How to Manage Sleep Anxiety
Iโve mentioned tips on how to get a good nightโs sleep on the blog before. Something I never talked about though was that I am prone to sleep anxiety.
What Does Sleep Anxiety Entail for Me?
For me, that means panicking if I canโt get to sleep and getting worried about being too tired. It became most noticeable when I started university. Now that a new academic year is starting, itโs time to get it under control.
As someone whose best sleeping conditions involve a dark room and complete silence, university was a far cry from home. Nights out, pre-drinks and loud music playing are common, and while Iโm not one for that kind of thing, it is likely that the quietest part of the night wonโt start until the early hours of the morning, once people have gone to bed or have gone out clubbing etc.
While this year is different as Iโm in private accommodation, rather than halls of residence, Iโm still in a flat surrounded by other accommodation. I had a couple of weekends up in my flat over the summer, and there was a night where I could hear music playing, and even that made my sleep anxiety start to surface. Iโm working hard on managing the fear though, and these tips are some of the coping mechanisms that work for me, and hopefully will help anyone else dealing with similar issues.
Create a Calm Atmosphere
First things first, I always think itโs great to have a calm space to sleep in.ย
I couldnโt be someone who has crazy patterned wallpaper or brightly coloured walls (maybe a nice feature wall, but not the whole room).ย
Fill your room with things that help you relax and that make you happy. Whether thatโs photos of family and friends, some calming posters, or just your favourite duvet cover. Focus on comfort when it comes to your decor.
How to Deal with Noise
Something Iโm guilty of when it comes to sleep is that when I hear a noise, I focus in on it and think that this noise is going to stop me from getting to sleep.
I realised that having this mindset was not helping whatsoever. I needed a strategy to cope with these negative thoughts.
Something Iโm learning to do is view any sound as just something that is happening. Rather than stressing out over it, accept that noise is natural and is part of the atmosphere.
When I stayed at university over the summer, there was one night when the noise levels were high and I felt myself getting stressed. I decided to focus on my breathing though and listen to the music almost as a distraction from my anxiety. I then fell asleep quickly!
You Can Cope With a Few Hours of Sleep
Having a lack of sleep used to worry me. I didnโt want to be really tired the next day or disrupt my sleep pattern.
After 2 years of university and recent nighttime trips to A&E though, Iโve realised that you can still function perfectly fine, even if youโve only managed a few hours of sleep.
Try Getting Up For a Bit
I find that if I canโt get to sleep, staying in bed is bad. I end up tossing and turning and getting myself more stressed.
Try getting up for a bit and doing things to calm your mind.
Have a cup of tea (decaf), read a book, do some cleaning. You may also find that moving around and distracting your mind makes you more tired and sleep comes more naturally.
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Let me know if these tips help you and likewise, what techniques you find useful.
If you continually struggle with your sleep, please go and consult a doctor for advice.
Megan xย
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These are great tips. I’m a light sleeper so any niose wakes me up right away. I have a white noise machine which really seems to help.
I’ve heard about white noise machines. Maybe I should get one!
These are great tips! Usually my trouble now is getting to sleep, so I try to read as much as I can before bed to tire myself out and make myself a hot cup of tea before bed xx
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Thank you! They sound like great ideas! X
I don’t think I would say I have sleep anxiety but I can understand what you mean by it. I can sometimes get stressed that I will be tired if I have a big or important day ahead of me. I always find that getting out of bed for a quick trip to the bathroom and coming back seems to reset it for me. Hope that the noise isn’t too bad in your new uni flat!
Yeah getting up for a bit does help. Thank you!
This post has the perfect timing! Because it is exactly what I have felt lately! Unable to fall asleep, just laying in bed half awake and so worried i might not have enough sleep. Many great tips here. I am always afraid that getting up for a bit might wake me up for good though. But you’re right, tea and book should help!
I see what you mean! Try listening to something to distract you x
Some great tips here, especially about getting up for a bit. My only problem is that when I do, I wake my husband up, so that’s not ideal! I do use earplugs for noise issues as once I hear something, I just cannot tune it out (music, snoring) and I do find that helps. Also reading for 30 minutes before lights out to unwind. Great post, thank you for sharing! Lisa x
Ear plugs have helped me too!
Some great tips here!
I’m terrible with noise when I’m trying to sleep, I ended up with ear plugs.
The worst is that if I have less than two hours I straight up can’t sleep. Like if I wake up at 5 for some water I won’t fall back asleep because my mind is like “it’s not worth it, it’s only 2 hours”.
Getting up out of bed and maybe sitting downstairs for a bit helps – I quickly get bored and find it easier to drift off back in bed.
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Ear plugs help! I find it difficult when I have a time limit but as long as you’re getting rest not sleep then that still helps x
Great tips!
Thank you!
Super handy.
xx
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Thanks!
I really could have done with this post when I was at university! I don’t suffer with sleep anxiety as much now but at uni I had a roommate for two years who was super noisy at 1 in the morning when they went to bed! I was next to the stairs which were super creaky and they would run up and down it, as well as me being next to the water tank which made a loud noise when people used the hot water (even though I told them not to use it late at night they would forget). I ended up going to bed super early just so I would get a couple of hours sleep before they started their nightly noisy routine because I really didn’t want to feel ill from being tired the next day. This is really helpful for people in that situation, I also got some ear plugs which helped a little!
Oh no! My experience was similar in second year. Hope things are better now x