Sleeping Worries

Dear Dopey,

Not being able to sleep can be very frustrating and upsetting especially if you have to get up early the following day and be alert. Worrying about not getting enough sleep can create an ongoing cycle of anxiety. The more trouble you have sleeping, the more you worry about it, the harder it is to get to sleep and stay asleep. This is a common problem, especially during exam time as your stress levels are probably higher than usual. Take heart as there are a few things you could try to soothe yourself off to sleep.

Try going to bed earlier and at a regular time every night, as much as possible. This sort of trains your brain to shut down at a specific time, if you know you have lots of time you relax more and you're not so inclined to wake up worrying about not having had enough sleep. If you wake up during the night and can't get back to sleep, don't just lie there getting frustrated, get up and read a book, preferably a slightly boring one (one of your text books will probably work nicely!) and have a hot drink but not one with caffeine in it, so avoid tea and coffee, etc. Try camomile tea (a herbal remedy for insomnia). If you like to drink energy drinks like V and Red Bull make sure that you don't have any after midday as most of these are full of caffeine and sugar and will keep you awake.

What about coming to see a counsellor (free) at AUT Health, Counselling and Wellbeing? They have lots of great ideas to help you decrease your stress levels. Sometimes just talking over any background worries you may have, can really help. You could also try one of our relaxation classes called REFRESH. This is run monthly by one of the counsellors at Health, Counselling and Wellbeing. You will be taught different relaxation techniques to help you de-stress and unwind. Email Amanda Lees (Counsellor) This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information on Refresh courses

Learning how to deal with worries and anxieties as they evolve will help you to develop strategies and coping mechanisms for the future.

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