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If nervous restlessness disturbs your sleep - what to do about it
Everyone has probably felt it at one point or another - the inner restlessness that leads to a significant decrease in concentration, significantly increased nervousness and many a night spent sleepless. The person concerned could also go to the ceiling with every little thing, they are so irritable. But how does this inner unrest arise?
What is nervous & inner restlessness?
The inner restlessness is - no matter what the cause - rarely the only symptom. It is often accompanied by palpitations and palpitations, tremors, sweats and fatigue. Despite being tired, insomnia also occurs.Inner restlessness is not a disease in itself and it can often have very simple, passing explanations. Fear of an exam, an interview or another important appointment can lead to inner unrest in advance.
At the latest after this date it will be over again. In some cases, however, the inner unrest is difficult to combat and has deeper causes. Stress at work or in private life, whereby the inner restlessness is then conceivable as a sign of possible depression or burnout syndrome. Excessive caffeine consumption can also be the simple explanation for this nervousness and poor concentration.
While there are simple explanations for nervous agitation, if it persists and is not related to a specific situation, it should not be taken lightly. Then the following diseases must be considered and a doctor must be consulted:
- Hypoglycaemia
- Low blood pressure, circulatory disorder
- Hyperthyroidism
- Functional heart problems
- Psychovegetative disorders
- Pulmonary embolism
- Depression and other mental illnesses
Alcohol, drugs and medication or withdrawal from medication can also be the cause of nervous restlessness.
The inner restlessness is - no matter what the cause - rarely the only symptom. It is often accompanied by palpitations and palpitations, tremors, sweats and fatigue. Despite being tired, insomnia also occurs.
A vicious circle that urgently needs to be broken, because anyone who has not had a good rest and can offer his body the necessary rest will find it difficult to return to a healthy state. However, due to the tension during the day, it is difficult to come to rest at night. The resulting tiredness makes the following day a torture again.
10 tips to combat anxiety
So that the night does not have to be turned into day and the person concerned does not react aggressively and annoyedly to trivialities, the person concerned can use a few tricks to combat the nervous restlessness at least to the extent that they can think of regular sleep at night again.
Conduct root cause research
Basically, the inner restlessness is a sign that something is wrong with the body or the psyche. So the first way to combat this is to find the cause of the unrest. In the area of psychological stress in particular, excessive demands on yourself are often the reason for stress symptoms such as restlessness and insomnia. Here it is necessary to take the pressure off yourself and accept that some goals cannot be achieved in the way the person concerned has set himself to be. Especially with deadline pressure or a self-imposed workload you really drive yourself “crazy”.
Here it is now important to deal with the corresponding situation and set new limits and goals in order to be able to take the burden off yourself. Even when there is deadline pressure, the person concerned has to allow himself time to calm down and sort his own thoughts - because only then is he fully operational again and can perform as usual.
This also applies to inner restlessness due to test anxiety or stage fright: if you put yourself under too much pressure, you will usually always be disappointed. It is better to approach a situation calmly and calmly in order to then surprise yourself.
Relaxation exercises
To find peace again - especially before going to bed - relaxation exercises are ideal. A simple and straightforward exercise is this: sit on a soft pillow on the floor, relax your arms and legs, close your eyes and take a deep breath.
Under no circumstances should you think about problems, but about something nice like a vacation on the beach, the hearty laughter of your own child, the unadulterated joy when the dog gets his pats or the memories of a past, nice trip with friends or family. At this moment, everyday worries should be completely forgotten for a short time.
Conscious breathing exercises are also good ways to return to inner calm. Here, for example, the hand is placed on the lower abdomen and deeply inhaled and exhaled, the own hand moving through the breath - this usually has a very calming effect after repeating it several times.
If small exercises don't help, an appropriate course could be a good compensation. Autogenic training is particularly good for combating nervous restlessness and generally grounding yourself. Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation can also be considered. For example, all muscles in the body are tensed for a short time, so that there is a pulling, but not a cramp. Then relaxation can be enjoyed consciously.
Move
The main thing that helps many people to calm down is exercise. This can take place in a sports club or fitness studio, where a new hobby and new friends may be found at the same time. Jogging, walking and cycling are particularly good and can be easily carried out outdoors.
In addition to the required exercise, the person concerned gets fresh air and can enjoy nature. People who are less athletic and who do not enjoy strenuous physical activity can simply go for a walk and thus also get the exercise they need. Furthermore, swimming is a sporty as well as calming activity that creates a good balance and thus can nip inner unrest in the bud.
music
As simple as it sounds, many people can relax perfectly with music - just lay on the bed, listen to their favorite sound and forget about the rest of the world for a short while. Classical music or music specially designed for relaxation exercises is recommended here, but sometimes loud, fast music also works wonders. Which music is used in each individual case is therefore a matter of taste.
Calming tea
It has already been mentioned that drinks containing caffeine should be avoided if you are feeling restless. Accordingly, black tea is not recommended either. Soothing teas, on the other hand, can actually be effective before bed and help you fall asleep.
A mixture of passion flower, valerian root and peppermint leaves two to three times a day are conceivable, and black nettle and chamomile tea have a calming effect. However, if you don't like the pure tea taste, you should definitely refrain from sweetening it with sugar. Because sugar has a stimulating effect and is therefore going in the completely wrong direction.
It is better to sweeten the tea with honey syrup. Many calming teas are also easy to make yourself - vitanet.de has the right instructions ready.
Pay attention to the diet
Caffeine and sugar - especially in large quantities - are taboo when someone is suffering from anxiety. But fat, nicotine and alcohol should also be avoided if possible, as these substances promote nervous restlessness and insomnia rather than prevent them. A large glass of buttermilk, on the other hand, can work wonders.
Acupressure: stimulating the pressure point "Heart 7"
Acupressure helps not only with various pains, but also with anxiety. The corresponding point in this case is the pressure point "Heart 7". To do this, the wrist is slightly bent towards the forearm. The corresponding acupressure point lies directly on the crease on the inside of the wrist, the treatment is carried out by gently pressing and circling for about a minute. This method works especially well when fear and restlessness are acute and can therefore also be used shortly before sleep.
Relaxation bath before going to bed
A relaxation bath is a simple and inexpensive wellness option. Anyone who has a bathtub at home can use a hot bath to relax and unwind.Anyone who owns a bathtub at home knows that a full bath can be pure relaxation - also in the fight against inner restlessness. However, bathing should not be too hot, a water temperature of 38 ° Celsius is ideal for a relaxing bath at a room temperature of up to 21 ° C. Valerian, hops, lavender or hay flowers are recommended as bath additives.
However, it should not be exaggerated: the bath should last a maximum of 20 minutes in order to find rest in bed afterwards, wrapped up warm. Accordingly, something should also be actively done for relaxation in the bedroom. The following guide offers tips on this. For example, the choice of blanket, pillow, and mattress can have a big impact on your sleep.
Homeopathic treatment
Not everyone wants to turn to the pharmaceutical industry for insomnia or restlessness. It doesn't have to be, there are various homeopathic remedies that promise improvement.
Examples are: Aconitum D12 for restlessness, insomnia, anxiety and palpitations. Gelsemium D30 for stage fright, fear of flying and internal cramps. Coffea D30 for over-nervousness, insomnia and heart restlessness.
Chamomilla D30 for nervousness, mental fatigue, moodiness and hypersensitivity. Cocculus D6 for nervousness due to lack of sleep. While these remedies are fairly risk-free, they should not be taken without first consulting a professional.
↳ More information: Home remedies for anxiety
See a doctor
However, if all of this does not help, the restlessness and insomnia persist and a correct cause cannot be determined, then a visit to the doctor should not be avoided. This will subject the person concerned to a physical examination, measure their blood pressure, take a blood sample and possibly carry out other tests such as computed tomography in order to get to the bottom of the cause of the symptoms and to be able to rule out certain clinical pictures.