{"id":24353,"date":"2023-02-20T19:00:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T18:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=135148"},"modified":"2023-02-20T19:35:13","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T18:35:13","slug":"cant-stop-your-brain-racing-at-3am-try-these-suggestions-from-a-gp","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/cant-stop-your-brain-racing-at-3am-try-these-suggestions-from-a-gp\/","title":{"rendered":"Can\u2019t stop your brain racing at 3am? Try these suggestions from a GP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here’s how to break the cycle of anxiety and sleeplessness. <\/p>

By Dr Nish Manek\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 20 February 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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You\u2019re not alone if you spend much of the night ruminating about daily stressors, checking the time and worrying about how tired you\u2019ll be\u00a0in the morning.\u00a0Then spending the next day struggling to think straight and keep your eyes open.\u00a0So, how can\u00a0you\u00a0break this cycle of anxiety and sleeplessness?<\/p>\n

The first tip, and one of the most important, is to avoid lying awake in bed. If you haven\u2019t nodded off within 15-20 minutes of\u00a0resting\u00a0your head on the pillow, get up.\u00a0Take yourself off\u00a0to another room and do\u00a0something\u00a0relaxing\u00a0like\u00a0reading, meditating\u00a0or\u00a0listening to music. Then, when you begin to feel sleepy again, go back to bed. This\u00a0can be\u00a0hard when you\u2019re so tired that\u00a0it\u2019s a struggle to get out from under the duvet, but it works. The idea is to build a strong association with your bed and sleep<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re in bed, calming\u00a0any nuisance\u00a0thoughts with relaxation methods can be helpful. They can feel a bit silly at first, but things like guided imagery, mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation are all beneficial for a racing mind.\u00a0You can find\u00a0guides to these calming\u00a0exercises\u00a0online.<\/p>\n

Finally, don\u2019t forget the basics of sleep hygiene. Keep work materials, computers and screens out of the bedroom,\u00a0and avoid looking at screens (especially those displaying social media)\u00a0for an hour or so before bed. You might also want to try avoiding caffeinated drinks after 2pm,\u00a0and alcohol and heavy meals in the evenings, if you want to\u00a0increase your chances of getting\u00a0a better night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n

A warm bath in the evening can help too, as can exercise during the day,\u00a0but try to avoid\u00a0strenuous workouts\u00a0in the three to four hours before bed if possible (sometimes the adrenaline\u00a0this late in the day\u00a0can be detrimental to your sleep).<\/p>\n

If you find yourself feeling comatose\u00a0the next day, resist the urge to nap,\u00a0unless it\u2019s for safety reasons such as\u00a0when you\u2019re\u00a0driving. If you absolutely can\u2019t get by without one, try to limit\u00a0it\u00a0to 30 minutes and don\u2019t nap after 3pm.<\/p>\n

Avoid\u00a0big lunches,\u00a0which can make you feel sleepier in the afternoon, especially\u00a0if the food has\u00a0a\u00a0high sugar\u00a0content. We tend to crave less healthy foods when we haven\u2019t slept, but protein-rich meals<\/a> might help to avoid that afternoon crash.<\/p>\n

If possible, a brisk walk<\/a> and some fresh air might help to fend off the comatose feeling too. Above all,\u00a0be kind to yourself, and lower your expectations for what you might be able to achieve the day after a restless night.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n