced diet than eating or avoiding specific foods. That is, diets that are unbalanced in favor of a specific food group, especially if those foods are known to be unhealthy for other reasons, are likely to have detrimental effects on sleep health. High fat, carbohydrate and protein diets, in particular, have been shown to have adverse effects on sleep health. And importantly, they all influence sleep in different ways, suggesting again that a balanced diet is important for quality sleep.

  • High-carbohydrate diet: Diets high in carbohydrates were correlated with less short-wave sleep. This type of deep sleep is part of the Non-REM phase. High carbohydrate diets do tend to improve REM when the brain needs more immediate energy for higher brain activity. But Non-REM is critical for the body to recuperate from the day, build muscle and bone, and boost the immune system.
  • High-fat diet: High-fat diets have an effect almost inverse to high carbohydrate diets. Diets with high fat reduce REM and increase the number of arousals a person experiences in a night. However, a diet high in fat can also improve Non-REM. REM is important for mental alertness upon waking, and arousals can interrupt a good night’s sleep. High-fat diets can also lead to excess weight gain, which is associated with several sleep disorders including obstructive apnea.
  • High-protein diet: High-protein diets, especially due to the consumption of meats, have been associated with negative sleep patterns. In a 2019 study, scientists suggest that a high protein intake can cause an amino acid imbalance in the body that disrupts its ability to synthesize serotonin from tryptophan. Protein is also difficult and time consuming for the body to digest, which can cause difficulty at night.
  • Spicy foods: Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that spicy and acidic foods should be avoided 3-4 hours before bed, as they can cause acid reflux that is worsened by lying down.

Can Meditation Improve Sleep Quality?

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Our busy lives can be full of responsibilities, stressors, or bad habits that often make it tough to get a good night’s sleep. Online, you can find hundreds of suggestions and proposed remedies for people struggling to get the sleep they need. One such suggestion that appears frequently is meditation.

Man Meditating in front of bedBut we wanted to take a closer look at the science: can meditation really improve sleep quality?

Why it can be difficult to get quality sleep

If you’re having trouble during the night, you’re not alone. As many as one in three adults suffer from insomnia, with causes ranging from caffeine intake to clinical psychological disorders like anxiety. Getting enough sleep is critical for our health, and chronic insomnia can actually make underlying conditions worse. And while individuals should seek treatment for underlying psychological disorders, personal habits also dictate how well we sleep at night.

So what role can meditation play in our daily routines to ensure we get the sleep we need?

Harvard Health highlighted the potential benefits of certain types of meditation, and multiple studies also suggest that meditation can have physiological impacts on the sleep cycle.

Science says meditation does improve sleep

Research written in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, with regular meditation over the course of two weeks, participants showed positive improvements on both sleep quality and duration. Another study, published by the Medical Science Monitor, also suggests that daily meditation practice can lead to improved sleep quality as self-reported by participants.

Two other studies, published by JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015 and another by Sleep and Biological Rhythms in 2016, found that mindfulness meditation improved the sleep quality of older participants. In fact, the 2016 study noted improvements in all stages of the sleep cycle.

Meditation, GABA and the sleep cycle

A young woman doing yoga exercise in morning in a bedroomTo understand how meditation can help improve your quality of sleep, it is important to understand the sleep cycle. The brain goes through four stages of sleep. Stages one through three are progressively deeper phases of sleep known as slow-wave sleep or Non-Rapid Eye Movement (Non-REM) sleep. During these phases, electrical activity in the brain slows down, the heart rate decreases and breathing becomes more shallow. The last phase, Rapid Eye Movement (REM), consists of increased brain activity. REM sleep is when most dreaming occurs. A quality night of rest will include several repetitions of these steps, which get longer each time.

With that process in mind, we can transition to the molecular mechanisms in the brain that regulate the sleep system, focusing on one class of molecules in particular: GABA. This is an inhibitory neurotransmitter; it acts by reducing activity between neurons. According to a report in Neuroscience, a publication of the International Brain Research Organization, and a study written by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, there are three subsets of these receptors in the brain, each with different effects on sleep:

  • GABAA agonists enhance non-REM, slow-wave sleep-inducing deep sleep, but can decrease the quality of REM sleep. Multiple drugs including barbiturates (the active compounds in sedatives like Seconal and Donnatal), benzodiazepines (the active compounds in Xanax, Valium and Klonopin), imidazopyridines (the active compounds in Ambien and NSAIDs like ibuprofen) and cyclopyrrolones (the active compound in Lunesta) function by interacting with GABAA receptors.
  • GABAB agonists enhance deep sleep and the functioning of the circadian rhythm, but with minimal effects on REM sleep. These agonists are not as well-studied as their GABAA counterparts, but include the compound GHB, or sodium oxybate.
  • GABAC agonists have been studied for having potential uses in treating insomnia and narcolepsy, but have not been made clinically available and are not fully understood.

Transcendental Meditation is a type of meditation associated with hormonal changes in the brain that mimic the effects of GABA and stimulate releases of the neurotransmitter in specific areas of the brain. This is according to an article published in Medical Hypothesis. The article goes on to say that the relaxation associated with Transcendental Meditation is similar to the feelings of euphoria and relaxation experienced after exercise.

Another article, published in Brain Stimulation, found that the production and release of GABA in the brain increased after a single meditation session. This increase measurably changed the brain activity of meditators compared to a control group.

Put more simply, Dr. Herbert Benson, the author of the JAMA study, told Harvard Health that meditation works by inducing what he calls the “relaxation response.” The relaxation response describes the psychological changes that occur when the body calms down—it’s literally the opposite of becoming stressed out.

Tips for meditating your way to better sleep

This all sounds great, but meditation can be scary for beginners. Luckily, there are many resources that offer introductions into the world of meditation.

woman meditating in lotus position on bed before sleepThere are many schools of meditation to choose from, each with different methods of training and relaxation. To find one that is right for you, several the Mayo Clinic lists include: guided meditation, yoga practice, Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness meditation, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. While some commercial forms require instruction or certification, there are resources online available free of charge to help beginners integrate meditation into their daily routine. UCLA Health offers a free meditation app that provides instruction and resources informed by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. Other popular apps include Headspace, Calm and Simple Habit.

To determine if meditation is right for you, take 20 minutes and try the following routine from the Mayo Clinic:

  • Keep an open mind to the process of meditation
  • Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed or interrupted
  • Assume a comfortable position that allows you to maintain good posture, either sitting, laying down, standing up or walking
  • Deep breathing at a consistent pace
  • Relax your muscles
  • Focus your mind on something. This can be a mantra, your breathing, part of your body or an emotion
  • Consider choosing a phrase or word to repeat as you meditate
  • Be mindful and recenter your thoughts as you notice your mind wandering

It is important to remember that quality is the key factor and is a product of a holistic regiment of healthy habits. Be sure to read our eight tips for a better night’s sleep.

 

Anxiety: Guide and Tips for Better Sleep

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Depressed man suffering from anxiety lying in bed

Anxiety has an especially insidious relationship to sleep. Sleeplessness, caused by symptoms of anxiety, will inevitably lead to more trouble falling asleep. The two feed off of each other in a downward spiral that can make life miserable.

Sleep is an important tool to manage anxiety; therefore, it is extremely important to understand how the two relate, and how to manage a healthy sleep cycle even when suffering from symptoms of anxiety.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America is a leading nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues. According to them, anxiety disorder is the single most common mental illness in the United States. Over 40 million U.S adults suffer from the disorder, constituting a massive 18% of the population.

How anxiety affects the body

The relationship between sleep and anxiety is embedded in the symptoms of mental illness. Having a basic understanding of how anxiety works can help in creating strategies to manage it, especially when it comes to sleep.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, ranging from generalized anxiety to specific phobias. The Mayo Clinic lists the following symptoms for generalized anxiety:

  • Constant worrying about things in a way that is “out of proportion”
  • Overthinking everything
  • Feeling threatened in unthreatening situations
  • Fear or discomfort with uncertainty
  • Extreme hesitancy and fear of making bad choices
  • Inability to relax or set aside worries
  • Difficulty concentrating, accompanied by the feeling of a blank mind

The Mayo Clinic also lists the following physical symptoms:

  • Tiredness (fatigue)
  • Muscle tension and soreness
  • Twitching and trembling
  • Frightens easily
  • Increased sweating
  • Stomach problems including nausea, diarrhea, and even irritable bowel syndrome
  • Irritability

Stressed business woman with anxiety disorder

The severity of any and all of these symptoms fluctuates depending on a number of stress factors, and the patterns of symptoms present can be different in every individual case of anxiety.

Scientists are still unsure about the neurological root causes of anxiety disorders. A 2017 review found that due to its overlap with other mood and affective disorders, scientists had yet to specify with certainty the biological mechanics of how anxiety affects the brain of people. Scientists hypothesize that it might be related to a chemical imbalance affecting our “fight or flight” response, which defines how we physiologically and psychologically react to different situations. The amygdala is necessary for this process and remains a target of study.

How anxiety affects sleep patterns

It is important to reiterate here that there are several specific disorders associated with anxiety. PTSD, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and OCD are but a few that rest within the spectrum. Each of these has been associated with its own effect on sleep, some of which are discussed below.

  • Panic Disorder: Patients with panic disorder have been found to have reduced sleep efficiency, the ratio between the time they spend in bed and the actual amount of time they sleep. Patients typically find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep as well. Often they are interrupted by night time panic attacks and suffer from insomnia as a result.
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Studies have found that up to 70% of patients who suffer from GAD also suffer from chronic insomnia. It has been speculated that people with insomnia, usually at the hands of racing thoughts and worry, might even be recognized as a symptom of GAD. Regardless of which one causes the other, lack of sleep can exacerbate other symptoms of GAD.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Results of studies aimed at identifying the exact relationship between OCD and sleep have been mixed. Many of them report links between insomnia and OCD, though no conclusive data suggests there is a significant impairment in the quality of sleep for people with OCD.
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Evidence has also been mixed on whether PTSD patients suffer significant sleep disturbances as a result of their disorder. Some studies have found that there is an increased REM density (more active eye movements) in PTSD patients, suggesting more intense dreams. This could be a result of their inability to stop reliving traumatic events, which might follow them in their dreams.

Overall, anxiety seems to be linked to difficulty in falling asleep (insomnia), and in some cases an increase in sleep disturbances throughout the night.

Tips for maintaining healthy sleep

young woman has insomnia due to anxietyTo address the main sleep problems associated with anxiety, try the following tips and tricks to manage symptoms during bedtime:

  • Seek treatment for your anxiety disorder: This might be the most effective way to get a good night’s sleep if you have anxiety. Visit a specialist to determine which type of treatment is right for you, be it therapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Treating the root causes of the problem is the best way to ensure that sleep problems are reduced as well.
  • If you are on medication, note side effects: Some medications can keep you up at night, even if they are not prescribed directly for anxiety. Talk to your doctor about your trouble sleeping, and work together to determine if medication might be the cause.
  • Eat healthily, and exercise regularly: A good diet and routine exercise can go a long way in defeating sleep problems, as well as symptoms of anxiety. Make sure not to eat heavily or exercise too close to bedtime.
  • Avoid stimulating or depressing substances: Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and other drugs can complicate your sleep cycle and increase symptoms of anxiety. If you suffer from panic disorder, you might want to consider excluding caffeine from your diet entirely.
  • Avoid electronics and bright lights before bed: Exposing yourself to artificial light in the evening will interrupt the body’s natural process of growing drowsy and inducing sleep. Consuming stimulating information close to bed can also contribute to racing thoughts and worrying thought patterns that might keep you up.
  • Find your own way to relax: Whether it’s with music, a hot bath or meditation. Finding personalized tools and techniques that allow you to calm your mind before bed will improve your chances of falling asleep quickly. That will help you to sleep soundly throughout the night.