Sleep psychologist shares her top seven tips for overcoming Sunday night anxiety – which two-thirds of Brits suffer from
Whilst sleep is essential to a person’s day, it’s even more important on a Sunday night when you’re preparing for your workweek. Sleep can help prepare you mentally, physically, and emotionally for Monday morning. It also gives you time to let go of any stress or worries from the previous week so you can start fresh on Monday morning.
Here are Dr Katherine Hall’s top tips for ensuring you get a good night’s sleep:
1. Have a set bedtime and stick to it
You may be enticed to stay up late on Sunday night as falling asleep makes Monday morning come even quicker, however, this will only make your work week even harder to manage. It’s important to have a set bedtime and to stick to it every night, or at least Sunday – Thursday night when you’re more likely to be at work. Whilst going to sleep at a certain time may feel slightly childish, this routine helps your body regulate its natural clock and create a healthy sleeping pattern. This will likely result in you feeling tired at roughly the same time every evening and prevent periods where you crash out through exhaustion.
2. Avoid a Sunday afternoon nap
I know this is a hard one, as I love a good nap just as much as the next person! But afternoon naps can cause disruption to a healthy sleeping pattern. Napping can make you feel less tired, and in turn, cause trouble sleeping, as you don’t feel sleepy at your usual bedtime. So, the next time you sit down to relax and find yourself feeling drowsy, pick yourself up off the sofa and get active. Whether it’s going for an after-dinner walk or simply doing the dishes, the activity will get your body moving and prevent you from a nap that can ruin your good night’s sleep.
3. Soak up some sun throughout the day
The morning sunshine is a great way of waking yourself up after a deep slumber, but did you know early morning sunshine can also help you sleep at night? Sunshine will regulate your internal clock alongside daylight hours, plus it could have some positive effects on your hormone cycles and body temperature too. If you’re worried you don’t get enough sunlight (hardly surprising with our British weather), you could also simulate sunshine with a light therapy box.
4. Stop the late-night scrolling and read for just six minutes to reduce your stress levels
Resisting the urge to check your emails, or the latest posts on Instagram or read the next chapter on your kindle can prevent the soft glow of blue light from disrupting your snooze. The light from TV screens can also suppress melatonin levels and stimulate your brain rather than relax you. Instead, consider reading. A study by The University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%, working faster and better than other relaxation methods, such as listening to music (61%) or walking (6%).
However, what is most impressive is that the study revealed that participants only needed to read for six minutes before their stress levels were reduced. So, given that the average reading speed is 1 page per minute, this means the average person only needs to read six pages before their stress levels are reduced, making this an easy habit to form for anyone.
Plus, reading an absorbing book also makes you more likely to experience an increase in slow-wave activity (a type of brain wave associated with deep sleep) during the initial stages of your sleep cycle, meaning you’ll have a deeper sleep overall and wake up feeling more restful.
5. Pick your outfit the night before
6:30 am isn’t the ideal time for a fashion show, so stop trying on everything in your wardrobe and organise what you’re going to wear the night before.
Not only will you save heaps of time that is usually wasted on indecision, but your bedroom floor won’t be covered in various tops and trouser combinations, and you won’t need to rush to iron something last minute. If you’re wondering how to start a good work week, getting ready quickly and easily is a great start, as you’re less likely to be late for work, causing you to have to stay longer.
6. Struggling to drift off? Rub the inner part of your wrist for 2-3 minutes
If you’re lying in bed and struggling to drift off, try rubbing the inner part of your wrist to help soothe yourself into a slumber more quickly. The pressure points on this part of your wrist are known as Heart 4, 5, 6 and 7, and are four acupressure points that help alleviate stress by reducing your cortisol levels (otherwise known as your stress hormones).
7. Or alternatively, place an icepack on your chest for 15 minutes
If you find yourself wide awake with anxiety and need help calming down, you should add a towel-wrapped icepack to your chest and hold it there for 15 minutes. This helps cool down the vagus nerve (the longest nerve in your body), which is responsible for your parasympathetic nervous system. Throughout the 15 minutes, you will slowly see yourself calming down and your heart rate lowering to a more still-like rate.
