Having an anxious mind before bed is a truly challenging experience. Not only do you face the very real possibility of tossing and turning for hours on end, but you might also experience an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia and discomfort in what should be your most peaceful sanctuary - your bedroom. These racing thoughts can transform your sleep space from a haven of relaxation into a theatre for your worries.
Managing an anxious mind requires patience and dedication, as the tendency to worry isn't something most of us can simply switch off. It demands conscious behavioural adjustments and a deeper understanding of our emotional responses to effectively process anxious thoughts. Think of it as learning a new skill - just as you wouldn't expect to master a musical instrument overnight, managing anxiety takes practice and persistence.
However, there are proven strategies to help calm an anxious mind before bedtime and create a clear distinction between your stress-filled thoughts and your peaceful, restful state. Here are our most effective recommendations:
Read a book for half an hour before bed
Immersing yourself in a good book is one of the most powerful ways to redirect an anxious mind away from stress and worry. When you lose yourself in a compelling story or interesting subject matter, your brain naturally shifts focus from your concerns to the narrative at hand. These precious moments of literary escape can provide the mental break you desperately need.
The science backs this up convincingly - a groundbreaking study conducted by the University of Sussex revealed that reading can reduce stress levels by an impressive 68%. This makes it more effective than many other traditional relaxation methods, providing a natural and enjoyable way to calm your anxious mind.
Make a comfortable bed
While anxiety primarily manifests in your thoughts, an uncomfortable bed can significantly amplify your stress levels and deteriorate your sleep quality. Your physical comfort plays a crucial role in managing an anxious mind at bedtime.
Here are some essential guidelines to optimise your sleep space:
Choose your mattress firmness based on your body weight. Those weighing between 135lbs and 160lbs typically find optimal comfort with a medium mattress. If you're over 160lbs, a medium-firm option is usually more suitable. For those weighing more than 220lbs, a firm mattress provides the best support.
Invest in season-specific duvets. Rather than settling for an all-season duvet, consider having separate summer and winter options. This approach ensures better temperature regulation throughout the year, which can significantly impact your comfort and sleep quality.
Perfect your pillow arrangement. For back and side sleepers, one firm pillow provides better support than multiple soft ones. If you're a tummy sleeper, opt for a single soft pillow to maintain proper spinal alignment.
Avoid social media and news apps before bedtime
While smartphones have revolutionised many aspects of our daily lives, they can be particularly problematic for those with an anxious mind. The question we should ask ourselves is: are we using these devices in ways that support our mental well-being?
Social media platforms and news applications can be especially triggering for anxiety, with algorithms often favouring negative content over positive stories. Moreover, social media's tendency to promote unrealistic life comparisons can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and worry, making it particularly unsuitable for pre-bedtime browsing.
Try a meditation/mindfulness app
Incorporating a dedicated sound, meditation, or mindfulness app into your bedtime routine can effectively reduce anxiety - provided you can resist the temptation to check other potentially stress-inducing apps!
Here are our top recommendations:
Sleep Sounds
Sleep Sounds by Craftsman Spirit has earned an impressive 4.9/5 rating for good reason. This versatile app allows you to create personalised sound combinations, enabling you to craft the perfect audio environment for your relaxation needs. Whether you prefer gentle rainfall, ocean waves, or forest sounds, you can mix and match to create your ideal sleep soundtrack.
Android phone users download here Play Store, iPhone users download here 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
Balance stands out as our preferred meditation app due to its personalised approach to helping you achieve better sleep. The app creates a customised meditation plan based on your specific needs and preferences, making it easier to establish and maintain a consistent pre-sleep relaxation practice.
Android phone users download here Play Store, iPhone users download here 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
For those with an anxious mind seeking a non-commercial approach to meditation, Medito stands out as a remarkable 100% non-profit application dedicated to helping you achieve tranquility before bedtime.
The app offers a thoughtfully curated selection of exercises, typically ranging from two to ten minutes in duration, incorporating various meditation techniques suitable for different experience levels and preferences.
This makes it particularly accessible for beginners while still offering depth for more experienced practitioners.
Android phone users download here Play Store, iPhone users download here 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
The relationship between blue light and sleep disruption is well-documented, particularly its interference with your body's natural melatonin production - the crucial hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. For those battling an anxious mind, this disruption can be particularly challenging.
Fortunately, several practical solutions exist. You can invest in specialised blue light filter lenses for your existing glasses, or purchase dedicated blue light reading glasses online.
For digital devices, enabling the built-in blue light filter on your smartphone or tablet can make a significant difference. Similarly, selecting a warm picture mode on your television can help maintain your body's natural sleep rhythm, especially during evening viewing.
See a behavioural therapist
Pictured: Anxious man lying in his bed and feeling worried.
When dealing with an anxious mind, the expertise of a qualified behavioural therapist is invaluable and irreplaceable. Modern therapy sessions are far from the stereotypical lying-on-a-couch scenario - they're practical, solution-focused encounters designed to help you develop concrete strategies for managing anxiety and learning to release what's beyond your control.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), while producing varying results for different individuals, remains the gold standard in anxiety treatment. It provides scientifically-backed exercises to help regulate your heart rate and gain mastery over your emotional responses.
While online resources can be helpful supplements, they shouldn't be considered substitutes for professional therapy - the personalised guidance and support of a qualified therapist is fundamentally more effective for managing anxiety and improving sleep quality.
