5 Sleep Tips for Helping with Stress and Anxiety

Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. In fact, each stage of sleep plays a role in brain health, enabling us to think, learn and remember things better. Research shows that brain activity during sleep has profound effects on emotional and mental health.

Harvard Health Publishing reports that in the U.S. about 10 to 18 percent of adults have chronic sleep problems, while about 50 to 80 percent of adults seeking mental health support face critical chronic sleep issues, particularly those with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A lack of sleep is especially harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional memories, which can influence mood and emotional reactivity. Poor sleep is tied to mental health disorders and their severity can worsen mood disorders such as depression. Bad sleep is also linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system.

Additionally, research shows an especially strong connection between PTSD and sleep. One common symptom of PTSD is the intrusion of negative memories, which can manifest as nightmares. In combination with the hypervigilance, which is common in PTSD, can lead many veterans to have persisting issues with getting adequate restorative sleep.

Many sleep problems are manageable with the help of lifestyle changes and possibly medical treatment under the guidance of a doctor. If you are starting to notice some sleepless nights due to stress and anxiety, consider making some changes to your daily routine to help get a better night sleep. Addressing sleep issues early on can prevent your worries from turning into something more serious.

Here are 5 sleep tips to help manage daily stress and anxiety:

Strengthen your association between the bed and sleep by spending less time in bed awake. Reserve time in bed for actual sleep and move activities like reading, watching television, or scrolling through your phone, to a space outside of the bedroom.
Do something boring. If you are in bed but unable to sleep, get out of bed and do something boring until you feel sleepy. However, avoid watching videos or looking at social media (these are too stimulating). Instead, read a nonfiction book or listen to calming music.
Make your bedroom sleep-friendly. You can enhance falling asleep better by making sure the outside lights are well-blocked, the temperature in the room is on the cool side, and that distracting noises are minimized; use a white noise machine.
Set a regular time for going to bed and waking up. This will train your brain and body to expect sleep during those set times and try to stick to the schedule even on the weekends.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Both of these ingredients create some stimulating effects and can disrupt sleep.

Starting Friday, April 2 at 1 p.m. ET we’ll also be hosting a 4-week Virtual Sleep Enhancement Workshop for individuals experiencing difficulty with falling or staying asleep due to stress and worry. All participants require an initial phone call and evaluation appointment to enroll.

We hope these tips and workshop can help get your sleep on the right track. Please call our office to enroll in the workshop or if you are experiencing more serious issues where sleep problems are a symptom. We are available at

240-847-7500.

Women's History Month:

Honoring Our Women Veterans

Dr. Anneke Vandenbroek, Clinic Director

Branch of Service: U.S. Army

Military Job: 73B (Psychologist)

What it means to be a women veteran? I am I am part of a very special club. Women are a growing part of the military community and it is important for women veterans to be represented.

Why I work at the clinic? I love my work as a psychologist and working with veterans, active duty, and military family members. I feel I can give back every day.

Life at Home: I am a mom to two teenage boys. I have a dog and two cats.

Mallary Lass, Outreach Manager

Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force

Military Job: 4C0X1 (Mental Health Tech)

What it means to be a women veteran? I am proud to have served my country as a female veteran. It gave me many opportunities I would not have had, otherwise. Some people still can't accept women as veterans and the impact they make. I have been assumed to be a spouse or family member rather than a veteran. This assumption needs to change.

Why I work at the clinic? My active service ended when I was medically discharged, but the clinic allows me to still serve the military community and advocate for mental health, just in a new capacity.

Life at Home: I have a dog (Oreo) I adopted while stationed in Alaska!