Can’t sleep? Try this.

For me, struggling to fall asleep becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I don’t sleep well because of stress or anxiety, I then get anxious because I anticipate not being able to sleep. I need to sleep and want to sleep, but I can’t because…..I’m anxious about not sleeping. It sounds dumb, but it’s awful to experience.

In these times of anxious insomnia, I like doing two things:

1. I do a “brain dump” before bed

2. I put all devices out of reach about 30-60 minutes before bed

To do a “brain dump,” just write for 3-5 minutes. Write down everything racing through your head. It doesn’t need to be organized or make sense to anyone. We’re just getting those thoughts out of your head and onto paper or into a note on your phone.

Once you’ve done that, the phone goes away. Constantly scrolling can elevate anxiety. You might be tempted to check your work email and start ruminating on that. Or you might just expose yourself to too much blue light, which can interfere with your body’s natural “wind down” mechanisms.

Read a book. Meditate. God forbid, talk to a family member or roommate. We don’t always need to be scrolling or looking at something new.

Try either of those ideas (or both together) and let me know if it helps you.

If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me

Can't sleep? Try this.