How To Ease An Anxious Mind Before Bed

Having an anxious mind before bed is dreadful because not only is there a real possibility of not getting to sleep for hours, but you can feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable in a space that should be relaxing and safe to unwind in.

Easing your anxious mind is challenging because being inclined to worry isn’t something many of us can shake. It takes behavioural changes and a connection to our feelings to shake anxieties like water off a duck’s back.

Still, there are ways to ease anxiety before bed and separate your stressed, anxious psyche from your happy one. Here are our best tips:

Read a book for half an hour before bed

Picking up a book is an excellent way to distract yourself from stress, worries, and anxieties because it gives your brain a break. You will forget everything worrying you for those precious minutes, helping you relax.

Reading for stress relief works for many people - this study by the University of Sussex found that reading reduces stress by up to 68%.

Make a comfortable bed

Anxiety might be in your head, but an uncomfortable bed that makes you toss and turn can fuel your stress and reduce your sleep quality.

Here are some basic steps:

• Match mattress firmness to your body weight. People between 135lbs and 160lbs do well with a medium mattress, while those over 160lbs do well with medium-firm. If you are over 220lbs, then you want a firm mattress.
• Get a duvet for each season. Summer and winter duvets work better than an all-season duvet to keep you comfortable.
• Sleep with one pillow under your head. One firm pillow is better than two soft pillows for back and side sleepers. Tummy sleepers need one soft pillow.

Avoid social media and news apps before bedtime

Smartphones have benefitted our lives in many ways, but how many of us can say we use them in ways that are good for our mental health?

Social media and news apps are the worst culprits for anxiety, with positive stories flooded out by negative ones. Social media also has the nasty habit of making us feel bad about our lives, so it is one to avoid.

Try a meditation/mindfulness app

Using a sound/meditation/mindfulness app can reduce anxiety at bedtime, providing you can stick to it and avoid other anxiety-causing apps!

Here are our favourite apps:

Sleep Sounds

Play Store, App Store.

Rated 4.9/5, Sleep Sounds by Craftsman Spirit lets you create unique mixes, so you can snap sounds together to create unique melodies that you love.

Balance

Play Store, App Store.

Balance is our favourite meditation app because it creates a meditation plan to help you fall asleep. Just select a few preferences, and away you go!

Medito

Play Store, App Store.

Medito is a 100% non-profit app helping you meditate and relax before bed. Most exercises last two to ten minutes, and there are multiple techniques.

Use blue light filters

Blue light interrupts sleep patterns by interrupting the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. You can get blue light filter lenses for glasses (or blue light reading glasses and frames online) to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Another option is to activate a blue light filter on your smartphone/tablet or select a warm picture mode on your television.

See a behavioural therapist

There is no replacement for a great behavioural therapist. Therapy sessions are not what you think they are – they are practical to help you solve problems and learn how to let some things go when you have no control over them.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the best-known therapy. Although it has mixed results among different people, it will provide exercises to help you slow your heart rate and gain control over your feelings.

The biggest mistake is avoiding a therapist in favour of reading guides online – an actual therapist is a much better option.

Related pages

• Top 5 Best Sleep Apps
• How to sleep better with anxiety