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Restful Mind, Peaceful Heart: Navigating Anxiety-Related Sleep Concerns
- Jessicah Walker Herche, PhD, HSPP
- May 21, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 27
It is quite common for an anxious client to come to therapy with sleep concerns. Often, anxiety interferes with restful sleep, which in turn leads to increased anxiety symptoms because of sleep deprivation. Some people have a difficult time falling asleep and report that, as soon as their head hits the pillow, racing thoughts zoom around in their mind. Others report waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to return to sleep due to myriad thoughts, intrusive or otherwise, that will not turn off. And then there are those who feel as if they barely sleep at all because they struggle to fall into a deep sleep. Any type of anxiety-related sleep concern can generate a negative circuit of sleeplessness, stress, and worry.
Committing to healthy sleep habits can help reduce anxiety-related sleep concerns, although it is important to seek professional help if you need support in managing sleep issues.
Our sleep routine begins long before our head hits the pillow.
Here is a list of ways our choices during the day impact restful sleep at night:
Caffeine has a 6-hour half life. That energy drink you drank around 3pm to help you rock out the last few hours of work…you may still be feeling amped up several hours later because of caffeine’s 6-hour half life.
Alcohol blocks REM sleep. The glass (or two) of cab sav at dinner, which was oh so good, might make you feel drowsy and put you to sleep earlier than you intended. But you just might have lousy sleep the rest of the night and wake up feeling quite unrefreshed. This is because alcohol blocks REM sleep, which is considered the most restorative type of sleep.
Blue light from screens (phones, tablets, laptops) can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, especially with prolonged or close-up exposure. For many people, this makes it harder to fall asleep. Limiting screen time for 1–2 hours before bed or using blue-light blocking glasses can help.
However, for others, calming screen-based activities—like watching a favorite show or listening to a soothing podcast—can signal safety and relaxation. If screens help you unwind, choose low-stimulation content, dim the brightness, and maintain some distance (like watching TV from across the room rather than scrolling on your phone in bed).
Spicy food, intense exercise, and horror films. What do these three things have in common? Well, they might be making it difficult for your body to feel calm and fall asleep at night. These are a few of our favorite things, but sadly they also might be getting in the way of sleeping well. If at all possible:
Avoid intense workouts a couple of hours before bedtime.
Avoid watching startling movies, listening to scary podcasts, or reading frightening books right before bedtime.
Avoid foods that cause indigestion (e.g., spicy food, citrus fruit, coffee, etc.) if this is a problem for you.
As with any change, it’s not just about eliminating barriers to achieving your goal, it is also about adding what enhances your ability to attain your goal.
Here are some helpful sleep suggestions to begin incorporating:
Use a weighted blanket.
Consider using a grounding sheet on your bed as there is some evidence to suggest it may boost your sleep.
Exercise earlier in the day.
Experiment with herbal teas - such as chamomile, passionflower, valerian, lavender, and lemon balm - or essential oils to find which one makes you sleepy.
Go to sleep and wake up around the same time (plus or minus an hour) every day, even on the weekends.
Sun gaze in the morning and watch the sunset at night to help regulate your circadian rhythms.
Consider discussing with your physician adding supplements that encourage restful sleep (e.g., magnesium, valerian, GABA, melatonin).
Track your sleep with wrist or ring wearables or other sleep-supportive devices to better understand your sleep length and quality.
Practice progressive muscle relaxation strategies or mindfulness as part of your consistent bedtime routine.
Making the following environmental changes could also improve your sleep:
Make your bedroom dark by tightly closing the blinds or curtains.
Consider using black-out curtains in the room you sleep.
Turn on a fan to keep the temperature of your bedroom cooler.
Set the thermostat to automatically create a cooler temperature during your sleeping hours.
Use a white noise machine in your bedroom to block noise.
If you’re awake for more than 15–20 minutes, try not to stay in bed.
Lying awake for long periods can teach your brain to associate your bed with wakefulness rather than rest. Instead, get up and do something calming in low light—like reading a physical book or listening to soft music. When you feel drowsy, return to bed and try again.
Ready to Reclaim Restful Sleep?
If falling or staying asleep feels stressful—or if the pressure to “get enough sleep” is creating more anxiety—you don’t have to navigate this alone. Sometimes, sleep challenges are linked to underlying anxiety or even past trauma that keeps the nervous system on high alert.
Working with a skilled anxiety therapist in Fishers & Carmel, IN can help you calm racing thoughts, regulate your body, and build healthier sleep patterns. If you’d like to take the next step, learn more about our approach to anxiety therapy or schedule a consultation today—we’d be honored to support you in finding the peace (and rest) you deserve.
For more insights, explore our guide on why meditation can sometimes increase anxiety—and what to do instead.
*Please note: If you are plagued with chronic insomnia or other complex sleep issues, see a sleep specialist. You are worth getting good sleep.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional psychological care, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
