When Worry Takes Away Your Sleep: 3 Ways To Fight Anxiety At Night

Do you ever find yourself wide awake at night and consumed with worry?

I find myself most vulnerable in the evening and at night. This is when I am most tired from the build up of drama throughout the day. Typically I am tired enough to fall asleep quickly. But there are times I lie awake tossing and turning as I go down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of negative thoughts. Something small and insignificant easily becomes a great cause of anxiety and fear when I am at my most vulnerable.

So how do I stop these thoughts? How do I keep them from consuming me?

Here are 3 ways to fight anxiety at night and get a good night’s rest:

Self talk

Talk out your irrational thoughts with yourself.

I was immediately taken with the idea of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) because the concept was so relevant and effective in combating negative thoughts in my own day-to-day. CBT is the idea that your emotions and behaviours stem from your thoughts. Having difficulty with a certain emotion or behavioural practice? Change your thought process.

The other day, for example, I was feeling an immense emotional weight when all of a sudden I realized that once Baby #2 comes, Rosie wouldn’t have my undivided attention anymore. I was utterly heartbroken at how it won’t just be the two of us. I obsessed and stressed over how things just wouldn’t be the same.

I countered my fears one by one; becoming an older sibling is part of maturing. Rosie will become more independent. She will definitely not be worse off because of it. The worst case scenario: the transition might take longer than we hope for. The big plus is that I get a new baby and Rosie gets a sibling, something I already know she will LOVE.

This one is an easy one – I knew I was being irrational from the start. But it really takes that one quick slap in the face to snap out of that negative emotional spiral. Coherently gather your thoughts, express your fears and logically combat them one by one.

Recite Scripture

Memorize God’s Word frequently so that it is at the tip of your tongue when you need it.

As a Christian, I believe that self-talk, although effective in part, is not enough to sustain lasting change. We need the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit for real heart change and freedom from worry. We cannot lean on our own understanding. The Bible provides the wisdom and instruction we need to fight our fears. Psalm 4:8 and Philippians 4:6 are my go-to verses when I cannot sleep at night. I have held them close in my heart since my early university days. I recite these passages to myself. I soak up each word. I hang on to the promises because I know they are true (I just need to be reminded often!).

“I will lie down and sleep in peace because you O God make me dwell in safety.”

“Do not worry about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts  and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Pray

Pray because God hears your fears. Pray because it’s a good distraction from anxious thoughts.

It’s no substitute for daily quiet time (that I prefer to have in the mornings) but I find that the prayers in my sleepless nights are my most raw and real. My night time prayers are the ones where I’m genuinely pleading with God to take away consuming fears, wrestling with Him in my emotional distress, and asking for a peaceful sleep and energy for the next morning.

I feel very alone when I’m wide awake at night, swimming in the weight of my emotional burdens, while George is off in dreamland. Prayer reminds me that I am not alone. I can pray with confidence because God hears my prayers and because His promises in His Word are true.  

What a sweet and simple testimony of God’s faithfulness in my night time struggles. Even though I really just wanted to go to sleep, the insomnia and anxiety leads me into a genuine and intimate time of worship. I am edified and blessed and I can finally fall asleep in peace.

So there’s my 3 ways to fight anxiety at night! How do you fall asleep when your mind is racing? Let us know below!