6 Ways To Deal With Anxiety & Fears Of Living Alone

Don't Nap During The Day

Taking a nap during the day was my go-to.

It was so easy because at the time, I worked from 6am to 2pm, so when I got home, there was enough going on around the outside of my apartment that I could sleep with ease. But this only made it even more difficult to sleep at night because I wasn't really tired. And of course by the time I actually did fall asleep, it was pretty much time for me to wake up.

Even in the morning, it was difficult for me to get out of my bed because I thought a stranger was hiding in my apartment and waiting for me get up. Yeah, it was that bad at one point. But the positive thing is that as tired as I was during the day from not getting any sleep the night before, if I could hold out until later in the evening, I could at least get a full night of uninterrupted rest.

Get That Temp Right

The temperature in your home actually has a lot do with how well you sleep.

We all know it's pretty much impossible to sleep when you're really cold or really hot. Some of those sleepless nights for me came because my feet were freezing and I didn't want to get up and put on a pair of socks.

While the best temperature for sleeping is 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit, you might want to grab an extra blanket or put a fan near your bed if that's too hot or too cold. Either way, there's nothing like feeling completely comfortable when you get in the bed. That will help you not only get to sleep, but stay asleep until your alarm goes off.

Read, Honey

… An actual book. You might be surprised at how tired you get once you start flipping through the pages.

This one helped me a lot because even though podcasts and audiobooks are also helpful solutions for a lot of people, I have a hard time sleeping with noise like talking or music because it just makes me want to get in the mix (however, those sleep sounds app come through in the clutch). But when I started reading, it didn't take long for the book to fall on my face as I drifted away to sleep. This is also a great one because it doesn't cause more of a distraction or get your body excited like television or scrolling through social media.

Get Social

I wouldn't suggest doing this every night of the week, but if you can find something to do until a couple of hours before it's time for you to wind down, you could sleep easier compared to spending a ton of time a home.

I say this because by the time you get home, you could be dog tired and can't help but get some sleep. It's like the method when parents ride their kids around in the car until they fall asleep. Whether it's taking a workout class (that will really get you good and tired) or making weekly plans with a friend, staying out until it's time to wind down could be the key to help you get better sleep. Sidebar: Taking a shower before going to bed can do wonders for both your body and your sleep schedule.

Phone A Friend

There were times I would call my then boyfriend in the middle of the night because I was scared and couldn't sleep.

At first, I got a little annoyed because he would make me feel kind of stupid for literally being afraid every single night. But at the same time, he would help me realize how silly it was to think someone was in my home without me knowing about it. While my inner thoughts would always find a way to argue with what he was saying, I knew he was right. I would have to overcome this fight within my mind before I could get over my fear and get some sleep.

Pray Girl, Pray

And keep doing it! I remember I would say a prayer almost every night like, "God, please help me get some sleep tonight." And I wouldn't.

I think I was focusing too much on trying to get sleep, that my body wouldn't let me do it. Even though I started praying for things like peace and protection, I also started to pray about other things that were going on, like why I was really afraid and going through anxiety to begin with. Those sleepless nights ended up being some amazing times with God. And eventually, I would fall asleep.