Have you ever noticed that your anxiety waits patiently all day, only to jump out from behind the sofa the moment you try to sleep?
You’re not imagining it — nighttime anxiety is very real, and very common.
Why anxiety intensifies at night
During the day, you’re distracted. Work, messages, chores, children, errands — your brain has plenty to keep it occupied.
At night, things get quieter. And when the external noise stops, the internal noise finally has room to speak.
The brain science behind it
Research shows that when we’re tired, the brain’s emotional regulation systems work less efficiently.
It’s like asking your phone to run a big software update at 1% battery.
Common night-time anxiety thoughts
- “What if tomorrow goes badly?”
- “Did I embarrass myself today?”
- “I should be asleep by now.” (Ironically one of the most anxiety-triggering thoughts.)
What helps
- Name the anxiety.
“My brain is doing nighttime anxiety things” is surprisingly calming. - Keep a “thought dump” notebook.
Write everything down. Tell your brain, “Thanks, I got it.” - Don’t fight wakefulness.
If you can’t sleep, get up for a few minutes. Fighting anxiety fuels it. - Slow breathing techniques.
Long exhales signal safety to the nervous system.
A gentle reminder
You’re not failing because you feel anxious at night.
Your brain is simply doing what human brains do — trying to keep you safe.