Higher Anxiety at Bedtime, New to Old iPhone Game
 

Hi,
I don’t know if this is the most appropriate place to post this. I really have trouble relaxing and getting sleepy prior to bedtime, though I have been able to get to sleep by 1:30 am PST the last few nights. In years past I often turned to chat to relax, and ultimately hope to need no external help as I plan for my sobriety to finally be long term, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone in chat at that time lately. Not complaining, it’s just something I have observed and I could be missing people by a second. Long story short, if out there anyone out there that plays Words with Friends between 11pm and 1am PST and doesn’t take literally 9 hours between turns, I am comedyknerd on there. I’m very new to this very old app, haven’t finished a game yet as my opponents are playing sporadically. I’m not much of a challenge. No expectations on using the chat feature in the game, but feel free to say I saw your weirdo post on SR. Thanks! I know there are word games in the forums, if you think I’m better off playing in the forums let me know.

Food for thought: Staring at screens at bed time is terrible for your bed "hygiene". I realize it's pretty difficult to do and get used it, especially when you're anxious or restless, but try to get yourself in a routine. Your body and brain need to be reset.

Stop the computer/tv/phone at least an hour before bed time. Don't eat near bed time, especially anything with sugar or refined carbs that will be turned to sugar. Have you tried reading, meditation, etc? When I use to have anxiety at night, I tried to stay with hard copy items, like crosswords, sudoku books, etc. That way I could exercise my brain to distract me from the anxiety, but also stayed away from the screens that overstimulate the brain and keep you awake longer.

I went to a meeting tonight and realized after I left that I went an hour without my iPhone and outside of knitting and some daytime reading, it was the first time in a couple months that I didn’t have my phone in my hands or playing a podcast or music. I was okay. I have been allowing myself whatever works to get to sleep or to distract myself from rumination. But after reading your post, and a lot of sleep hygiene articles that I’ve read (and ignored:C023:) over the years I know I’m probably working against myself. Sorry for that “probably “, I’m a stubborn jerk sometimes. I’ve been planning on being more disciplined in October, habit trackers and yada yada, and I’m winding up whatever works week with this thread, instead of winding down. I was also fixated on not reaching for the phone first thing in the morning, I didn’t think about not reaching for it at bedtime. Sometimes you need that outside opinion to look at what direction you are really going in. Thanks, abgator.

It's a very hard habit to break, reaching for that darn phone that we stayed glued to. I still fail at it on occasion, but I try. I'm kinda addicted to Township, so I have a very difficult time not checking at bed time to send off one more train, plane, or start new crops lol.

Or you may have a setting on your phone that changes to "night time", which eliminates the blue light that is what they say is messing with our eyes/brain. I've been looking at getting some blue light filtering glasses for work, as I spend 9 hours a day staring at the computer for work and then what do we do at home? Phone, computer, tv. Ugh.