Day 23 * 30 Day Anxiety Challenge

30 Day Anxiety Challenge, Day 23: Assess Your Sleep Routine

Today is Day 23 of the 30 Day Anxiety Challenge! Today marks the end of week 3 of the challenge.

Don’t forget to mark off your success from Day 22 on your  Anxiety Challenge Tracker.

Now, let’s get started with Day 23 of learning how to manage our anxiety and panic!

DAY 22 CHALLENGE:       Assess Your Sleep Routine

How It Helps Anxiety:

Good sleep habits are integral to managing anxiety and panic. In fact, good sleep habits are integral for everyone. People that have never had an anxiety disorder can get symptoms of anxiety from a lack of sleep. There are many causes for a lack of sleep contributing to anxiety, but we’ve covered the biggest three.

Stress
Sleeping allows the body and the brain to rest which in turn, allows the body to heal. By interrupted, insufficient or irregular sleep, the body and brain is unable to repair itself. This takes a toll both physically and mentally.

Adrenaline 
While we sleep, our adrenal glands are resting as well. By not sleeping regularly and not getting the required amount of sleep, our adrenal glands aren’t able to rest and continually fire adrenaline through our bodies. People without anxiety issues will certainly feel the effects, but people with anxiety issues can get full blown panic attacks from a lack of proper sleep.

Biological Changes
Our bodies regulate hormones best during sleep. When we’re getting insufficient sleep, our bodies aren’t able to properly regulate the hormones coursing through us. This imbalance can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds which ultimately causes anxiety.

Be sure to check out our video on 5 Ways To Fall Asleep Faster:

Take some time to think about your sleeping habits. Answer the following questions:

*Do you get at least 6 – 8 hours of sleep a night?
*Do you have downtime about an hour before you lie down to sleep?
*Do you separate your sleeping area from other areas of the house (like an office)?
*Do you feel exhausted frequently?
*Are you on a regular sleep schedule? (Typically going to bed and waking up around the same time.)
*Have you had sleeping problems for more than one year?
*Have you seen a doctor over your sleep issues?
*What can you improve in your routine to help you get the sleep you need?

You really want to be honest as you answer these questions. If you’re unsure of how long you are really sleeping each night, there are numerous sleep tracker apps that can help you estimate your sleeping time. These apps are great to determine how long you’re in the various stages of sleep and will probably give you a far more accurate picture of your actual sleeping patterns than you could guess for yourself.

Depending on your answers, you may want to consider giving your family doctor a call to discuss your sleep habits. It is extremely important to your journey to managing anxiety and panic that you are getting regular, restful sleep each night.
Wrap-Up:

Regular, uninterrupted, quality sleep is absolutely vital to your health and in managing anxiety and panic. Making sure that you are educated on your own sleeping habits by assessing yourself is the first step in fixing any issues. Making an appointment with your family doctor to do any potential testing is the next step.

Join us in the private Facebook group for support of others doing the 30 Day Anxiety Challenge.

Additional Resources:

Article:  How Sleep Debt Causes Serious Anxiety (Calm Clinic)

Article: The Dangers of Anxiety Related Sleep Deprivation (Healthy Place)

Explore Further: