For some, sleep comes easily—a simple matter of laying your head on the pillow and drifting off.

But for many others, it’s a nightly struggle. Long hours spent wide awake, tossing and turning, or waking up and struggling to fall back asleep. If you’re dealing with sleep issues, anxiety, stress, or PTSD could be at the root of it.

I know this all too well—having battled chronic insomnia and sleep disorders for years. It wasn’t until I began understanding the deep link between anxiety and sleep that I could begin to heal.

If you’re struggling to fall asleep, waking up frequently, or waking up too early, I hope this article offers some guidance to help you find relief.

Understanding Insomnia and Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders (sometimes known as sleep-wake disorders) can affect the quality, timing, and amount of sleep a person is able to get each night.

A lack of quality sleep can cause a person to experience daytime distress and impairment in normal mental functions such as focus, awareness, and having balanced emotions.

Sleep-wake disorders often occur along with medical conditions or mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, or cognitive disorders. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 50 Million Americans suffer from long-term sleep disorders.

How Insomnia Affects Our Quality of Life

There are several different types of sleep-wake disorders, of which insomnia is the most common. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Causes of insomnia can include stress, anxiety, depression, or other medical conditions. People with anxiety disorders will often experience insomnia due to their constant worries and racing thoughts. They may also wake up frequently during the night or have difficulty falling back asleep after waking up.

How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

The recommended amount of sleep for adults is typically between 7 to 8 hours a night, but individual needs can vary based on factors like age, lifestyle, and health.

In my younger years, I thrived on just 4 to 5 hours of sleep, but as I’ve gotten older, I find that I feel my best when I get at least 6 hours. It’s not just about the duration—it’s the quality of rest that truly matters. I’d rather get 6 hours of deep, restful sleep than spend 8 hours tossing and turning.

Why Sleep is Important

Sleep doesn’t just help us to feel ready for the day ahead. High quality sleep helps our body to heal, improves memory, boosts the immune system, manages pain and lowers stress.

When a person experiences chronic sleep deprivation, it affects their mental health, leading to mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and depression.

Over the long-term, a lack of quality sleep can impair cognitive abilities, leading to memory problems, decreased concentration, and poor decision-making.

Chronic sleep deprivation can also have significant physical effects, such as fatigue, lethargy, and weakened immunity.

Common Signs of Anxiety and Sleep Disorders

If you’re dealing with anxiety-related sleep disorders, you might notice some of these common symptoms:

• Trouble Falling Asleep: You feel exhausted but can’t seem to drift off.
• Frequent Night Wakings: You wake up multiple times throughout the night.
• Daytime Fatigue: You often feel tired or drained during the day.
• Difficulty Concentrating: Focusing on tasks becomes a challenge.
• Racing Thoughts: Worries and racing thoughts keep you awake.
• Nightmares or Vivid Dreams: You experience unsettling dreams that disrupt your sleep.
• Restlessness: You may feel uncomfortable sensations in your legs or arms.
• Morning Anxiety: Waking up brings feelings of anxiety or fear.

Do Not Chase Sleep, Let It Happen Effortlessly

One of the hardest things to deal with for those who suffer with sleep disorders is that they are always trying to fall asleep. The problem here is that making an effort to fall asleep can actually reduce your ability to sleep!

The truth is the more you try to sleep, the more anxiety and fear will come up. You will feel stressed because of the worry about not sleeping and that will further reduce your sleep quality.

Sleep should come naturally and effortlessly. Focus on letting go, relaxing your body and mind, and quieting your thoughts.

Use Medications and Sleep Aids Sparingly

While many prescription medications, and over the counter medications are available for helping people to get to sleep, these are often a temporary fix. The problem is that the underlying issue is still there. Training the mind is the key, as the mind controls everything. Good quality sleep happens when we are in control of the mind and body.

Use Medications and Sleep Aids Sparingly

While many prescription medications, and over the counter medications are available for helping people to get to sleep, these are often a temporary fix. The problem is that the underlying issue is still there. Training the mind is the key, as the mind controls everything. Good quality sleep happens when we are in control of the mind and body.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

High quality sleep can be achieved by improving the quality of your health. Engaging in regular exercise, avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, and limiting alcohol consumption are all excellent ways to improve your health.

Daily exercises such as swimming, hiking, yoga, going for a walk, and getting sunlight at least 20 minutes a day will help your body’s sleep cycle.

Establish a Regular Sleep Routine
Establishing a regular sleep routine is essential in preventing chronic sleep deprivation.

This involves going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Even on weekends.

Learn to Overcome Anxiety

Anxiety-related sleep disorders can stem from various factors, including medical conditions, lifestyle choices, mental health challenges, relationship stress, and financial worries.

Traumatic life experiences, such as PTSD or childhood trauma, can also contribute to anxiety. After a traumatic event, it’s common to experience disruptions in our sleep cycle, making it even harder to find restful sleep.

How to Prepare for a Good Night’s Sleep

In today’s world, our constant attachment to technology often interferes with our ability to fall asleep. Many people also lack a consistent bedtime or a bedtime routine that helps them wind down for the night.

Here are a few simple ways to prepare for a good night’s sleep:

• Avoid screens: Refrain from watching TV or using phones, computers, or tablets for at least an hour before bed.
• No late exercise or stimulating conversations: Avoid exercise and intense discussions in the evening.
• Set a consistent sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
• Limit stimulants: Stay away from alcohol, coffee, and other stimulants before bedtime.

Creating a nighttime routine is essential for better sleep. Spend one to two hours winding down before bed. Dim the lights in your bedroom to signal your body it’s time to sleep. Reading a book in paper format or on a non-blue light reader, like a Kindle, can also help relax your mind and prepare it for sleep.

How To Prepare Your Mind for Better Sleep

A key part of better sleep is to relax and clear your mind. A worried person, with racing thoughts will not be able to achieve deep sleep.

Here are some ways that you can quiet and relax the mind before sleeping:

• Practice a gratitude reminder before going to sleep.
• You are in bed and comfortable, think about something positive. Enjoy the comfort.
• Relaxing the body is the first step when you get into bed, release tension in the body, and engage in connection with your body.
• When you are not afraid, you relax. It takes time and practice to learn how to relax your body.
• Use mindfulness to get into relaxation, loving kindness to yourself and accepting this moment.

The thinking mind troubles us oftentimes, and worrying about not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep can cause insomnia to worsen. If we dwell on not being able to sleep or thinking we ‘should’ be asleep, we get anxious and agitated.

The key is not to think about not being able to fall asleep or staying asleep. Accepting the present is the best way to get back to sleep.

Remember, you cannot put effort into falling asleep. Just relax into it. Sleep happens eventually.

It takes time and practice, but the more you take the pressure off yourself, the easier it becomes.