What to do when you CANNOT SLEEP due to NERVES?

There are many reasons why a person may have difficulty sleeping. However, it could be said that the most common is due to nerves. These can be caused by something that worries us, but also by something that we are excited that will happen the next day. In both cases, the brain is highly active and the body prepared to act, and therefore sleeping can become a difficult task.

Surely you have ever been going round and round, thinking that I wish you fell asleep, then you have looked at your mobile, then you got up to go to the toilet, you have turned on the television, etc. Until several hours pass you can't sleep. In today's article on Psychology-Online, we will see what to do when you can't sleep because of nerves. We give you 10 tips so that you can fall asleep much faster in these types of situations.

Index

1. Suitable environment
2. Technologies
3. Ritual
4. Make no plans
5. Schedules
6. Present moment
7. Feeding
8. Exercise
9. Naps
10. Caffeine

I'm sleepy but I can't sleep, what can it be? A fundamental aspect is that the place where you go to sleep is a

Creating a suitable environment is essential to be able to sleep well. Wearing earplugs or an eye mask can help. The importance of this lies in the fact that if there are noises and, especially light, our brain could interpret that it is not the time to sleep.

In this article we tell you what to do when you can't sleep.

What to do when you can't sleep because of nerves? It is important to avoid the use of new technologies before sleeping. One option is turn off the television and the phone an hour before going to bed. The blue light from the screens, in addition to the stimulation of the activities we carry out through new technologies, alter the sleep cycle making it difficult for us to sleep. So, a remedy for insomnia and nerves is not to use the technologies.

What to do when you are nervous and cannot sleep? During that hour when we will not use new technologies, it is a good time to carry out an activity or ritual that prepares us for sleep.

Read a book, do a relaxation / meditation, take a bath or have a nice talk or do a self-care routine facial and oral hygiene may be options for this. These rituals will calm our body and our brain and will prepare it for the moment of rest. In this article we provide you with other remedies for anxiety and nerves.

If it often happens to you that you say to yourself "I'm sleepy and I can't sleep", here's a tip: don't make plans for the day or the following week. Many people have a habit of organizing the next day shortly before going to sleep. The problem with this is that it can get us excited and while we try to sleep we are expectant, excited or stressed - depending on the type of day that awaits us.

It is better to find a different time in the day to do it. The ideal would be when we get up, but if you need to plan it in advance you can plan each day the morning before or in the early afternoon of the day before. Not making plans before bed will help you rest better. In this article we tell you what if you don't sleep.

What to do when you can't sleep because of nerves? Try as much as possible have a regular sleep schedule. The body works by habits and it is very stressful that some days bedtime is 11 at night and the next day is 3 in the morning.

Maintaining the same schedules, both to go to sleep and to get up, will make the work of our body much easier. If you need some variation depending on your days off and your working days, make sure this variation is slight and, if not possible, apply with more emphasis the rest of the advice that we expose in the Article.

Has it ever happened to you that you are nervous and cannot sleep? As we mentioned, the cause of not sleeping is because we are thinking about something past or something future. Therefore, learning to live in the present moment is key to falling asleep. Exercises mindfulness they are excellent at achieving it.

Examples of this is, at the time of sleep, focus on what your breathing is like: What is the rhythm? Does the temperature vary on inspirations and exhalations? What part of your body swells? Do you notice how the air passes through your entire body?

Another mindfulness exercise is known as Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This consists of, muscle by muscle of the body, contracting it and then relaxing it. For example, close the hand in a very strong fist and then relax, wrinkle the forehead, flex the foot, among others. In addition to focusing our mind on it, this exercise helps us to relax the body. We give you more proposals in the following article: Mindfulness exercises for beginners.

In Spain it is very common to dine very late. However, this is a big mistake, since when we go to sleep, our body is having a high level of activity digesting food. The same goes for very heavy food. By not giving the body the time needed to digest food, there is a feeling of discomfort at bedtime that makes it difficult to sleep. The body is focused on finishing the previous task and until it is successful, it will not be able to relax and allow you to sleep. Food is a very important factor to take into account when going to sleep.

What to do when your nerves won't let you sleep? Doing a regular physical activity helps a lot at bedtime. However, this can be a problem if we do this physical activity shortly before bedtime.

Linked to the comments in the previous points, the body wakes up and interprets that it is not the time to rest. The heart races and blood flows quickly because the same mechanisms are awakened as when there is a danger. Thus, the body and brain do not allow themselves to rest until a long period of time has passed. If you want to exercise in the afternoon / night, try to make it a relaxing activity such as gentle yoga or stretching.

Why can't I sleep at night? If you take a two-hour nap, your body and brain won't feel the need to rest at night. So it's going to cost you to get to sleep. Try eliminate or reduce naps.

If you suffer from nervous insomnia, at times when you are tired during the day, usually a 15-30 minute nap is usually enough. In addition, if you take a nap, try to make it early in the day and not throughout the afternoon, otherwise the body can get confused and not understand when is the time to rest, thus deregulating the rhythms circadians.

Find more information about why you can't sleep in the following article: I'm sleepy but I can't sleep, why and what to do?

We love coffee and it's okay to drink it. However, on many occasions, the person who complains about sleeping explains that he takes 3 or more coffees a day, some even in the afternoon. So what to do when you can't sleep because of nerves?

Reduce the amount of coffee, as well as energy drinks, caffeine, etc. They will help a lot so that your body can be relaxed to sleep. Make sure the coffee you drink is less intense and in the morning. You can substitute a decaf in the afternoon if you fancy a coffee.

You must bear in mind that has an addictive effect, so it may be difficult at first. You can do it little by little, if it is the case, to make it easier for you.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What to do when you can't sleep because of nerves?, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• Idzikowski, C. (2019) How to sleep well? Barcelona: Omega Editions.