Tips to Improve Sleep and Manage Anxiety

You’re ready for bed. The television is off, the room is comfortable, and you’ve settled down for the night. Yet when your head hits the pillow, your mind begins racing. Did you remember to do that thing? Should you have really said that to your mother-in-law? How are you going to afford that car repair?

Sleep and feelings of anxiety often go hand in hand. It’s a truly circular problem. Feelings of anxiety can cause you to be unable to sleep and loss of sleep can increase anxiety. For some, the anxiety is only temporary and is helped with mindful meditation practices. For others, those diagnosed with anxiety, they may need additional treatment.

If you want to try and nip anxiety in the bud and start getting more sleep, we have some helpful suggestions.

Which comes first?

As we’ve already hinted at, trouble sleeping can lead to anxiety and that anxiety can lead to trouble sleeping. Because the problem is circular and the relationship between sleep and anxiety is strong, you may want to talk to your doctor about your sleep issues. Treating just the sleep problems without addressing the anxiety is unlikely to have any lasting impact.

Treatment Options

There are several treatment options to help you manage your anxiety. Your physician may refer you to a sleep specialist to get a better idea of the problem. You may also be referred to someone for cognitive and behavioral therapy and your doctor may combine that with medication.

Once you’ve spoken with your doctor and have a treatment plan in place, you can also try the following tips to help get your sleep cycle back on track.

Get moving.

Exercising in the morning or the afternoon may just prime you for a restful night’s sleep. It has also been shown to help with anxiety, depression, and even sleep apnea. Try not to exercise too close to bedtime, though. The adrenaline and endorphins that are released can keep you awake.

Use cannabis oil.

Cannabis oil or dried flower cannabis can actually help you get to sleep. While CBD is getting all the attention for its medical applications, it is THC that is responsible for getting to sleep. If you don’t want to smoke, choose a cannabis oil that has a mixture of CBD and THC, or buy a pre-filled vapor pen. If you prefer dried herb, choose a dry herb vaporizer. You may have to experiment, but start with strains with under 20 percent THC.

Calm your mind.

Learning how to practice certain breathing techniques, mindful meditation, and even yoga can help you get into the frame of mind that welcomes sleep. Mindful meditation is a practice where you consciously ban all anxious thoughts to be dealt with at a later time. It’s best to learn these techniques earlier in the day so that you’re not stressed trying to learn a new skill at bedtime.

L-theanine (Green Tea)

Green tea contains an amino acid called l-theanine, which helps to promote a restful sleep while helping to reduce anxiety and stress. Keep in mind, however, that regular green tea contains high amounts of caffeine, so try and stick to decaffeinated varieties.

Set a routine—and stick to it!

The amount of light during day and night helps to set our internal clocks. Making sure you get outside for at least 30 minutes a day can help keep our body clocks tuned. Set a bedtime and a wakeup time, and stick to it—even on weekends. Once your body is used to sleeping and rising at a certain time, getting to sleep is easier.

There are many ways that you can help yourself to bust anxiety and get your beauty sleep. Try a few of these and see how they work for you.