A good night’s sleep helps the body and mind recharge; improving mood, increasing one’s ability to concentrate and think clearly. It has been proven to lower anxiety levels, elevate mood, and improve overall functioning. As one can imagine, better relationships are formed due to clear minds and elevated moods. So how is it achieved? Here are some tips that I have found in research and within my experience in working with children and adolescents.

Have you ever noticed that your anxiety spikes when you lay down to sleep at night? Have you ever wondered why this happens, or what you can do to stop that? Well, you are not alone! It is actually fairly common for anxiety to feel worse at night, and there are a few reasons for why that is. There are also a few ways that you can relieve anxiety at night so that you get a more restful night.

At this point, we’ve been living in the midst of a pandemic for almost one year!  We now quarantine, work from home, teach children from home, wear masks, carry hand sanitizer, and think about how we’re going to celebrate holidays and birthdays without worrying about getting COVID-19.  We also have new vocabulary that consists of “social distancing” and “quarantine fatigue.”  This pandemic has created stress, anxiety, uncertainty, new losses and traumas, not to mention the buried grief and trauma it uncovered.  How could all of this not infiltrate our dreams?

You’ve heard the familiar question, “Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?” Most everyone has experienced what it’s like to not have had a good night's sleep.  Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep can be more challenging for some than others.  This lack of sleep can result in fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and even headaches. On top of that, lack of sleep can result in mood lability. After a serious lack of sleep, have you ever felt the urge to cry, even though the topic at hand is not one that would typically make you cry?  Getting the sleep we need is crucial for our physical and mental health. 

We live in a fast-paced world and lead very busy lives.  For many of us, when our head hits the pillow, it’s the first time that our brain has had time to breathe all day.  At this moment, all of the thoughts come rushing forward, the thoughts that we haven’t had the opportunity to tend to all day long. And then...we try to sleep and find that we just can’t because there are so many thoughts running through our mind. Here are 3 simple strategies that you can try to address racing thoughts and fall asleep easier.