CLB 019: How to Sleep Like a Baby Even if You Have Anxiety

Do you sleep like a baby?

Or… Have you ever found yourself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and wanting to scream out in frustration because you just can’t fall asleep?

You peak at your alarm clock out of the corner of your eye and it reads 3 o’clock! 3 in the freaking morning… And you have to be up at 6! Now you get even more anxious about not falling asleep, thinking, “I have to fall asleep. I’ve got to get those three hours!”

Yeah, I’ve been there, too.

Insomnia can seem hard to cope with and it can be especially draining when you suffer from anxiety.

So in today’s episode we’re going to cover the top tips and strategies to help you sleep like a baby, even if you experience anxiety.

Key Points Re: Sleep Like a Baby

* Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall asleep, remain asleep or get the amount of sleep an individual needs to wake feeling rested. It may involve waking up frequently during the night, waking up too early in the morning, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating and irritability.

* Insomnia can both cause anxiety and be caused by anxiety. Not to mention, sleep deprivation has been linked to increased rates of depression, obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

* It’s important to address “timing” when it comes to your sleep (ie giving yourself 3 key “pushes”)

* Association is a powerful force; to address it stick to this rule: there are only 2 things you ever do in bed: sleep and make love.

* If you are awake in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something boring.

* There are numerous behavioural changes that impact sleep, such as exercise and nutrition

Stay tuned for part II in the next episode.

Episode Transcript

You can download the transcript of this episode by clicking here.

Home Play

Your homeplay this week is to start with one of the changes we talked about this episode – whichever one you feel would make the most impact or maybe would be the easiest to get started with.

Our mind and body want to do what they’re used to doing. If you change a little at a time – small steps – and forgive yourself for “messing up” (remember there is no such thing as failure!) the changes will come and you will experience results.

Here’s to a better night’s sleep.

Please Support Me By Subscribing

Let me know how it goes changing your sleeping habits – I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below and tell me about your experience.