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Why am I anxious at night before bed?

129 Answers
Last Updated: 02/08/2022 at 8:10pm
Why am I anxious at night before bed?
★ This question about Anxiety was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
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Top Rated Answers
CatTheByrd
December 31st, 2015 10:50pm
Maybe you are scared of something that could be lurking in the dark or whatever is waiting for them the next morning after they wake up.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2015 11:36pm
Going to bed is a time when we aren't able to be very distracted, which allows thought to come flooding in.
asint
January 1st, 2016 8:46am
Obviously, when we have time to ourselves- it is the inevitable to allow yourself to think uncontrollably. I am anxious before bed for that very reason. Just snuggled in the sheets with my mind going haywire. But I have learned that a meditation session before bed, or a cat to make me fall asleep with does the trick. Days keep moving and so do you. You cannot allow yourself to slip into a anxious period too often because it hurts yourself.
curioussmiles
January 1st, 2016 10:36pm
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.
Kryssy88
- Expert in Anxiety
January 2nd, 2016 4:52pm
I have this same problem!!! Has anything happened to you before in the past while you were sleeping?
squeek
January 2nd, 2016 9:02pm
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
Pat
January 2nd, 2016 9:58pm
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.
Reid3020
January 6th, 2016 10:24pm
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.
positiveLove82
January 7th, 2016 4:40am
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.
AnyaS
January 7th, 2016 4:57am
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.
imreallysorry
January 8th, 2016 7:20pm
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! : )
igetcha
January 9th, 2016 7:57am
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.
XkatelinX
January 10th, 2016 12:30pm
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
bubblyPainting40
January 14th, 2016 2:26am
I find that when you are going to bed your mind comes out more because it has the time to bring up thoughts that it didn't during the day.
SilentJade
January 14th, 2016 10:56pm
I get anxious before bed because I have a very large amount of paranoia of spirits/ghosts, lol. :P Not sure if it's the same with anyone else. xD
electricPeace79
January 18th, 2016 1:25am
You might be recounting the events of the day before bed, which is natural to do, or perhaps worrying about what will be happening the next day or later in the week (such as an exam, a presentation, etc.)
LateNightKnitter
January 20th, 2016 7:40pm
Your mind often goes on overdrive right before bedtime. I have the same issue, if you let yourself get too tired you will find you are more emotional and senses are heightened making you overthink every possible situation which could go wrong. Just relax, have a drink of water and get some sleep.
Anonymous
January 21st, 2016 2:01am
Because overthinking keeps my brain non stop going to the point where i cant sleep and i get restless
Anonymous
January 21st, 2016 6:02am
Tiredness can definitely contribute to anxiety. There's a saying that everything looks better in the morning and that really is true. Things can get a bit blown out of proportion in the face of tiredness sometimes.
Anonymous
January 27th, 2016 5:57pm
You may be over working yourself during the day or something could be on your mind, which you haven't given enough conscious thought to yet. It's obviously difficult to answer this question fully without knowing more about the situation, but think to yourself whether there is something bothering you, deep down. Making yourself more consciously aware of what you're worried about may prove to be the first step in you overcoming it.
Anonymous
January 28th, 2016 3:32am
When I go to bed it is sometimes just me and my thoughts in my head. It's hard to force yourself not to think so if ind it best to keep my mind busy with reading. A sound machine is great so that the quiet isn't overwhelming. It's very relaxing. I also take melatonin to help me sleep. I think writing your fears down sounds like a great idea too.
owenlang
January 28th, 2016 1:57pm
Most likely because you're not doing anything, so your brain has time to overthink. You will have more chance of a negative thought to come into your head when idle. I'd suggest watching something before bed, or doing breathing exercises when you get anxious. It helps a ton with relaxation! :)
allineedisdonuts
January 28th, 2016 2:18pm
i am too, very often... instead of concentrating about what you have to do i think you should remember all the good things that happened to you, or also singing a slow song that you like: i do this all the time and it's really calming :)
happy22icecream
January 28th, 2016 7:16pm
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.
HazelEyes2
January 31st, 2016 12:12am
Perhaps because you're mind is full of the day's events and worries. I've heard that writing these things in a journal helps release them. Hey, it might work for some!