How to Sleep With Anxiety and Depression
Trying to figure out how to sleep with anxiety and depression? Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for a healthy mind and a healthy body. After all, when you wake up in the morning, the day is already throwing things at you that you have to be ready to handle.
When you are tired, just getting out of bed feels impossible. Even more so if you are bound up by anxiety and depression. You may feel as if you are climbing the world’s largest mountain without any arms or legs before you have even lifted your head up from the pillow.
Living life with anxiety and depression is already hard enough. But trying to do it without proper sleep can be too much. So, the best thing to do is to create sleep habits that will encourage good, quality sleep that will equip you to face the day with a clear, empowered mind.
What are Anxiety and Depression?
Anxiety and depression often go hand-in-hand though they are two very distinct mental health disorders.
Signs of Anxiety
- Brain fog or inability to concentrate
- Feelings of impending doom
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Feeling overwhelmed with fear and worry
Signs of Depression
- Hopelessness
- Fatigue, lack of energy
- Pessimistic attitude
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
- Feelings of worthlessness and/or helplessness
- Unable to make decisions
- Forgetfulness
- Feelings of guilt
- Appetite changes
- Anger and frustration
Symptom of both anxiety and depression includes difficulty sleeping or disrupted sleep patterns. This leaves many wondering how to sleep with anxiety and depression.
Why Anxiety Appears at Night
The world around you gets quiet at night. Everything slows down and distractions disappear. This is a prime time for worries and thoughts to start firing through the brain at a rapid pace, making it near impossible for the mind to relax and for sleep to be induced.
When you can’t sleep, your anxiety increases. When you don’t have enough sleep, it is harder to manage your anxiety. This can turn into a battle that is hard to conquer without the right attention and treatment.
Why You Get More Depressed at Night
Those who suffer from depression find that its symptoms are more prevalent at night after the sun goes down. There are a few reasons why this may happen. For instance, like with anxiety, the world is quiet. You won’t have the distractions that appear throughout the day and, instead, are faced with your own thoughts. You may also be too tired to enjoy evening activities after a long day at work. This can lead to isolation or loneliness and only exacerbate your depression symptoms. Not feeling good about what you got accomplished during the day can also worsen depression symptoms.
In the stillness of the night, you have nothing to do but dwell on these things.
Unfortunately, without a good night’s sleep, handling your depression the next day can be a real challenge. Before you know it, you may be thrown into a vicious cycle.
Importance of Getting Enough Quality Sleep
Sleep is essential for your overall health and well-being. In fact, it is just as important as getting enough exercise and eating all the right foods. Without it, your body can be at risk for many health issues – including anxiety and depression.
When you implement better sleep habits and actually get enough quality sleep, you reap the benefits, including:
- Better cognitive function
- Reduced chance of heart disease
- Lower risk of depression and anxiety
- Boosted immune system
- Greater chance of maintaining healthy relationships
- Less difficulty achieving emotional regulation
When you sleep well, you feel better – refreshed and in control. And that makes it easier to handle every challenge you face throughout the day.
In all, it doesn’t matter whether sleep deprivation is the cause of your anxiety and depression or the result of it, getting better sleep can give you greater strength to handle your mental health.
Tips for Better Sleep
If you want to give yourself the greatest chance of healing, then it is time to start improving your sleep habits. If you’re wondering how to sleep with anxiety and depression, taking steps on your own to adjust your routine and patterns can have a ripple effect when it comes to your mental health. No, better sleep alone will not cause your anxiety and depression to instantly dissipate, but it can give you a greater sense of control to overcome it with treatment.
Here are a few tips for better sleep with anxiety and depression that you can begin implementing today!
Stick to a Sleep Pattern
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will help to set your circadian rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and sleep through the night.
Cut Out the Light
Whether you have to sleep during the day or have outside light seeping through your window at night, it is time to cut out the light. You can do this by investing in room darkening curtains and/or a sleep mask. Oh, and this means it is time to let go of that night light, too.
End Screen Time Early
Looking at a screen, including your tv, phone, tablet, or other electronic devices can have a negative impact on your sleep. The blue light emitted from these things has the ability to reduce the body’s release of melatonin – a hormone that promotes sleep.
Meditation and Journaling
To help reduce worries and ruminating thoughts, try meditation or journaling before bed. Let go of the negative energy and replace it with positive, peaceful thoughts.
Work With Your Body, Not Against It
If you are genuinely a night owl and find that your time to shine is when the sun goes down, don’t try to fight it. If possible, create a routine that allows you to relish in the darkness and sleep enough during the day.
Treat Anxiety and Depression at Amend Treatment
Are you struggling with anxiety and depression? Has your sleep been disrupted with thoughts and fears and overwhelming symptoms of these conditions?
Help is available.
At Amend Treatment, we have treated many clients who have wondered how to sleep with anxiety and depression. And we can help you, too.
Our empathic approach to your mental health will encourage you to move forward through the process using different modalities and treatment types. And, as a result, you finally get the quality sleep you so deserve.
Want to learn more about how to sleep with anxiety and depression? Contact Amend Treatment today to learn more.