When worry keeps you awake

Short Reads · 3 min

Why sleep gets hard when life is heavy, and what helps

When you're stressed, your body stays on alert, and night is when the mind finally has space to replay everything.

Lying in bed fighting it usually makes it worse. If you've been awake for a long while, get up, sit somewhere dim and quiet, and return when you feel sleepy.

Keep the same wake-up time, even after a bad night. It's the anchor your body uses to reset.

Key points

• Don't fight it in bed for hours
• Same wake-up time every day
• Less caffeine after mid-afternoon

Please also: If poor sleep lasts more than a few weeks, please see a doctor. It's common and treatable.

From the Quran & Sunnah

• Stress & worry

More on Rest & sleep

• A gentle wind-down: Ten quiet minutes that tell your body it's night
• 4-7-8 breath for sleep: A slow rhythm many people use to fall asleep