How to sleep with anxiety – ensure a better night's sleep during these uncertain times

I'm sure many of us are finding it hard to sleep right now, with all that's going on in the world! So we've turned to the sleep experts for tips on how to sleep with anxiety and the new norm of lockdown.

Even the best sleepers may be struggling right now, I include myself in that category. I would never normally struggle to drift off, in no time, and get eight hours – but all that has changed of late.

Is it the anxiety? Is it the bad routine? Turns out it could be a mix of all those things combined.

More on sleep: The five things in bedrooms that are ruining sleep – how to avoid them

The sleep experts at SleepScore Labs shares these extra handy tips to get a better night's sleep...

1. Reduce your news intake

'Being at home all day, you may be tempted to leave the news on all day to get the latest COVID-19 related updates,' they say. 'Or you may be constantly refreshing your online news to see what’s happening in real-time. While staying informed is always a good thing, you may be getting information overload, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety throughout your day.'

The experts suggest only checking the updates once or twice a day, and then focus on other things.

The other highly important thing here too is timing. 'Swap the 10pm news for the lunchtime news,' they say to ensure we, 'take time to wind down before bed and divert your thoughts from the news so you can fall asleep easier.'

A hot bath filled with Epsom salts is a good way to go, before you put your head down.

2. Stay active

'Just because the gym is closed doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your physical activity. Try a 45-minute walk outside to get that sunshine and keep your legs going. This can help you feel more tired later when you’re ready for bed.'

The internet has never seen such a wide variety of free workouts on offer. All tailored to suit our stay at home way of life right now.

One of our favourites is the free weekly pilates class offered by Phillip Schofield's favourite trainer, Jo Tuffney.

3. Keep mealtime and bedtime routines

An ideal way to keep your sleep habits strong is to keep the rest of your day on some kind of daily schedule. Don't fall into the Christmas routine of late nights and erratic mealtimes just because you can.

The SleepScore Lab experts recommend 'trying to be vigilant about keeping your mealtimes at the same time each day. You may be able to adjust your new meal schedule based on having more time at home, but be sure to keep the routine each day. This new routine can help you keep your bedtime and wake time consistent.'

4. Take advantage of any extra time

With many of us banking extra free time due to our lack of commute, we are gaining precious hours to indulge in some self care. Not to mention the extra time from not socialising.

Here's what the sleep experts suggest, 'Perhaps you take this time to schedule the proper amount of sleep you need! Experts recommend at least seven hours nightly, but maybe you can shoot for more.'

These are tips specially aimed to help sleep during difficult periods of unrest, where many of the classic tips and tricks can still help. To see those read the below...

I'm trying all the above tonight! Hope these handy tips will help us all sleep a little easier.