12 Tips for Better Sleep With Anxiety

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnxiety and Sleep12 Ways to Sleep Better With Anxiety

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Anxiety and Sleep

12 Ways to Sleep Better With Anxiety

Sleep disturbances are extremely common throughout the population. Many individuals have troublesleepingat night, which impacts their quality of life and psychological well-being tremendously.

One study explained that “sleep disturbances encompass various potentially overlapping symptoms and disorders includinginsomnia, hypersomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, circadian rhythm disturbances, and extrinsic sleep disorders (related to insufficient sleep and sleep hygiene)”.

Good sleep hygieneis associated with positive well-being. It is restorative because it helps the body to regenerate after a full day. It also allows an individual to remain healthy and establish a balanced mood.

Sleep is associated with neurophysiological activity and helps maintain a healthy metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory system.This aids in protecting the body from chronic conditions like diabetes andhigh blood pressure. Poor sleep can also affectcognitiveabilities and everyday functioning.

Anxietymay have a major impact on sleep quality. Those who are prone to experiencing severe anxiety might find it difficult to sleep at night. Difficulties sleeping are actually correlated with anxiety symptoms.

Sleep is often a symptom of certain anxiety disorders. It is actually a diagnostic symptom for disorders likegeneralized anxiety disorder(GAD) andpost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).

There is comorbidity with sleep disorders, like insomnia, and anxiety disorders. There is no clear understanding if one condition triggers the other. Lack of sleep itself can, however, cause anxiety to set in, and there is a great likelihood of anxiety affecting sleep hygiene.

Researchersbelieve both anxiety and sleep difficulties contribute to each other, producing a cycle ofsleep deprivationand anxiety symptoms.

Sleep dysfunction and anxietyboth have negative impacts onmentaland physical health. They both may cause fatigue and stress while impacting psychological well-being, cognition as well as the immune and central nervous systems. There is also a link between sleep dysfunctions and chronic illnesses.

A population survey exploring the relationship between anxiety disorders and sleep found that 24% to 36% of those with an anxiety disorder had symptoms of insomnia, and 27% to 42% reported symptoms of hypersomnia.

Sleep Quiz: How Well Are You Sleeping?

The following are interventions for helping develop better sleep hygiene when prone to experiencing symptoms of anxiety:

What You Can Do Before You Go to Bed

Let’s take a look at some activities you can do before you sleep that can help you get better rest:

Mindful MomentNeed a breather? Take this free2-minute meditation to help you fall asleep—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Mindful Moment

Need a breather? Take this free2-minute meditation to help you fall asleep—or choose from ourguided meditation libraryto find another one that will help you feel your best.

Dietary Habits to Promote Better Sleep

Below are some dietary tips you can employ that may help promote better sleep hygiene.

Refrain From Eating Three Hours Before Bedtime

It takes the body time to digest food after eating, which causes the metabolism to operate at night when the body is attempting to rest.

If you feel a need to eat before bed make sure it is something light that wouldn’t delay sleep. For example, consuming anything withcaffeinein it will make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Try Supplements That Promote Relaxation

Dietary supplements likemagnesium,melatonin, andashwagandhaare sometimes used to help calm the mind and body and settle the nerves.

Melatonin is one of the most popular dietary supplements used to help with sleep. In a review of multiple studies, researchers found melatonin to benefit the sleep quality of those with sleeping disorders.

Melatonin helped individuals to fall asleep quicker and remain asleep longer.Melatonin was not as effective as certain sleep medications, but some individuals would rather try a supplement for sleep before resorting to sleeping medication that may have side effects.

Unfortunately, supplements like melatonin andashwagandhamay not benefit every person and could cause a reverse effect that negatively impacts sleep, anxiety, and depression.

Try Herbal Tea

Herbal tea can help with relaxation and stress relief. While reviewing a variety of studies regarding the health benefits of herbal teas, researchers found that chamomile and lavender improve sleep quality.

Chamomile is one of the most popular teas that people drink before bedtime to help them fall asleep. An experimental study examining the effect of chamomile tea on sleep quality in women withpostpartum depression, found this tea to improve both sleep and depression symptoms.

Optimize Your Environment For Better Sleep

Ensuring that your sleeping environment is peaceful can help promote a better night’s sleep. Here are some ways you can create a healthy sleep environment:

Relaxation Techniques to Try

If you’re looking to get your body and mind relaxed before bed, here are some techniques you can try:

Takeaway

If you are someone who finds it difficult to get quality sleep due to anxiety, consider trying the interventions mentioned in this article. It may be best to consult your physician before including a new dietary supplement in your daily routine.

Not every supplement works the same for everyone so there is a possibility that certain supplements or medications can have a negative effect on anxiety and make it more difficult to sleep. Your physician or amental health professionalcan also help in deciding whether sleep or anxiety medication is a good option for you.

The 4 Major Classes of Anxiety Medication

17 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alvaro PK, Roberts RM, Harris JK.A Systematic Review Assessing Bidirectionality between Sleep Disturbances, Anxiety, and Depression.Sleep. 2013;36(7):1059-1068. Published 2013 Jul 1. doi:10.5665/sleep.2810Loft M. Cameron L.The importance of sleep: Relationships between sleep quality and work demands, the prioritization of sleep and pre-sleep arousal in day-time employees.Work & Stress. 2014;28(3):289–304. doi:10.1080/02678373.2014.935523Rodéhn M.The importance of sleep.Nurs Stand. 1999;13(24):44-47. doi:10.7748/ns1999.03.13.24.44.c7485Staner L.Sleep and anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2003;5(3):249-258. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2003.5.3/lstanerKang JH. Chen SC.Effects of an irregular bedtime schedule on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue among university students in Taiwan.BMC Public Health. 2009;248(9).doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-248Khalsa SB.Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries.Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004;29(4):269-278. doi:10.1007/s10484-004-0387-0Walsh NA, Rodriguez N, Repa LM, King E, Garland SN.Associations between device use before bed, mood disturbance, and insomnia symptoms in young adults.Sleep Health. 2020;6(6):822-827. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2020.04.004Kinsey AW, Ormsbee MJ.The health impact of nighttime eating: old and new perspectives.Nutrients. 2015;7(4):2648-2662. Published 2015 Apr 9. doi:10.3390/nu7042648Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D.Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study.Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466. Published 2019 Dec 25. doi:10.7759/cureus.6466Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH.Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e63773. Published 2013 May 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063773Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, Goodwin FK.Negative effects of melatonin on depression.Am J Psychiatry. 1976;133(10):1181-1186. doi:10.1176/ajp.133.10.1181Poswal FS, Russell G, Mackonochie M, MacLennan E, Adukwu EC, Rolfe V.Herbal Teas and their Health Benefits: A Scoping Review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2019;74(3):266-276. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00750-wChang SM, Chen CH.Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial.J Adv Nurs. 2016;72(2):306-315. doi:10.1111/jan.12836Bion V, Lowe AS, Puthucheary Z, Montgomery H.Reducing sound and light exposure to improve sleep on the adult intensive care unit: An inclusive narrative review.J Intensive Care Soc. 2018;19(2):138-146. doi:10.1177/1751143717740803Lai HL, Good M.Music improves sleep quality in older adults.J Adv Nurs. 2005;49(3):234-244. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03281.xKaradag E, Samancioglu S, Ozden D, Bakir E.Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients.Nurs Crit Care. 2017;22(2):105-112. doi:10.1111/nicc.12198Nanthakwang N. Siviroj P. Matanasarawoot A. Sapbamrer R.Effectiveness of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music too improve sleep quality and quality of life in older adults.The Open Public Health Journal. 2020;13(1):232-239.

17 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alvaro PK, Roberts RM, Harris JK.A Systematic Review Assessing Bidirectionality between Sleep Disturbances, Anxiety, and Depression.Sleep. 2013;36(7):1059-1068. Published 2013 Jul 1. doi:10.5665/sleep.2810Loft M. Cameron L.The importance of sleep: Relationships between sleep quality and work demands, the prioritization of sleep and pre-sleep arousal in day-time employees.Work & Stress. 2014;28(3):289–304. doi:10.1080/02678373.2014.935523Rodéhn M.The importance of sleep.Nurs Stand. 1999;13(24):44-47. doi:10.7748/ns1999.03.13.24.44.c7485Staner L.Sleep and anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2003;5(3):249-258. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2003.5.3/lstanerKang JH. Chen SC.Effects of an irregular bedtime schedule on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue among university students in Taiwan.BMC Public Health. 2009;248(9).doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-248Khalsa SB.Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries.Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004;29(4):269-278. doi:10.1007/s10484-004-0387-0Walsh NA, Rodriguez N, Repa LM, King E, Garland SN.Associations between device use before bed, mood disturbance, and insomnia symptoms in young adults.Sleep Health. 2020;6(6):822-827. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2020.04.004Kinsey AW, Ormsbee MJ.The health impact of nighttime eating: old and new perspectives.Nutrients. 2015;7(4):2648-2662. Published 2015 Apr 9. doi:10.3390/nu7042648Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D.Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study.Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466. Published 2019 Dec 25. doi:10.7759/cureus.6466Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH.Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e63773. Published 2013 May 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063773Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, Goodwin FK.Negative effects of melatonin on depression.Am J Psychiatry. 1976;133(10):1181-1186. doi:10.1176/ajp.133.10.1181Poswal FS, Russell G, Mackonochie M, MacLennan E, Adukwu EC, Rolfe V.Herbal Teas and their Health Benefits: A Scoping Review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2019;74(3):266-276. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00750-wChang SM, Chen CH.Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial.J Adv Nurs. 2016;72(2):306-315. doi:10.1111/jan.12836Bion V, Lowe AS, Puthucheary Z, Montgomery H.Reducing sound and light exposure to improve sleep on the adult intensive care unit: An inclusive narrative review.J Intensive Care Soc. 2018;19(2):138-146. doi:10.1177/1751143717740803Lai HL, Good M.Music improves sleep quality in older adults.J Adv Nurs. 2005;49(3):234-244. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03281.xKaradag E, Samancioglu S, Ozden D, Bakir E.Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients.Nurs Crit Care. 2017;22(2):105-112. doi:10.1111/nicc.12198Nanthakwang N. Siviroj P. Matanasarawoot A. Sapbamrer R.Effectiveness of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music too improve sleep quality and quality of life in older adults.The Open Public Health Journal. 2020;13(1):232-239.

Alvaro PK, Roberts RM, Harris JK.A Systematic Review Assessing Bidirectionality between Sleep Disturbances, Anxiety, and Depression.Sleep. 2013;36(7):1059-1068. Published 2013 Jul 1. doi:10.5665/sleep.2810Loft M. Cameron L.The importance of sleep: Relationships between sleep quality and work demands, the prioritization of sleep and pre-sleep arousal in day-time employees.Work & Stress. 2014;28(3):289–304. doi:10.1080/02678373.2014.935523Rodéhn M.The importance of sleep.Nurs Stand. 1999;13(24):44-47. doi:10.7748/ns1999.03.13.24.44.c7485Staner L.Sleep and anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2003;5(3):249-258. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2003.5.3/lstanerKang JH. Chen SC.Effects of an irregular bedtime schedule on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue among university students in Taiwan.BMC Public Health. 2009;248(9).doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-248Khalsa SB.Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries.Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004;29(4):269-278. doi:10.1007/s10484-004-0387-0Walsh NA, Rodriguez N, Repa LM, King E, Garland SN.Associations between device use before bed, mood disturbance, and insomnia symptoms in young adults.Sleep Health. 2020;6(6):822-827. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2020.04.004Kinsey AW, Ormsbee MJ.The health impact of nighttime eating: old and new perspectives.Nutrients. 2015;7(4):2648-2662. Published 2015 Apr 9. doi:10.3390/nu7042648Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D.Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study.Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466. Published 2019 Dec 25. doi:10.7759/cureus.6466Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH.Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e63773. Published 2013 May 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063773Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, Goodwin FK.Negative effects of melatonin on depression.Am J Psychiatry. 1976;133(10):1181-1186. doi:10.1176/ajp.133.10.1181Poswal FS, Russell G, Mackonochie M, MacLennan E, Adukwu EC, Rolfe V.Herbal Teas and their Health Benefits: A Scoping Review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2019;74(3):266-276. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00750-wChang SM, Chen CH.Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial.J Adv Nurs. 2016;72(2):306-315. doi:10.1111/jan.12836Bion V, Lowe AS, Puthucheary Z, Montgomery H.Reducing sound and light exposure to improve sleep on the adult intensive care unit: An inclusive narrative review.J Intensive Care Soc. 2018;19(2):138-146. doi:10.1177/1751143717740803Lai HL, Good M.Music improves sleep quality in older adults.J Adv Nurs. 2005;49(3):234-244. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03281.xKaradag E, Samancioglu S, Ozden D, Bakir E.Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients.Nurs Crit Care. 2017;22(2):105-112. doi:10.1111/nicc.12198Nanthakwang N. Siviroj P. Matanasarawoot A. Sapbamrer R.Effectiveness of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music too improve sleep quality and quality of life in older adults.The Open Public Health Journal. 2020;13(1):232-239.

Loft M. Cameron L.The importance of sleep: Relationships between sleep quality and work demands, the prioritization of sleep and pre-sleep arousal in day-time employees.Work & Stress. 2014;28(3):289–304. doi:10.1080/02678373.2014.935523

Rodéhn M.The importance of sleep.Nurs Stand. 1999;13(24):44-47. doi:10.7748/ns1999.03.13.24.44.c7485

Staner L.Sleep and anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2003;5(3):249-258. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2003.5.3/lstaner

Kang JH. Chen SC.Effects of an irregular bedtime schedule on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue among university students in Taiwan.BMC Public Health. 2009;248(9).doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-248

Khalsa SB.Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: a preliminary study with sleep-wake diaries.Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004;29(4):269-278. doi:10.1007/s10484-004-0387-0

Walsh NA, Rodriguez N, Repa LM, King E, Garland SN.Associations between device use before bed, mood disturbance, and insomnia symptoms in young adults.Sleep Health. 2020;6(6):822-827. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2020.04.004

Kinsey AW, Ormsbee MJ.The health impact of nighttime eating: old and new perspectives.Nutrients. 2015;7(4):2648-2662. Published 2015 Apr 9. doi:10.3390/nu7042648

Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D.Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study.Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466. Published 2019 Dec 25. doi:10.7759/cureus.6466

Ferracioli-Oda E, Qawasmi A, Bloch MH.Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.PLoS One. 2013;8(5):e63773. Published 2013 May 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063773

Carman JS, Post RM, Buswell R, Goodwin FK.Negative effects of melatonin on depression.Am J Psychiatry. 1976;133(10):1181-1186. doi:10.1176/ajp.133.10.1181

Poswal FS, Russell G, Mackonochie M, MacLennan E, Adukwu EC, Rolfe V.Herbal Teas and their Health Benefits: A Scoping Review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2019;74(3):266-276. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00750-w

Chang SM, Chen CH.Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial.J Adv Nurs. 2016;72(2):306-315. doi:10.1111/jan.12836

Bion V, Lowe AS, Puthucheary Z, Montgomery H.Reducing sound and light exposure to improve sleep on the adult intensive care unit: An inclusive narrative review.J Intensive Care Soc. 2018;19(2):138-146. doi:10.1177/1751143717740803

Lai HL, Good M.Music improves sleep quality in older adults.J Adv Nurs. 2005;49(3):234-244. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03281.x

Karadag E, Samancioglu S, Ozden D, Bakir E.Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients.Nurs Crit Care. 2017;22(2):105-112. doi:10.1111/nicc.12198

Nanthakwang N. Siviroj P. Matanasarawoot A. Sapbamrer R.Effectiveness of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music too improve sleep quality and quality of life in older adults.The Open Public Health Journal. 2020;13(1):232-239.

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What You Can Do Before You Go to Bed#

Mindful Moment#

Dietary Habits to Promote Better Sleep#

Optimize Your Environment For Better Sleep#

Relaxation Techniques to Try#

Takeaway#