While anxiety is a natural response of the body to protect itself from danger, chronic stress or anxiety can have many long-term effects on our body, including poor sleep or even insomnia symptoms.

Stress causes the "fight or flight" response, a function of the autonomic nervous system that increases heart rate, speeds up breathing, and increases stress hormones in the body to help us survive in the face of danger.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is stress that continues after the stressor has disappeared and produces similar physiological effects.

During times of unwanted stress and anxiety, some relaxation techniques can produce the body's natural relaxation response . This includes a slower heartbeat and breathing pattern, lower blood pressure, and an overall sense of calm.

In this article we will analyze all the techniques and ways to eliminate stress before bed.

The best tips to relieve stress before bed

There are many strategies for relieving stress and anxiety before bed. If you feel too stressed to go to sleep, the following approaches can help you relax.

Some people use just one or two of these relaxation strategies, while others practice a combination of them. If stress and sleep are two chronic problems for you, consult your doctor to determine together which approach is best for you.

Meditation

Meditation is a mind-body practice with a specific focus of attention and posture that allows thoughts to come and go without any judgment. Meditation is a well-known strategy for treating insomnia, and there are several types of meditation:

• Mindfulness meditation is the process of observing feelings and thoughts without critical analysis . A big part of this is being able to be completely present in the moment, without letting your focus wander to other thoughts. If you've never meditated before, this may seem difficult, but it will get easier with practice. It has been shown to reduce sleep disturbances in adults.
• Body scan meditation is a technique of slowly focusing on parts of the body and noticing any sensations or pain. To practice this technique, you will need to focus on a specific part of the body one at a time. This can be either a systematic scan, from head to toe, or a more random scan of body parts. Allow your attention to be fully focused on your body.
• Guided meditation is when someone is verbally guided through a meditative experience and encouraged to visualize a peaceful location. These guided meditations can include music and nature sounds to help with relaxation. You can find guided meditations on many popular apps and even on YouTube.

Meditation can be done anytime before bed and can also be done during the night if you can't relax.

Deep breaths

Deep breathing can be another element of meditation as well as a relaxation technique that you can use at any time . The goal here is to take slow, even, and deep breaths.

Although there are many structured breathing techniques, including the 4-7-8 method and lion's breath, you can start more simply.

Start by placing your hand on your stomach and taking slow breaths in. When you feel your stomach rise, hold your breath for a moment and then exhale slowly. Different practices may include counting your breaths and adjusting the length of time you hold your breath before exhaling.

Movement meditation

Moving meditation incorporates the mindfulness of meditation with gentle physical movement and focused breathing. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are all types of moving meditation. They do not require specialized equipment and can therefore be done in any location, making them accessible to the average person.

Research has shown many physical and mental health benefits of yoga. In addition to promoting healthy habits, yoga can be beneficial in managing sleep problems . Yoga can help improve stress management, and it has also been shown to improve mental well-being and reduce some physical pain.

Less research has been conducted on other forms of movement. However, preliminary research has shown that both tai chi and qigong can help improve emotional well-being . This includes managing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Along with improving stress management, it is possible that practitioners of these forms may also improve their sleep.

These meditative movements can definitely become a part of your nighttime routine or during the day. While the movements themselves may not be ideal at night, the mindfulness and breathing techniques used in these practices could be used during times of nighttime stress or anxiety.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is similar to body scan meditation in that it requires you to focus on certain parts of your body. What you're essentially doing is tensing and releasing your muscles in order, starting with your toes, feet, calves, and so on. This allows you to relieve any physical tension and stress you may be experiencing. Read our article on progressive muscle relaxation.

Relieve stress during your nightly routine

While the above relaxation techniques can be incorporated into your nightly routine, you can also consider some other practices:

• Create a good sleep environment. Observe your bedroom and identify potential stressors. A good sleep environment is clean, orderly, quiet, and most importantly, dark.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine. Both of these substances can disrupt your sleep. Too much alcohol can also affect how our bodies handle stress .
• Take a warm bath. Not only can this help you relax and de-stress before bed, but it will also lower your body temperature , which has been shown to help you fall asleep faster.
• Avoid exposure to blue light. The light from electronic devices, including cell phones, computers, and televisions, can affect your circadian rhythm , or your internal "clock." Experts recommend putting electronic devices away at least 30 minutes before bed.
• Practice good sleep hygiene.
• Start writing. Writing down your thoughts and worries can help you release stress by getting them out of your head and onto paper. This way, any worries are visible, real, and more manageable. Keep a journal by your bed so you can write down any stress that may arise in the moments before bed. The process of writing down a list of your to-do list for the next day can also help you fall asleep earlier.
• Take time for your worrying thoughts. This is a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy. To do this, you set aside a specific time of day to worry about everything that is going on in your life. Yes, you read that right! The goal of this is to address the causes of these worries before they get out of your control.

Good daily habits to eliminate evening stress

In addition to relaxation techniques, there are also some steps you can take during the day to relieve your stress at night.

A common practice for eliminating anxiety and stress before bed is to exercise during the day. In addition to all the other health benefits, daily exercise has been linked to better sleep in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Another strategy for overall sleep hygiene is to wake up at a consistent time every day, even on weekends. Research suggests that consistent wake-up times are an important component of good sleep hygiene .

Keep in mind that there is no exact schedule for how quickly you will be able to feel less stressed and anxious before going to bed. However, consistent practice of relaxation techniques can help in the long run. If you have questions or concerns about which strategy or strategies are right for you, we recommend consulting your doctor.

Tackle stress and insomnia with a gravity blanket

Gravity blankets are the most effective way to deal with insomnia and stress without medication, as they have been used for many decades to help people suffering from anxiety disorders, autism, and other sensory disorders.

How do they work?

They are designed to apply gentle, steady pressure to the entire body, which occupational therapists call “ Deep Tactile Pressure .” This steady pressure relaxes the nervous system and helps the body naturally increase levels of serotonin and melatonin (the hormones of happiness and sleep) while reducing levels of cortisol, which is responsible for stress.

As a result, the mind stops "racing", the heart rate drops, the mood improves and the body enters a state of complete relaxation.

Choose the one that weighs closest to 10% of your body weight and upgrade your sleep from the very first night.