Maybe you’ve been here before: You’re laying in bed, thoroughly exhausted after a busy day, yet you can’t seem to fall asleep. You’re wide awake as your mind continues to race and you’re coming to terms with the fact that you’ll be severely sleep-deprived the next day. You might be thinking about work, finances, or perhaps you’ve been watching too much news. Whatever stressors you might be experiencing, having nighttime anxiety is nothing short of frustrating. So why do these thoughts flare up at night when our brains need much-deserved rest? Keep reading to find out what nighttime anxiety is, and how to reduce anxious thoughts to set you up for amazing sleep.

What is Nighttime Anxiety?

With dozens of tasks occupying your cognitive brain function during the day, you might find it difficult to keep your brain busy at night. Bedtime is when we can let all of those thoughts rest, but if you suffer from nighttime anxiety, you’ll experience uneasy and worrisome thoughts before bed.

The issue of nighttime anxiety creates an unhealthy cycle of stress and poor sleep. You might find that you have anxiety because you’re unable to sleep or you’re sleep deprived because you have anxiety.

What Causes Nighttime Anxiety?

There are various possible factors that contribute to nighttime anxiety:

1.Too Much Focus on the Day

If you find yourself thinking about the day’s events and stressing over what’s to come tomorrow, it will make it more difficult for your mind to relax.

2. Fear

In the darkness of the night, emotions like sadness, worry, or fear come out to mess with your mind. These stressors can cause your body to experience an adrenaline rush that prevents you from feeling relaxed.

3. Racing Thought Patterns

People who have rapid-moving thoughts, like those with ADHD, might suffer from nighttime anxiety due to their inability to calm down. The longer these thoughts persist, the more anxiety it causes.

4. Poor Sleep Cycle

If you have been dealing with nighttime anxiety for a while, you’ve developed a poor sleep cycle which makes your body more immune to stress and insomnia.

What Should You Do To Avoid Nighttime Anxiety?

If nighttime anxiety disrupts your everyday life, start taking the proper steps to relax your mind and body before bed. You can incorporate these lifestyle changes into your nighttime routine to achieve quality sleep.

1. Exercise 

While consistent exercise keeps your body and mind healthy, it can also help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Moderate workouts such as taking a 30-minute brisk walk might help insomniacs improve their sleep.

2. Set aside time for winding down.

Avoid stressful activities like watching the news or scrolling through social media to limit screen time. Write down any stressful thoughts in a journal. To prepare your mind for sleep, spend 30 minutes engaging in relaxing activities like taking a bath, reading a book, or listening to a podcast.

3. Avoid laying in bed awake.

If you find yourself laying in bed wide awake, don’t just lay there and suffer -- Do your bedtime ritual again. Get out of bed, leave your room, and engage in sleep-inducing activities like reading a book or coloring for 30 minutes.

It might seem counterproductive, but it’s called stimulus control and it reduces the time it takes to fall asleep.

4. Set your environment.

Setting the light, sound, and temperature of your room is key to falling asleep fast and receiving quality sleep. Your ideal sleep environment should be cool, dark, and quiet.

5. Get a mattress that works for you.

If you sleep on an uncomfortable mattress, you put additional stress on your pressure points, leaving you tossing and turning each night. Afloat waterbeds are designed to reduce pressure points, control sleep temperature, and contour and support your body.