Individuals who experience anxiety often describe it as increasing near bedtime. It can be helpful to focus on how to reduce anxiety at night through simple techniques that improve your sleep.
Develop a Bedtime Routine To Reduce Anxiety at Night
You might try starting with the hour before bed. Reduce screen time during this hour. You might like to begin the hour with a shower or bath. You might then try incorporating activities you find relaxing such a reading a non-stimulating book, working on a puzzle, crafting, or restorative yoga.
Keep a Worry Journal
Before bedtime, take a moment to jot down all the things you are worried about for the days or weeks to come. This technique may be particularly helpful if you find you have thoughts centered around planning or tasks to get done.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Breath practices, meditations, and visualizations can be helpful as well as calming music. You might try visualizing 3 file folders in your mind labeled yesterday, tomorrow, and someday. When a thought arises, categorize it into one of those 3 folders: yesterday if it pertains to the past, tomorrow if it’s a planning thought for the next day, and someday if it’s a future worry that may or may not happen.
As you adjust to these bedtime suggestions, you might ask yourself how to reduce anxiety at night for you. As you work with these strategies you might begin to notice techniques that feel just right for you that help reduce your feelings of worry at night. You might also consider asking your therapist and exploring what does and does not work for you in order to come up with a more personalized set of techniques and tools that wok for you.
Anxiety therapists at Gaithersburg Counseling Center can help if you’re experiencing anxiety at night. Contact Us to get an appointment scheduled or call 240-274-5680 or email Admin@HealingLLC.com.
When working with clients, Amy (she/her) uses her warm personality along with her relational approach to engage her clients in the therapeutic process. She has always strived to have a supportive, collaborative relationship with her clients, allowing for deep personal growth and healing.