How to Stop Anxious Thoughts at Night​?

After a long day at work, it's hard to fall asleep because your mind won't stop racing with anxious thoughts at night. Anxious thoughts are making it difficult for you to concentrate or find peace of mind.

Often wonder why I have anxious thoughts at night. Let's examine the root of those nagging nighttime worries before we begin coping with the solution.

• Lack of distractions: As the day goes on, you're pretty busy. Work, chores, friends. There's always some activity. But, in the silence of the night? It's just you and your thoughts. I don't wonder why they're so noisy.

• Fatigue aggravates worries: Your body is tired. Your immune system is weak. Suddenly, that little problem at work becomes so overwhelming that you can't think properly. It's your tired mind that creates the imbalance.

• Meeting each other: This long day has been a struggle that you've won. Now the silence of the night also silences the thoughts that were bothering you. It's overwhelming.

• Darkness and uncertainty: The night presents a different aspect of reality. It seems darker. More unstable. Therefore, your worries about the future appear more noticeable in the dark.

Keep in mind that most people have these worries at night. You are not alone in this. Knowing why these worries occur is the first step toward peace at night. Let's find out simple ways to calm your mind and sleep soundly this way.

Ways to stop anxious thoughts at night

1. Fix a bedtime:

You are physically tired, but your relentless thoughts bother you a lot.

Do it like this: An hour before bedtime, turn off your phone. Take a hot shower. The heat relaxes your muscles. As your mind calms down, you feel the fatigue of the day disappear! Your body is so clean, fresh, and light as if you were preparing for a long trip. Next, put on your comfortable pajamas. Turn the pages of a book. Your eyes wanted to hide. You are about to fall asleep.

2. Write down your worries:

One thought follows another in your mind.

Take a notebook. Write down everything that bothers you. You are putting your thoughts down on the pages. You feel lighter. When problems are resolved, they don't seem so tangled. You won't be bothered by them anymore. It's time to relax.

3. Try deep breathing:

There's tension in your chest. You're breathing a little shallow.

Let's do 4-7-8. Inhale 4 times through the nose, and then hold the breath 7 times. Finally, exhale deeply 8 times through the mouth. Watch your stomach move up and down. Your body is relaxing itself. The anxiety miraculously goes away. Take a deep breath and then calm down with each breath after that.

You have many questions in your mind, such as "what if", "why", and "how". Stop for a minute.

Just pay attention to your breathing. Practice mindfulness. Just curious to see your nose taking air in and out. Be a neutral observer, and as thoughts arise, return to your breath. Don't consider the thoughts. Return to your breath. This may feel strange at first, but after a while, you will notice a difference, i.e., your mind will calm down. Your anxiety is no longer as overwhelming as it was in the beginning. You are in the present and not busy thinking about you-know-what.

4. Use guided imagery:

Close your eyes. Think of a beautiful place that relaxes you. Maybe it's the beach. You can hear the sound of the waves on the beach. Now, imagine that you are pressing your feet into the warm sand. Experience the salty smell. You relax and let yourself go into the sand. Your problems are far away on this beach of peace.

5. Progressive muscle relaxation:

Start with your toes. Squeeze them hard. Hold for 5 seconds; then release. Fatigue or stiffness will go away. In the legs, the next time will be for your feet and fingers. Squeeze the muscles and relax each muscle group. On your head, repeat these steps. In the end, you will feel calm and satisfied everywhere.

6. Limit screen time:

Maybe the screen on your phone is the one thing you don't want to miss. Speaking of blue light, this is what keeps your brain awake. Instead of doing this, turn off the lights in your room. You can also light candles in the room. The dim light signals your body to fall asleep. Your eyes feel better. You can turn off your mind, eventually limiting anxious thoughts at night​.

7. Create a comfortable place to sleep:

Look around your room. Does it look dirty? Spend a few minutes cleaning up any clutter in your bedroom. Put clean sheets on the bed and enjoy the fresh air. Set the inside thermostat to a moderate temperature so you don’t feel too hot or too cold. Lie in bed feeling completely comfortable and safe.

8. Challenge your thoughts:

A fear pops up in your mind. Instead of letting it spiral out of control, take a nap of logical thinking: Is it true? What if the worst really does happen? How likely is it?

Our normal perception makes us overthink our fears (especially unwanted anxious thoughts at night​) and makes them seem relatively small in reality. By being doubtful, most of your thoughts will stay as they are, rather than taking over.

9. Try aromatherapy:

Our sense of smell has a huge impact on the way we feel. Put a little oil, such as lavender, on the pillow. When you smell the fresh scent, it has a calming effect, relaxing the muscles. After a while, the restless mind calms down. This unique smell becomes a signal or motivation for your body that you can now sleep.

10. Seek professional help:

If you feel that anxiety is getting severe and interfering with your relationship, academic or professional career, and day-to-day basic life activities, don’t suffer in silence. In such a case, a psychiatrist may be just what you need. Their expertise assists in finding the root cause of your worries and fears without judgment, as well as providing a long-term healing solution to deal with it.

11. Avoid caffeine and alcohol:

That cup of coffee or a shot of beer at noon break seemed like a good idea, but now it keeps you awake. You're feeling a little jittery, and your heart is beating fast, resulting in a booster dose of anxious thoughts at night​.

Try drinking a cup of herbal tea to calm down your anxiety. When you open your eyes, you will be so glad you had a different day.

The Takeaway

Trying to sleep through the night with disturbing and anxious thoughts in your mind is never easy, but still, it is not completely impossible. The truth is that treating yourself well should be the biggest goal. Some nights will be difficult, and some nights will be worse than others. If these remedies do not work for you, it is best to consult an integrative psychiatrist promptly.

It is important to be patient and consistent on this healing path because you may not see any significant changes right away. Always remember that sleep is vital to keeping your body healthy and strengthening your overall health. Putting in the time and effort to deal with night anxiety is truly worth it.