I am writing this short article in March 2023, right in the midst of what we are all referring to as a “cost of living crisis”.
The price of heating your home has skyrocketed, food inflation is at 14%, interest rates are at their highest for 25 years – lots of reasons for people to feel anxiety about what the short term future holds.
One of the problems with anxiety is the effect that it has on sleeping patterns. In short, it keeps us awake creating a knock on effect into the following day.
If you have never experienced this cycle then you are unusual – in a good way – but the normal sequence of events looks quite like this.
Go To Bed at the normal time
Start to think over events of the day
Racing thoughts prevent sleep
Lack of sleep causes fatigue and anxiety
So….What are some of the ways that you can tackle the shortfall in sleep that anxiety brings?
Here is a link to an article in City Mattress which has some useful suggestions on how to avoid anxiety interrupted sleep.
But….The experts all seem to aim at one piece of advice: Create the best sleeping environment that you can and then wind yourself down so that by the time your head hits the pillow you are ready for restful sleep.
This winding down process involves.
- Avoid caffeine, exercise and mind stimulating activities (Celebrity Catch Phrase??) for the final 2 hours before you sleep.
- Do not use electronic devices while in bed.
- Create a comfortable sleeping environment – a nice duvet of the right weight. A mattress with a pressure relieving sleeping surface and temperature management. A pillow that doesn’t require constant adjustment
A good night sleep is important in the avoidance of anxiety, and a fresh and clear mind is important in dealing with the trials and challenges of life.
Sleep well.