Across the United Kingdom, at least 5.9% of the population are thought to experience anxiety each week.
Although anxiety can affect our lives at various times throughout the day, many individuals find that their anxiety heightens at night time, leaving them feeling increasingly anxious as they settle down for the night and attempt to sleep.
Arising from various factors, when night time anxiety strikes, thoughts, feelings and emotions intensify, causing many to find it increasingly difficult to switch off and relax.
As a result, sleep disorders, such as insomnia, are often experienced.
Our 6 Tips To Tackle Night Time Anxiety
If you experience night time anxiety and find that the quality of your life has become
impaired, it is imperative that you find a suitable way to tackle your night time anxiety.
To help you overcome your night time anxiety, we have shared our top 6 tips to tackle night time anxiety with you below.
1. Understand What Causes Your Night Time Anxiety To Arise
As night time anxiety overwhelms you, it is important to understand what causes your night time anxiety to arise.
For some individuals, night time anxiety arises as a result of stress experienced throughout the day. Others will experience night time anxiety due to changes in their life that are either within or outside of their control.
Failure to understand what causes your night time anxiety to arise could make it difficult for you to address the factors that contribute to your night time anxiety, which is another one of our 6 tips to tackle night time anxiety.
2. Address The Factors That Contribute To Your Night Time Anxiety
As touched on above, in order to overcome night time anxiety, it is vital to understand what causes night time anxiety to arise. In doing so, you will have the ability to address the factors that contribute to your night time anxiety.
As you address the factors that contribute to your night time anxiety, you will have the opportunity to develop coping strategies that will gradually reduce the control that night time anxiety has on your life.
If, for example, you come to understand that stress at work triggers your night time anxiety, addressing this and determining how you can reduce the stress you experience will help you relieve the anxiety that cripples you at night time.
Although addressing the factors that contribute to your night time anxiety may be somewhat tricky, it is vital to do so. If you are unable to address the factors that contribute to your night time anxiety, you will find it difficult to cope with and control your anxiety.
3. Voice Your Worries And Concerns
When night time anxiety emerges, many individuals find that they are crippled with
negative thoughts. When left undealt with, these thoughts spiral, leaving many unable to cope. As a result, it can be challenging to relax and get a good night’s sleep.
As you identify what causes your night time anxiety to arise, voicing your concerns and worries to either a loved one, friend, or mental health professional will help you tackle night time anxiety.
While you may not like the thought of sharing your worries and concerns with others, doing so will help you manage your anxiety and get a better night sleep.
Voicing your worries and concerns will also provide you with the opportunity to seek reassurance from others.
4. Make A Note Of The Factors That Cause You To Experience Night Time Anxiety
As night time anxiety surfaces, it is highly likely that you will find it difficult to ascertain what is causing you to experience the thoughts and feelings you encounter. However, as touched on above, in order to overcome night time anxiety, it is important to understand and address what causes night time anxiety to impair your life.
With this in mind, as and when you experience night time anxiety, journaling or making a note of the thoughts and feelings you encounter will assist you.
Not only will journaling enable you to reflect on your night time anxiety and ascertain what you can do to get the better of it, but it will help you relieve yourself of the feelings encountered.
5. Exercise During The Day
Exercise plays a significant role in improving mental health disorders including anxiety. For this very reason, if you are hoping to tackle night time anxiety, we highly recommend participating in a form of exercise during the day, or right before you go to bed.
Exercise will encourage feel-good endorphins to enhance your mood, which will ultimately reduce the anxiety that you come to experience at night time.
If you decide to exercise before you go to bed, we would recommend considering yoga or meditation. Unlike other forms of exercise, yoga and meditation will improve the quality of your sleep, reduce any anxiety you may encounter and encourage you to relax.
6. Consider The Positives In Your Life
Although the above points will help you tackle night time anxiety, if you struggle with night time anxiety, reflecting on the positives in your life may also help you.
While this is not something that you may have considered, positive reflection will help you defeat your anxiety. This is because positive reflection will help you squash negative thoughts that arise and encourage you to transform your mindset and thinking.
Not only will this leave you optimistic, but it will help you adopt a positive approach to life.
Contact Us For Anxiety Support and Treatment
If, upon employing our 6 tips to tackle night time anxiety, you still find that you are inundated with pessimistic thoughts and feelings at night time, there is help and support available for you to take advantage of.
Should you find yourself ready to seek professional support, here at Addiction Advocates, we can assist you in securing treatment for your anxiety at a suitable rehab in the United Kingdom.
To find out more about the treatment available and the facilities that can provide treatment for night time anxiety, please call us on 0800 012 6088. Our helpline is open 24 hours a day.
Sources
https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Key-Facts-and-Figures-2019.pdf