Do you ever find yourself struggling to fall asleep, let alone stay asleep due to feeling stressed or anxious?
Everyone experiences the odd disturbed sleep from time to time. Though, when the issue is becoming chronic it can soon impact other areas of your life too. Over time, a lack of sleep can cause serious physical and mental health problems, which is why now is the time to tackle the issue once and for all.
Here are our top tips to help overcome anxiety or stress from ruining your sleep.
Pinpoint The Source Of The Issue
Some causes of anxiety or stress are going to be obvious, though this isn’t always the case.
Think about everything you have going on in your life, along with any events from your past that are still causing you to feel anxious or stressed.
Identifying the underlying causes for how you are feeling is essential because you can’t tackle the issue unless you know exactly what you are dealing with.
Some people struggle to sleep because of financial worries, relationship difficulties or a poor work/life balance. There is help and support available for each of these issues not to mention many others, and getting the input of an expert could make all the difference.
Learn How To Switch Off
If you’ve ever watched a marathon, you’ll know that those involved – particularly the elite athletes – will train for months if not years in advance. That’s because turning up on the day with no preparation isn’t a recipe for success.
When we use this analogy in terms of your sleep, you need to ask yourself whether the 2-3 hours before you hit the hay are spent helping you to wind down, or if they are actually riling you up to the point where sleep will become impossible.
We mention screens a lot on this blog, simply because the likes of watching Netflix, scrolling through social media or checking those work emails keep your brain alert, instead of helping it to switch off. Where stress and anxiety are concerned, you rarely hear experts citing screens as a remedy for such conditions, and there’s a reason for that!
Instead, you need to learn how to leave the day behind you, which may even involve planning for the day ahead so that your thoughts can switch off. The likes of exercise (especially yoga or pilates), running a hot bath, sitting down for a meal with your family or reading a book before bed can all help to calm your mind.
Embrace Nature
The answer to our stress and worries can often be found in nature, that is if we can tear ourselves away from our screens and indoor life in general to experience it.
From time spent in the garden to a walk on the beach or a forest – our minds can benefit immensely from what nature has to offer us.
If you haven’t already, take a look at your location on Google Maps to see where your nearest nature hotspots are and plan a visit there. Ideally, aim for one day spent in nature per week, even if it’s a quick dog walk.
For those who want to go one step further, why not book an Airbnb in a secluded location? We can promise it will feel more of a relief than it might sound to be disconnected from the internet for a while.
Speak To A Therapist
Anxiety and stress aren’t always easy to tackle, regardless of some of the diet and lifestyle measures you try.
If things still aren’t resolving, then speaking to a trained professional should be your first port of call. Thankfully, attitudes towards mental health are improving here in the UK, and many online therapy apps have made it easier than ever to speak to someone, even without having to leave the house.
Compared with allowing those thoughts to continue to swim around your head unchecked, you’ll be glad to have gained a different perspective. Plus, you’ll learn some vital coping strategies so that you don’t have to continue to suffer, especially if you aren’t sleeping either.
Supplements For Better Sleep
Alongside addressing the above points, another way you can enhance your sleep quality and quantity is through supplementation. That’s because by supporting your system from the inside, any deficiencies which may be causing or exacerbating your symptoms can be addressed.
Optml is a two step system consisting of Rise and Rest. Our Rest formula is abundant in ingredients that can help you get a better night’s sleep, including chamomile flower, lavender flower and ashwagandha root extract. In the day, Rise will help support your energy levels, so that you can feel more alert, rather than feeling so at night because you cannot sleep!
Try Optml today and enjoy free delivery on your order.