Calming the racing mind

Contemplating your best night sleep

Arecent poll on my Instagram feed revealed that 62% of voters classified their sleep as being “different to normal” since lockdown 2.0. And no, I’m not surprised. The past year has seen our lives turn upside down, as we battle to make sense of a situation that changes by the day and unsettles us by night. Research investigating the impact of COVID-19 on our sleep quality is emerging, but initial evidence suggests that anxiety and stress in individuals who are isolating is high, whereas sleep quality is low. By prioritising our sleep, adopting simple self-help practices to ease our anxious tendencies at night, we can create a higher quality of restful, restorative sleep. Let’s sleep better together (socially-distanced, of course…).

Set yourself a sleep schedule You’re probably thinking, I schedule my whole day, why on earth do I need to schedule my sleeping? Well, having a set sleeping schedule helps your mind and body to create a regular circadian (sleep-wake) rhythm. Think of it as setting the time zone for your internal body clock. If one night your internal clock is set on GMT, and the next night you’re on EST, before Friday night leaves you on PST, your body’s going to feel pretty jetlagged, and you won’t make the most of your sleep window. Set yourself fixed waking and lights-off times, and stick to them regardless of weekdays or weekends if you possibly can. You’ll entrain your rhythm and sleep so much better for it.

Prioritize your sleep Oh it’s so tempting to skip an hour’s sleep here or there to work late, watch another Netflix episode, or chat to a friend. But if you’re struggling with sleep, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. Be strict with yourself. Create a target bedtime, and try not to engage in stimulating activities at least 1 hour before you intend to drift off. Don’t over-nap either. A quick 20 minutes before 3pm is all you’ll need.

Calm a racing mind Racing mind at night? Time alone with your thoughts at night can be a lonely and worrisome place. Here are some of my favourite ways to calm a racing mind; Meditate before bed, listen to a guided meditation, listen to a calming playlist whilst imagining yourself floating above all your thoughts, write down everything on your mind (known as a mind-dump) before you sleep, replace your negative thoughts with positive memories or moments from the day that incite happiness. If you struggle with anxiety, please also seek help from a therapist, it’ll change your life!

Ditch the blue lights At least 30 minutes before bed, make sure you leave your screens alone. Keep away from bright, stimulating, and blue lights which decrease the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Opt instead to read, listen to some calming music, or stretch a little.

Use relaxation techniques Therapeutic techniques for whole-body relaxation are simple to use, and can help induce a deeper sleep. Here’s one of my favourites. Working from your toes, tense one muscle in your body at a time as hard as you can for 10 seconds before resting completely for 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise working up your legs to your stomach, fingers, arms, even your jaw. At the end of your relaxation, your muscles should be in a complete state of rest, ideal for drifting off to sleep.

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