Sleep & Anxiety: A Simple Technique to Calm Your Mind (Mini)

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Sleep anxiety can feel like a relentless cycle—you wake in darkness, heart pounding, mind spinning with worries that feel insurmountable at 3 AM. But what if a simple body-focused practice could help break this pattern?

Mary Rothwell shares a powerful technique for those frustrating middle-of-the-night wake-ups when anxiety takes hold. Rather than fighting against racing thoughts directly (which often makes them stronger), she introduces a mindful approach focusing first on physical sensations. By feeling the supportive surface beneath you and imagining warmth slowly traveling up from your feet, you create an anchor that interrupts rumination. This practice works because your brain can't effectively focus on two things simultaneously—when you direct attention to bodily sensations, anxious thoughts begin to recede.

The episode explains how nighttime anxiety connects to our bodies' natural rhythms and hormone fluctuations, particularly melatonin and cortisol. Mary offers practical guidance for releasing tension in common problem areas like the jaw and face, while emphasizing self-compassion through gentle reminders that you're safe and supported. She acknowledges the irrational nature of late-night worries that often seem trivial by daylight, validating this common experience while providing tools to navigate it better. Whether you're dealing with occasional insomnia or chronic sleep struggles, this short but impactful episode delivers a technique you can implement tonight for more peaceful rest. For those wanting deeper sleep support, Mary mentions her comprehensive online program specifically designed for midlife women, available through her website.

Have you tried body-focused techniques to manage sleep anxiety? Leave a review or send Mary a message through the link in the show notes—she'd love to hear which strategies work for you or what sleep topics you'd like covered in future episodes.

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