Why am I anxious at night before bed?
129 Answers
Last Updated: 02/08/2022 at 8:10pm
★ This question about Anxiety was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
Moderated by
Penny Dahlen, Ed.D., LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
I am committed to helping you find your passion, heal old wounds, and flow smoother in all aspects of your life path! I use a compassionate listening approach.
Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
January 28th, 2016 6:24pm
There are many possible reasons. Maybe you are nervous for something the next day? Or you don't want to do something the next day these are simple possible reasons why.
You may be worried about the day thats about to come, or maybe dreams if you get bad dreams? relax yourself as much as possible before bed, relaxing shower/bath with good music and nicely scented candles and anything to get you in to your own happy place
Anonymous
July 24th, 2018 12:50am
It is likely just your thoughts from the day. Try to give yourself time to relax and unwind from the day - if possible, turn off the TV, turn off the computer, turn off your phone and just go screen free for a good 30 mins to an hour before bed.
Probably because you're winding down from a long day, trying to fall asleep, then your thoughts about what you may do tomorrow or how earlier that day went could be a cause for that anxiousness.
A therapist told me once that our anxiety and depression typically comes at night because of one sole fact: it's night. At this point in the day, our minds are quieting, yet mostly alive. We don't really have anything better to do and we're just settling down for the evening. Due to this, our mind starts thinking, since we have nothing to distract us. That's usually why. Our demons attack us when there's nothing for us to fight with.
It could be because you are thinking too much about what is gonna happen the next day, say you don't think your homework is right.
i feel anxious because of my future and traumatic experience during day might also be one the reasons for being anxious
Too many things going on all at once in your head. . So much to get done, not breaking things down into chunks and feeling anxious just from the thought of doing certain things. . Not taking the time to relax and spend time to do things that you enjoy and things that make you feel happy and relaxed. Motion = Emotion and the more you move about, exercising and even being active doing an activity you enjoy as well as drinking plenty of water and eating well can help keep your mind functioning well and keep you energised and refreshed and you will feel less anxious as you are allowing yourself to focus on the things that will make you feel good.
Anonymous
December 1st, 2015 11:14pm
An answer I've always heard is that your mind wanders places as you're getting ready for bed. This is because of your mind getting ready to dream or getting ready for the next day, which isn't good for your mental or physical health if it won't let you sleep. A possible way to help is to write some thoughts down on a piece of paper and give a little detail on the notes before bed.
I am anxious at night before bed worrying about what is going to happened the next day, even if there is nothing stressful, I still have an insane need to worry about it.
If you have a pressing issues to handle the next day, you might experience a heighten sense of anxiety.
Maybe its because you are thinking to much. it is good to meditate before bed to release negatively.
Anxiety affects sleeping by definition. It is actually common for many anxious people to have trouble falling asleep, because stress works this way. I understand that this can be annoying, because sleeping is supposed to be the time during which our body and mind releases all day's tension. What I want to tell you is that it is not your fault that this happens. If you have to deal with many different tasks during your day, you might find it dificult to fall asleep. Try to not think much about it, if possible. There are also many great breathing and meditation exercises here on 7 cups, you can give them a try if you want. I hope they help you.
At night your body is naturally more relaxed and tired as it prepares for sleep, also by producing hormones that contribute to it that are not segregated during the day. At the same time, unfortunately this give your mind plenty of time and opportunity to focus on all your worries, negative emotions and problematic thoughts, some of which can drive anxiety. Particularly when you are in bed, the above mentioned factors can become out of control and form a vicious circle, which in turn can bring the anxiety to increase to the point of not letting you fall sleep or even sleep at all.
It depends on what you feel anxious about. Normally at night, people reflect on their day. Also knowing that the day is over can sometimes trigger anxiety if you feel you haven't feel you've achieved what you wanted to achieve or you feel that you are running out of time for something. Try and plan for the day ahead each night and hopefully that should help overcome it.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 5:45am
During the day, people encounter a variety of events that can distract them from anxious thoughts. At bedtime, though, you're alone with your thoughts, so any anxieties you may have are allowed to come to the surface. You may want to try controlling your breathing, as well as actively sorting through and rebutting your anxiety-related thoughts.
I have this same problem!!! Has anything happened to you before in the past while you were sleeping?
Because your going threw your whole day seeing things you could of done different wondering what would of happened if you had done those things that way
Sometimes the thought of sleep and being alone with your thoughts can be quite anxiety inspiring. This is something that happens to many people and you are not alone! Learning to sit with and experience thoughts and feelings can be quite a challenge. Bedtime is when the distractions generally stop, and this can lead to anxiety before bed.
I'm not sure, do you have trouble sleeping? because that may be an issue, or it may be because at night you have more time to think about thing's as your mind isn't that occuipied.
Anxiety comes to me mostly at night too. I think it's because after all the stresses of the day you finally get to relax and your mind starts thinking of everything that happened that day or everything that will happen tomorrow. Try listening to soothing music or read. It's best to get your mind off of all your stress.
There are a couple reasons you might feel anxious before going to bed. Some could include being nervous for the next day or worrying about what happening during the past day. The best thing to do is to think of something that makes you calm and use that to help get rid of the anxiety.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2016 5:33am
You can feel anxious before you go to bed when you are self consciously thinking of an event that could be happening the next day that you feel unsure or nervous about.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2016 8:00pm
Because you are still recovering from the day you experienced. Going over the things you accomplished on your to-do list and the things you did not. The uncompleted tasks can become overwhelming and you feel like the new day may be more difficult.
I get anxiety at night before bed, too. I think this is normal for most people. The day has come to an end, and your brain is rushing through all the things you did during the day that were upsetting, and is worried about all the things you have to do tomorrow. One thing that helps get rid of my anxiety at night is to make sure I get a lot of exercise during the day. If you exhaust your body, your brain will be exhausted as well, and will give you a break! : )
I feel that way when my mind's move on to the next day already. I try to focus on the physical world around me to keep my mind occupied
Anonymous
January 9th, 2016 11:22am
Probably all the stress of the day came out the night,just relax and watch some tv to take your mind off things.
alot of anxiety comes at night because we begin to calm down for bed but our mind just won't let us trying have some relaxtion tea its all natrual and around 3 dollars for 15 bags
Anonymous
January 10th, 2016 1:29pm
because it's the time when your brain works most and finds time to bring up all what you normally think about .. try to focus on happy memories or imagine something good
I think that anxiety often happens at night. Because that is a time when you have the most time to reflect and take in what happened during the day.
Related Questions: Why am I anxious at night before bed?
How do I get over feeling that everyone is going to leave me?Everything in my life is messed up. Motivation works temporarily and I'm not suicidal but feel it's pointless to live like this. What should I do to feel hopeful? How can I get what I need from my doctor? I feel extremely sick whenever I leave my house, what can I do? I have trouble with my school work due to procrastinating. And my anxiety always gets in the way. How do I get things done?A family member thinks I am lying about where I am going but I'm not, what should I do?How do I know if I did the right thing?Is it hard to think critically about something you love?How do I overcome the fear of cashiers?How can I convince myself that my friends don't hate me? I have this irrational fear that they actually hate me.