Nighttime anxiety is a very common affliction where your anxiety is peaked in the evening, often when you are trying to go to sleep. People with anxiety disorders often find it is worse at night, typically because you have less distractions from the anxiousness, and also relating to how your circadian rhythm shifts at night before bed.
Grounding or Dissociation
A really good method for dealing with nighttime anxiety is with grounding or dissociation. Grounding is when you physically touch your feet (or another part of your body) to the Earth’s surface, while dissociation is when you are able to disconnect your thoughts and feelings from the current moment. Both can come in handy when you are dealing with nighttime anxiety.
To try grounding, you need to go outside and stand on the Earth’s surface, such as in the dirt or grass. For some people, sand from a beach or any type of water can also help to ground them. Just standing there for a few minutes helps relieve a lot of anxiety just on its own.
Meditation at Night
Have you ever tried meditating at night? This can be as simple as completing breathing exercises, or you can start practicing more in-depth meditation. Since meditation is not something you can just pick up right away, it helps to save it for when you have a little time to practice. Meditating before you experience anxiety is highly recommended so you become familiar with the practice
Gentle Exercises Before Bed
Try some gentle, calming exercises before bed, and you are bound to reduce your nighttime anxiety. This doesn’t mean going for a run or doing high-impact workouts. Stick to the relaxing exercises that help you with your breathing exercises and allow you to calm down, such as yoga, Pilates, stretching, walking, or a low impact workout.
Find a Calming Activity
You may need something to distract your mind at night from the anxiety, but not an activity that will wake you up. Instead, look for a quiet, calming activity, like drawing, writing, reading, listening to music, watching something that is light and fun, or another quiet activity.
Try Acupuncture
Regular acupuncture can reduce cortisol levels that are causing stress and impacting anxiety levels. Scheduling the treatments for the end of the day will allow your body and brain to reap the full benefits of consistent acupuncture.