What Is Sleep Anxiety? Signs, Causes, and Natural Ways to Find Relief

Most people look forward to crawling into bed after a long day. But for some, bedtime feels more like facing a difficult test than settling in for sleep. If you've ever found yourself wide awake, staring at the ceiling and feeling stressed about not being asleep yet, you're not alone.

Sleep anxiety happens when the simple act of trying to sleep becomes something you worry about. It's different from having trouble sleeping because your mind is busy with other concerns. Instead, sleep itself is the problem you can’t stop thinking about. Research shows that about 20-21% of people experience sleep difficulties directly related to anxiety, making this a surprisingly common issue [1].

This type of worry can be incredibly frustrating because it creates exactly the opposite of what you need to fall asleep. The more you stress about sleeping, the more awake you become. But understanding why this happens and learning some practical ways to manage it can help you get back to peaceful nights.

What Is Sleep Anxiety?

Sleep anxiety is when you feel worried, scared, or stressed specifically about your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It's not the same as lying in bed thinking about tomorrow's meeting or your grocery list. Instead, your worry centers entirely on sleep itself.

People dealing with sleep anxiety often find themselves thinking things like:

• "Here we go again, I'm going to be up all night."

• "Everyone else can sleep normally, why can't I?"

• "If I don't fall asleep in the next 10 minutes, I'll be a wreck tomorrow."

• "My body has forgotten how to sleep."

• "Maybe there's something seriously wrong with me."

What makes sleep anxiety tricky is that it can happen even when you feel physically tired. Your body might be ready for sleep, but your mind gets caught up in the worry cycle. It's almost like your brain becomes a night shift worker when it should be clocking out.

While sleep anxiety isn't an official medical diagnosis, it can have a long-lasting effect on your life. In extreme cases, sleep anxiety can develop into somniphobia, which is an intense, persistent fear of sleep itself. While most people with sleep anxiety still want to sleep but worry about it, somniphobia involves being genuinely terrified of the act of sleeping.

This type of anxiety often builds on itself. One bad night leads to worry about the next night, which makes the next night worse, and so on. Before you know it, bedtime becomes something you dread rather than welcome.

What Are the Signs of Sleep Anxiety?

Sleep anxiety can show up in different ways, and you might experience some or all of these signs. The key thing to remember is that everyone's experience is a little different.

Mental and Emotional Signs

• Dreading bedtime: You might start feeling nervous or upset hours before you actually plan to go to sleep. Some people even avoid their bedroom or delay their bedtime routine.

• Overthinking everything: Your mind might race with thoughts about sleep, how long it's taking, what time it is, how tired you'll be tomorrow, or what might be wrong with you.

• Feeling helpless: You might feel like you've lost the natural ability to sleep and that there's nothing you can do to fix it.

• Getting upset about time: Watching the clock and calculating how many hours of sleep you're losing can become an obsession that makes everything worse.

• Worrying about consequences: You might spend time thinking about how a lack of sleep will affect your work, relationships, or health the next day.

Physical Signs

When anxiety kicks in, your body responds in ways that are the opposite of what you need for sleep:

• Your heart speeds up: You might notice your heart beating faster or feel like it's pounding in your chest, ears, or throughout your body.

• Breathing changes: You might breathe faster or feel like you need to think about each breath, which can make you feel more awake.

• Muscles tense up: Your shoulders, jaw, neck, or other parts of your body might feel tight or refuse to relax, even when you're lying down comfortably.

• Stomach gets upset: Anxiety can cause nausea, butterflies, or make you feel like you need to use the bathroom frequently.

• Temperature feels off: You might feel too hot or cold, start sweating, or get chills, even when the room temperature is comfortable.

• Can't get comfortable: You might toss and turn, flip your pillow multiple times, or feel restless when you should be settling down.

These physical responses happen because your body thinks there's an emergency and prepares you to stay alert. Unfortunately, this is exactly what you don't want when you're trying to sleep.

Also Read: Harvard Researchers Find that a Good Night’s Sleep Can Add Years to Your Life

What Causes Sleep Anxiety?

Sleep anxiety doesn't usually appear out of nowhere. There are often specific reasons why it develops, and understanding these can help you figure out how to address it.

Common Triggers

A rough patch with sleep: Maybe you went through a stressful time, were sick, or had a major life change that disrupted your sleep for a while. This might include experiencing nightmares, sleep paralysis, or other frightening sleep experiences that make you associate sleep with something scary rather than restful. Even after the original problem goes away, the fear of it happening again can stick around.

Major life stress: Big changes like starting a new job, moving, relationship problems, health concerns, or financial worries can trigger anxiety about many things, including sleep.

Being a perfectionist: If you're someone who likes to control how things go, the unpredictable nature of sleep can be especially frustrating. You can't force sleep the way you might be able to force yourself to complete other tasks.

Physical health issues: Chronic pain, hormonal changes, heart problems, breathing difficulties, or other medical conditions can make sleep more challenging, leading to worry about when these issues might interfere.

Medications or substances: Some medications, too much caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine, can affect your sleep quality, making you worry about their influence on your sleep.

Sleep environment problems: Issues like noise from neighbors, street lights shining in your window, a too-warm bedroom, or an uncomfortable mattress can create ongoing concern about whether you'll be able to sleep well.

Work or schedule issues: Shifting work, frequent travel, or irregular schedules can throw off your circadian rhythm, making you more anxious about when and how you'll be able to get good rest.

Research has shown that people who don't sleep well often have brain activity that looks similar to people with anxiety disorders [2]. Poor sleep also causes your body to produce more stress hormones, which can make you feel more on edge during the day and more likely to worry about sleep the next night.

Why Is It Important to Address Sleep Anxiety?

Sleep anxiety can affect much more than just your nights. When it interferes with your sleep, the effects can ripple through many areas of your life.

• Your days become harder: Without good sleep, it's tougher to concentrate, remember things, make decisions, and stay productive. You might find yourself making more mistakes or feeling less creative and motivated. Among adults, around 30.6% report anxiety symptoms that have a strong connection with sleep problems, showing how these issues often go hand in hand [3].

• Your mood suffers: Poor sleep can make you more irritable, less patient, and more likely to feel overwhelmed by things that wouldn't normally bother you. It can also increase the risk of developing depression.

• Your health can decline: Chronic sleep problems are linked to a weakened immune system, weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems. Your body does important repair work during sleep, and missing out on that can add up over time.

• Relationships can get strained: When you're tired and on edge, it's harder to be the partner, parent, friend, or coworker you want to be. You might find yourself snapping at people or withdrawing socially.

• Daily activities become more dangerous: Sleep deprivation slows your reaction time and affects your judgment, making driving, operating equipment, or even walking up stairs riskier.

• Life feels less enjoyable: When you're constantly tired, things you usually enjoy might feel like too much effort, and your overall quality of life can decrease. This is particularly common among young adults, where studies show 28% to 33.7% report poor sleep quality, with anxiety being a major factor in these sleep problems [3] [4].

The good news is that addressing sleep anxiety early can prevent many of these problems from developing or getting worse.

Also Read: University of Oregon Study Highlights How Bad Sleep is Tied to Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

When Should You Get Help for Sleep Anxiety?

While many people can improve their sleep anxiety with lifestyle changes and self-help strategies, sometimes professional help is the best next step.

Consider reaching out to a healthcare provider if your sleep anxiety has been going on for more than a few weeks, is getting worse despite your efforts to manage it, or is significantly affecting your daily life. Also seek help if you're experiencing panic attacks, depression, or other mental health symptoms alongside your sleep difficulties.

A healthcare provider can help determine if there are underlying medical conditions contributing to your sleep problems and can recommend treatments like therapy or medication if needed. They can also rule out other sleep disorders that might be playing a role.

How Is Sleep Anxiety Treated?

The good news is that there are many effective ways to manage sleep anxiety. Often, a combination of methods works better than relying on just one method.

Working on the Anxiety Part

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This type of therapy helps you identify and change the thought patterns that fuel sleep anxiety [5]. You'll learn to recognize when your thinking about sleep is making the problem worse and develop more helpful ways to think about rest.

Mindfulness and meditation: These practices teach you how to observe intrusive thoughts without getting swept away by them. Regular meditation can help you develop a calmer relationship with both anxiety and sleep.

Gradual exposure: Sometimes, slowly facing sleep-related fears in a controlled way can help reduce their power. This might involve practicing relaxation techniques in your bedroom during the day or intentionally staying up a bit later to reduce the pressure around bedtime.

Focusing on Sleep Itself

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): This specialized approach combines changing unhelpful thoughts about sleep with specific behavioral techniques. It includes methods like limiting time in bed to build a stronger sleep drive and creating positive associations between your bed and sleep.

CBT-I has been shown to be highly effective for both insomnia and sleep anxiety, with benefits that often last long after treatment ends. You can find CBT-I through therapists, online programs, or self-help resources.

What Lifestyle Changes Can Help with Sleep Anxiety?

Making some adjustments to your daily routine and environment can go a long way toward reducing sleep anxiety and improving your sleep quality.

Building Better Sleep Habits

• Keep a consistent schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. This helps your body's internal clock stay regulated and makes sleep feel more predictable.

• Create a sleep-friendly environment: Keep your bedroom cool (around 65-68°F), dark, and quiet. Consider investing in blackout curtains, a white noise machine, or comfortable bedding if your current setup isn't working well.

• Develop a calming routine: Establish a series of relaxing activities you do before bed, like reading, gentle stretching, or listening to soft music. Start this routine about an hour before you want to be asleep.

• Use your bed for sleep only: Avoid working, watching TV, or scrolling on your phone in bed. Screen time before sleep can keep your mind active, and the blue light can disrupt your body's production of melatonin at night.

Staying Active During the Day

• Get regular exercise: Physical activity can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. It helps tire your body naturally and can make it easier to fall asleep. Just try to finish intense workouts at least 3-4 hours before bedtime.

• Spend time outside: Natural light exposure during the day helps regulate your circadian rhythm, and fresh air and nature can be calming for anxiety.

• Try gentle evening movement: Light stretching, easy yoga, or a leisurely walk after dinner can help your body transition toward sleep without being too stimulating.

Relaxation Techniques That Work

• Deep breathing: When you notice anxiety building, try breathing slowly and deeply. A simple technique is to breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, and breathe out for 6 counts. This can help activate your body's relaxation response.

• Progressive muscle relaxation: Starting with your toes and working up to your head, tense each muscle group for a few seconds, then release and notice the feeling of relaxation. This can help you release physical tension.

• Guided imagery: Imagining peaceful, calming scenes can help redirect your mind away from intrusive thoughts. You might picture a beach, forest, or any place that feels safe and relaxing to you.

• Mindfulness meditation: Even just 10-15 minutes a day of meditation can help you develop better awareness of your thoughts and learn to let worried thoughts pass without getting caught up in them.

Foods and Drinks That Can Help or Hurt Your Sleep

Things that might help:

• Tart cherries (they naturally contain melatonin)

• Foods with magnesium, like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds

• Complex carbs like oatmeal or whole-grain toast

• Herbal teas like chamomile or passionflower

Things to be careful with:

• Caffeine after 2 PM (it can stay in your system for 6-8 hours)

• Alcohol (it might help you fall asleep, but can disrupt sleep quality later)

• Large meals close to bedtime

• Spicy foods that might cause heartburn when you lie down

• Too many liquids right before bed

How Sip2Sleep® Can Support Better Sleep

While Sip2Sleep® isn't designed to cure sleep anxiety, this natural sleep aid combines two ingredients that have been studied for their ability to support both better sleep and a calmer mind.

The formula includes Montmorency tart cherry extract, which naturally helps your body produce melatonin. Tart cherries also have anti-inflammatory properties that may help support your immune system. The natural melatonin works gently with your body's sleep-wake cycle, making it easier to fall asleep without morning grogginess sometimes linked with melatonin supplements or OTC sleep aids.

Sip2Sleep®  also contains rafuma leaf extract, which research shows can help calm you down. This ingredient supports healthy serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin helps regulate mood and sleep, and balanced levels of serotonin may help reduce intrusive thoughts that make it hard to fall asleep.

Together, these natural ingredients work to support your body's normal sleep cycle while promoting a sense of calm, addressing both the physical and mental aspects that sleep anxiety can affect. When used alongside good sleep habits and stress management techniques, Sip2Sleep® may help you feel more relaxed about bedtime and sleep more peacefully.

References

1. Sarfo, J.O.; Gbordzoe, N.I.; Commey, V.D.; Tawiah, E.D.-Y.; Hagan, J.E., Jr. Gender Differences in Anxiety-Induced Sleep Disturbance: A Survey Among In-School Adolescents in the Republic of Benin. Soc. Sci. 2024, 13, 655. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13120655

2. Chellappa, S. L., & Aeschbach, D. (2022). Sleep and anxiety: From mechanisms to interventions. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 61, 101583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101583

3. Palagini, L., Miniati, M., Caruso, V., Alfi, G., Geoffroy, P. A., Domschke, K., Riemann, D., Gemignani, A., & Pini, S. (2024). Insomnia, anxiety and related disorders: A systematic review on clinical and therapeutic perspective with potential mechanisms underlying their complex link. Neuroscience Applied, 3, 103936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nsa.2024.103936

4. Garmabi M, Andishmand Z, Naderi F, Sharifnezhad A, Darrudi F, Malekzadeh R, Amini A, Gholami A. The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety and Its Association with Sleep Quality in the First-Year Medical Science Students. Depress Res Treat. 2024 Apr 15;2024:7102081. doi: 10.1155/2024/7102081. PMID: 38651016; PMCID: PMC11035008.

5. Chand SP, Kuckel DP, Huecker MR. Cognitive Behavior Therapy. [Updated 2023 May 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470241/