Busy work weeks, health issues, family drama, or whatever else life throws your way at a given moment can leave you feeling stressed and anxious as hell. Unsurprisingly, that might mess with your sleep: When you’re a giant ball of nerves, it’s harder to shut off your thoughts at the end of the day.
When you’re lying awake in the middle of the night worrying about work or your relationships, your brain can go into high-alert mode, a.k.a. hyperarousal, which makes you more sensitive to your surroundings. (The creaking floor, your partner’s exhales, and your cat zooming from room to room at 3 a.m. might all seem much louder than usual.)
If you’ve been on edge and having trouble falling asleep lately, we’re sure you’re ready for the nights of staring up at the ceiling in the dark to come to an end. When stress and anxiety are stealing your rest, here’s how to chill the F out and finally get a good night’s sleep.
How to fall asleep fast when your mind is racing
1. Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
Anita Yokota, LMFT, a therapist and the author of Home Therapy, tells SELF that sticking to a sleep ritual can help things seem less chaotic when it’s time to wind down. “Create a pattern or process that ‘feels’ like bedtime. This might include washing your face, carrying out your skin care routine, meditating, or reading with a dim light.1,2 Each of these steps reminds your brain that you’re preparing for sleep,” says Yokota. “Our brains like consistency.”3
The key is doing whatever most helps you relax and feel good. For instance, you could get in a warm bath before hitting the sheets—and add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to the water to make it extra soothing and luxurious.
Figure out what you want your nightly sleep schedule to look like in terms of timing; then, as the Sleep Foundation recommends, get rolling with your routine at least a half hour before you actually want to be in dreamland. If planning ahead isn’t always realistic, that’s okay—just squeeze in a few minutes to do something calming and familiar each night. (This doesn’t mean spending an hour scrolling your social media feeds—too much bright light and quick stimulation before bed can keep you awake!) Following a set plan, even loosely, can reliably help you snooze even when life feels haywire.
2. Set your surroundings—and yourself—up for success.
Your sleep environment goes hand in hand with your nighttime routine: Where you’re trying to rest can have a lot to do with how easy (or not) it might feel to drift off, especially when you’re stressed out and in extra need of some peace.
First, check out how dark your room is when you’re getting ready for bed: Are street lights coming in through the window? Is your partner streaming movies? “Too much light at the wrong time can tell your body to stay awake,” Dianne Augelli, MD, a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and assistant professor of medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, tells SELF.4 Light exposure throws off your circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake cycle) and can slow or halt your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep.4 There are easy tweaks you can make to help with this: To keep the room dark, Yokota uses blackout shades to make sure she gets the deep sleep she needs.5 You can also try wearing an eye mask—it’ll block out any annoying light that manages to peek through the cracks of your blinds.6
