Nighttime Anxiety and Tips For Better Rest

If you struggle with anxiety at night, you may have racing thoughts, headaches, or insomnia that prevents restful sleep. When anxiety consistently interrupts your nighttime routine, you may even notice your performance slipping at work or catch yourself getting irritated with the people closest to you. You’re not the only one. 

Many teens and adults experience heightened nocturnal anxiety that disrupts their ability to rest and recharge. Fortunately, finding relief is possible, and Miramont Behavioral Health in Wisconsin is here to support individuals struggling with anxiety-induced sleep challenges.

How Anxiety Impacts Sleep

Anxiety and rest often seem to work against each other. When anxiety starts to build at night, it can trigger the body’s stress responses, and symptoms can be different for everyone:

• Feelings of foreboding, like something terrible is going to happen
• Quicker heart rate or chest pain
• Throat tightening or shortness of breath
• Dizziness, chills, sweats, or hot flashes
• Stomach or headaches

These stress responses can also interfere with the full cycles of deep sleep that we all need to heal, stay strong and healthy while fighting infections, and store memories properly. If you have a common anxiety disorder like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or you suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you may experience sleep deprivation even more intensely.

Causes of Nighttime Anxiety

Nighttime anxiety isn’t a separate type of anxiety, but it may feel more intense without daytime distractions. Nocturnal anxiety may also feel more isolating, as you may be alone at home or sharing a room with someone who is already fast asleep and unaware that you’re struggling to find rest. Several other factors can contribute to these anxious feelings at night:

• Stimulants like caffeine consumed late in the day can cause restlessness at night.
• Substance use that might affect your body’s hormonal outputs.
• Nightmares or flashbacks linked to past trauma may start to surface at night when the brain sifts through memories.
• Health concerns or negative parts of the day become more noticeable during quiet hours.
• Life stressors, such as financial strain or work pressures, that weigh heavily on the mind.
• Long-held beliefs that rest is for the weak or undeserved. 

Tips for Getting Better Sleep

The techniques that can overcome nighttime anxiety vary from person to person, but one of the strategies below might help you take steps to reduce anxious thoughts and get better rest.

• Try to get exercise every day. Movement helps regulate anxiety and stress hormones. When you get regular physical activity, you train your body to release mood-boosting, calming chemicals that help relax the body for bedtime. To start, try completing 30 minutes of movement daily—but avoid high-intensity exercise just before sleeping. Getting too physical too close to bedtime might keep you wired for hours. 
• Create a consistent sleep routine. The brain and body work best with consistency, especially when it comes to sleep. Create your own relaxation routine, personalized with your favorite nighttime activities: reading, journaling, stretching, taking a bubble bath or hot shower with low-intensity music, and stick to it. In Waukesha and Middleton, Wisconsin, many people benefit from setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time to improve their sleep habits.
• Cut caffeine and sugar before bed. Stimulants like caffeine and sugar might be causing the uptick in nighttime anxiety or the disruptions that keep plaguing your sleep. Try to avoid ingredients and drinks high in sugar and caffeine at least 4-6 hours before your head hits the pillow. Opt for calming herbal teas, water, or other caffeine-free beverages in the evening instead.
• Power down electronics and shut off screens. The blue light that phones, tablets, TVs, and other devices give off can interfere with your body’s melatonin production. Melatonin helps regulate sleep, so you may have trouble getting into bedtime mode when it doesn’t fire off properly. Power down electronics at least an hour before bed and use that time to focus on calming activities like journaling, meditation, or reading a book.
• Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Although alcohol might initially make you feel drowsy, it has negative effects on your sleep patterns and can worsen anxiety. Nicotine, on the other hand, acts as a stimulant—like caffeine or soda and can keep you awake. Avoiding these substances in the evening improves your ability to stay asleep for the full time your body needs.

Get Support for Nighttime Anxiety in Wisconsin

If nighttime anxiety consistently interferes with your ability to sleep, it may be time to seek professional support. Miramont Behavioral Health facilities in both Middleton and Waukesha provide evidence-based therapies and treatments designed to help you or your family members. Living with nighttime anxiety can feel isolating, but you don’t have to face it alone. Contact us today to get started!