What do to about the 4am wake up & worries
I know it’s not just me who occasionally wakes up around 4 a.m. with worries on my mind. One minute you are sleeping soundly, the next minute you are wide awake counting the catastrophes and impending doom.
How do I know it’s not just me? Because when I googled 4 a.m. worrying things like ‘nocturnal anxiety’ ‘4 a.m. thoughts’ and a whole load of questions and possible answers come up.
One suggestion is that around 4 a.m. the sleep hormone melatonin is wearing off and the stress hormone needed for us to get up and ready for the day, cortisol, starts to kick in.
Another reason was that 4 a.m. is ‘the witching hour’ when ‘the veil between the physical and spiritual realm is at its thinnest’.
Any which way, I’m sure we could all do without it. So, what to do when it happens to you?
I have found asking myself ‘what if’ questions works wonders
What if it all works out?
What if it goes better than expected?
What if this is a silver lining?
What if this turns out to be is the greatest thing that ever happened?
What if, what if, what if?
I find asking that question helps you frame issues, problems, fears in a positive way. It engages the creative part of your brain and helps you think of things you’ve never thought of before. It opens up your possibilities and solutions.
The other thing I find helpful is to remember the other times I lay awake at 4 a.m. and try to remember what I was worried about and what happened. In most cases, something better than the worst-case scenario transpired and the catastrophe I worried about did not materialise. Other times, with hindsight, it all turned out for the best. Most of the time, I can’t remember what I was worried about.
And lastly, the expression that I always find soothing is: ‘This too shall pass.’ We are all on a journey and it has twists and turns, ups and downs, bumps and bounces. It might get hair-raising along the way, but it does pass.
I hope that helps. If anyone has any other remedies for the 4 a.m. wake-up and worries, please share!
As always, Be Fearlessly You!
Tracy
