Sleep is vital for physical and mental well-being, yet countless individuals worldwide struggle with insomnia every night. Poor sleep impacts memory, mood, productivity, and overall health, with both short-term and long-term consequences.
Research in the UK even suggests that quality sleep reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Simon Mundie of the BBC interviewed Guy Meadows, a sleep expert and founder of The Sleep School, who shared effective strategies to combat insomnia and anxiety using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This method emphasizes embracing, rather than resisting, insomnia, showing promising results for improving sleep and reducing anxiety.
Why Sleep Is So Important
Guy Meadows highlights that sleep is the body’s most powerful and natural function for maintaining health. A good night’s sleep enhances focus, memory, creativity, and motivation while helping regulate appetite hormones, aiding in weight control. Sleep quality determines both short-term performance and long-term health.
However, the pressure to sleep well can exacerbate insomnia, especially in high-stakes situations. For instance, athletes often struggle to relax before competitions due to performance anxiety, leading to restless nights and a vicious cycle of worry.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Unlike Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), ACT focuses on changing the relationship individuals have with insomnia and its associated symptoms, such as racing thoughts, fear, and anxiety. While CBT aims to suppress negative thoughts, ACT encourages individuals to acknowledge and accept their worries about sleep.
According to Meadows, embracing insomnia reduces its power. Instead of dreading bedtime as a battle, ACT helps individuals disarm their fear, making the experience less intimidating. This shift in mindset can ultimately lead to better sleep.
Nine Techniques to Improve Sleep and Reduce Anxiety
1. Shift Your Mindset
Adjust how you think about sleep. Instead of fixating on how poor sleep will ruin the next day, recognize this concern but don’t dwell on it.
2. Accept Insomnia
Struggling to force sleep often makes it harder to achieve. Accepting that you may not fall asleep easily can reduce stress and allow sleep to come naturally.
3. Learn to Relax
While lying awake may feel frustrating, practicing relaxation can help. Let go of worries and observe your thoughts without judgment.
4. Turn Negative into Positive
If pre-sleep anxiety arises from an important task the next day, acknowledge that it’s normal and even beneficial. Embrace the feeling instead of resisting it.
5. Stick to a Consistent Schedule
Avoid going to bed too early or too late due to fear of insomnia. Maintain regular sleep and wake times to avoid creating a "sleep lag."
6. Practice Mindfulness
Spend time in a quiet place, such as a park bench, practicing mindfulness. Focus on sensations like the breeze, the texture of the ground, or your breathing. Mindfulness reduces negative emotions and promotes better sleep.
7. Focus on What Matters
Don’t let insomnia take over your life. Continue engaging in meaningful activities, such as socializing or traveling, even after a poor night’s sleep. Prioritizing what’s important reduces insomnia-related frustration.
8. Avoid Caffeine in the Afternoon
Caffeine can linger in the body for hours. Meadows explains that if consumed at noon, half the caffeine may still be active by 6 PM, and a quarter by midnight. To prevent sleep disruption, limit caffeine intake to the morning.
9. Stay in Bed
If you wake up during the night, remain in bed to rest. Avoid using your phone, as its blue light suppresses melatonin production and wakes you up further. If necessary, get up briefly but return to bed quickly and change your position to encourage sleep.
