Many people all around the world suffer from anxiety, and sleep disruption is a common symptom of mental health problems, including anxious thoughts and feelings. When you are worried and anxious about life, it can be impossible to fall asleep at night, and instead, you find yourself tossing and turning until morning.

However, getting enough sleep is an essential need for your physical and mental health, and without it, not only could your anxiety become worse but it can also lead to major health concerns. Therefore, we have put together this guide on how to get better quality sleep when you’re dealing with anxiety.

Exercise Regularly

If you are feeling anxious and worried, then the last thing you can feel like doing is heading to the gym or taking part in a home workout video. However, it is one of the best ways to make yourself feel better, as well as making better sleep more likely. Exercise helps our body to release endorphins, which is the hormone that is our body’s natural response to stress, pain, or fear.

Remember that any type of exercise that makes your heart rate increase is a great way to get your body physically active. If you aren’t used to exercising, then take it slowly at first and increase it each time you do it. Not only will you feel better, but you will likely be so tired that you should fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow at night.

Make Your Bedroom a Cozy and Safe Space

Living with anxiety isn’t easy and it can be difficult to get through some of the tougher days. Therefore, we recommend that you transform your bedroom into a safe space where you can fully relax and enjoy some downtime.

However, to do this you must only do the activities in your room that are conducive to rest and relaxing. For example, if you need to work from home, then we recommend that you don’t do use your bedroom as a home office. Otherwise, when it comes to getting to sleep at night your mind will associate your room with work instead of rest.

Similarly, it is important that your bed is cozy and comfortable in order for you to get to sleep as easily as possible. So, if you have had the same mattress for some time, then this could be making your disrupted sleep even worse. We recommend that you check out this guide on how to find the best mattress for you.

Limit Alcohol and Caffeine Intake

If you are suffering from anxiety you may be tempted to turn to alcohol, and while this may give you temporary relief from how you are feeling, it can make getting to sleep even harder and your anxiety worse. Similarly, if you find yourself feeling tired throughout the day because you can’t get to sleep at night, you could be tempted to reach for a cup of coffee to get you through. However, this can make your anxiety considerably worse, as caffeine can increase your heart rate while also keeping you awake at night. Therefore, we recommend that you swap caffeine for water in order to stay hydrated and avoid drinking too much in the hours leading up to bedtime. Otherwise constant trips to the bathroom during the night can also keep you awake and leave you feeling alert and anxious.

Cut Down Screen Time

If you are lying awake in bed at night, it can be too tempting to reach for your phone or tablet for something to do. However, this is one of the worst things that you can do, both for your anxiety and your sleep deprivation.

Checking your work email before bed can leave you feeling worried and anxious about work the next day when you are trying to relax and unwind. Plus, the light that is emitted from electronic devices can keep your brain active and awake for longer. So, a few hours before bed, turn off all your screens and use that time to quiet your mind.

A few simple changes and adaptations to your lifestyle can make a huge difference when trying to get better quality sleep when you’re dealing with anxiety.