Trouble sleeping-too nervous!

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I'm about to start nursing school again and I'm really nervous. I have trouble settling down and falling asleep-I'm constantly thinking about what's ahead and I start to become worried. Do you have any tips to help calm nerves?

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Specializes in IMCU.

OK I get this but only rarely.

You must remember that you DO in fact have control over what and how you think. If your thoughts are racing away from you at night imagine a stop sign coming up in front of you and then consciously think about something else...like how comfy the bed is, how warm it is under the covers, count backwards from 1000 in threes. You will need to practice but it will work.

Also, stop coffee early in the day if you don't already. I used to think that coffee did not keep me awake. When it actually kept me from going to bed.

Keep a notebook, pen and penlight next to your bed. If you do think of something you must do tomorrow you can reach over and write it down without turning on the light. I recommend this less because it, in itself, can become a habit.

Try making a list of things you want to accomplish a couple of hours before bedtime. Not right before bedtime.

There seems to be so much hype about starting nursing school or starting a new semester in nursing school. Maybe you need a mantra to keep repeating when you get anxious. I say the serenity prayer that was adopted by AA over and over and over until I have control of my worries.

The other thing to do is to talk to a psychologist who specializes in CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). I did this years ago and it helped me tons!

That is my two cents. Good luck.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Just relax and do your best. Take it a day at a time. God will give you the strength to get by.

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I have really, really awful anxiety that used to keep me up all night tossing and turning. I cut caffeine completely out of my diet-- and that helped a ton. Certain people are really, really sensitive to caffeine, and even one can of soda after 1 PM could keep them up.. consider cutting back or cutting it out of your diet (if you are a big caffeine drinker!)-- it should help a lot. Also, exercise!! In the morning, preferably (because if you exercise before bed, it's just going to give you a boost in energy and keep you up)... you'll be sleeping like a baby in no time (:

Also, if the anxiety is really disrupting certain aspects of your life, consider talking to your doctor or therapist!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

This may seem kind of silly, but when I'm trying to fall to sleep, everytime I realize I'm "thinking" about something, positive or negative (both keep me from sleeping at times), I just think the word "stop" and focus on one thing (for me, the sound of my fan). Again, everytime you start to wonder from that focus, say "stop" to bring yourself back to it. At first, you'll probably have to do this several times as you don't notice at first when your mind is starting to wonder. Once you get used to it though, you almost do it automatically.

Imagery can be good too, maybe a stop sign as DolceVita suggested or imagine yourself somewhere relaxing like the beach. I even listen to a "thunderstorm" cd sometimes.

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you'll live. you'll eventually crash. your body knows what it's doing and it's good you have anxiety. anxiety makes you study hard! ;)

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You're not alone! I have the same problem!!! What I try to do is I don't eat/snack right before bedtime, and I do not study right before. Studying right before bed leads me to thinking about my notes in bed. I either take a shower (be careful with this, showers wake some people up, unfortunately it's the opposite for me) or I read a non-school-related book. Do not watch TV or use the computer an hour before bed because the bright lights can keep you awake.

Also, I find what helps a lot is that I think about when I will have time to get my to do list done, for example if I'm worrying about studying I'll think "Ok, 2 hours of study time after school, break, work, study after work and all day Thurs" etc, etc.

good luck!

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Specializes in Operating Room, Long Term Care.

I'm in my last year and hopefully graduate in May. I always get nervous at the beginning of the year, but it will go away after you get going. Good Luck.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing, Orthopediacs.

I always get nervous before school starts.

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