Sierra Blogging Post Archives

Nothing can ruin a day faster than not getting enough sleep the night before. Unfortunately, 64% of Americans have trouble sleeping at least a few nights a week.

Stress, worry and anxiety are the most common causes of insomnia and as anyone who suffers from these emotions knows, they're tough to ease. Maybe you're worried about losing your job, fighting with a spouse, or anxious about your children. Whatever the cause of your stress or anxiety, there are ways to put it aside so you can get a good night's sleep.

6 Ways to Let Go of Stress and Get to Sleep


1. Take a hot shower or bath before bed. The warm water calms tense muscles and relaxes you so you can fall sleep.

2. Avoid watching the news before bed. No news is good news in this case - getting worked up about the economy or the latest car accident is not going to set you up to fall asleep. Turn off the television or watch a predictable sitcom instead.

3. Plan for tomorrow earlier that day. If you're like most people, as soon as you lay down and close your eyes a million thoughts start racing through your head about what you have to do the next day. Before you go to bed, make a list and when your mind starts to wander in the sack, just tell yourself you've already written it down.

4. Be realistic about stress. When we're worried about something, we tend to catastrophize the scenario. (You have a headache - it must be a brain tumor.) One way to ease catastrophic fears is to balance it with the best case scenario. (You have a headache - there's a gold bar lodged inside your ear.) Realizing that neither is probably true will allow you to focus on the reality that's most likely somewhere in the middle. (You have a head cold.)

5. Take deep, slow breaths to calm your nerves. Visualize yourself relaxing and falling asleep.

6. Read a book before bed. This really works. I read every night for as long as I can stay awake and never have trouble falling asleep. Reading relaxes you, puts you in another world and takes your mind off the source of your stress.

Got any more tips to ease nighttime anxiety and fall asleep faster? We'd love to hear them!