The last few years have been pretty crappy. Full Stop. End of Story. It’s just a case of the degrees of crappy that each of us has had to face that has varied. So, it’s no surprise that many of us are finding ourselves feeling anxious, and when anxiety takes hold, you can bet that your sleep also starts to get impacted. Is anxiety impacting your sleep? – If so, we have a few tips, both lifestyle changes and alternative anxiety treatment options, that we hope can bring a little balance to your anxiety levels and support better sleep patterns.
News And Social Media
There is very rarely anything good reported on the news, so reducing exposure is going to help with anxiety reduction. Try allowing yourself a daily window for updates – 10 minutes of news in the morning and again in the afternoon. Limit your time scrolling on socials too. Cut out the possibility of fake news by looking at trusted news sources only.
Manage Your Worries
When anxiety peaks, it’s easy to feel out of control – what makes it worse is that anxiety feeds on those out-of-control feelings. Putting pen to paper can really help to stop this spiralling feeling. Give yourself time each day – say 15 minutes – where you can write down your concerns in a worry journal. This structured time out allows you to acknowledge the worry and their associated feelings. Once the 15 minutes is up, the worry journal can be put away, and you can move on to something else…hopefully more enjoyable. If any further worries pop up, simply acknowledge them, but save the investment of thought until your next worry journal entry.
Acknowledge “What If’s?”
The ‘what if’ worries are the kind where our minds drift off thinking of worst-case scenarios. Although this is a very common way of thinking, indulging in it is not helpful, it supports a doomsday view of the world, helping us feel like we are preparing for the worst. Ultimately this type of thinking makes us feel worse. Write these types of concerns down in your worry journal but label them as hypothetical. Remember, they are not facts!!!
Problem Solving
Take some time each day to look at the list of worries you’ve written down and decide which of these you have control over. The US elections, AirNZ share price, or what dress Aunty Sue will wear at the upcoming wedding are not the types of worries you have control over!! – For those that are within your realm, problem-solve and make a plan for them. This process helps to calm those out-of-control feelings, as it can reassure you that you are the one in the driver’s seat.
Quality, Not Quantity
Seven to eight hours of sleep is recommended, but don’t get anxious about it – Eights hours of rubbish sleep does not give you the same benefits as five hours of deep, restorative sleep. So focus on quality, deep sleep, not the number of hours you get.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise has been proven to help people fall asleep more quickly and soundly. Moderate-intensity exercise, like a brisk walk, can improve sleep. However, avoid vigorous activity for at least one hour before bedtime. Try morning or afternoon session workouts instead.
Meditation and Diaphragmatic Breathing
Meditation and diaphragmatic breathing is a relaxation technique that can significantly reduce anxiety before bedtime. When starting this technique for the first time, just try it for a few minutes, increasing the duration as you get more used to the process. Simply sit quietly, focusing on your breathing.
Learning to meditate and silence your mind can help you navigate stress during the day and before bedtime. If you have trouble meditating, try some relaxing yoga poses to help your body prepare for sleep.
If, despite introducing new routines or techniques into your day, you still struggle to get to sleep, you might need a little extra help. Consider trying the following six natural sleep-promoting supplements as an alternative treatment that can be used alongside these lifestyle changes. Ensure any supplement support is discussed with a doctor, especially if you are using other medication.
Melatonin – Melatonin is a hormone your body creates naturally that signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
Valerian – Valerian is a herb native to Asia and Europe. Its root is typically used as a natural remedy for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and menopause.
Magnesium – Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of functions in the human body, and it’s essential for brain function and heart health.
Lavender – The lavender plant can be found on nearly all continents. It grows purple flowers that, when dried, have a variety of household uses. Lavender’s calming fragrance is believed to enhance sleep.
Passionflower – Passionflower is a popular herbal treatment for insomnia. The species of passionflower linked to insomnia aid are native to North America.
Glycine – Glycine is an amino acid that plays an important function in the nervous system. Studies show that it may also help improve sleep.
If you’re struggling with your sleep, why not try DeepWave, either a course that supports the reduction of anxiety symptoms or one that helps specifically with sleep support? Let us help to calm your brain by reducing the flight, flight, and freeze triggers that your brain could be stuck in. We gently push your brain into specific brain states, like delta and theta, normally accessed when in deep sleep.
DeepWave brainwave entrainment is a natural process that triggers, via light pulses, the ‘frequency following‘ response—encouraging your brain to relax, moving it away from an anxious – High Beta – brain state.
Allowing your brain to get more accustomed to using these relaxed states can support improved sleep patterns.
Brainwave Entrainment is like meditation on steroids – it allows you to access calm brain states and therefore unlocks the benefits deep meditative states can bring you.
For a gentle, relaxing alternative anxiety treatment, reach out to us via our contact us page to book an initial consultation which includes your first DeepWave session.
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