How to sleep

[sophiethestar]

I'm a sufferer of social anxiety, however, recently at night I can't sleep because I feel anxious about everything. I run through thoughts in my head over and over, thinking and panicking over stupid things like fears about arriving on time to places or travelling to places. As the night goes on I panic more and my heart races, I get palpitations and feel sick and shaky.

Has anyone got any advice what I can do to help me get to sleep peacefully?

[Agadch]

Maybe try a meditation when you go to bed? There's lots of meditating apps you can get for your phone (one of my favourites is "sleep easily by shazzie" , it's available in the samsung playstore as well as the itunes app store) or you could look one up on youtube and it might help calm you down and get you to sleep :)

[WillyB]

From my own experience trying to sleep whilst anxious, and sleeping in general, I go to bed with a cup of peppermint tea and read for a little bit, often this makes me drowsy enough. During a particularly long period of distress, I started listening to podcasts before sleeping, followed by looping sounds of nature such as ocean waves, rain and rivers, which I'd keep on all night. They really help get my mind out of those whirlwind of thoughts. Perhaps you could also try some over the counter medicines, Saint Johns Wort used to help me sleep.