Sleep Anxiety

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Sleep Anxiety WHEN WINDING DOWN FEELS LIKE WINDING UP

When Winding Down Feels Like Winding Up

Sleep anxiety can make nights feel like a mental tug-of-war. The more you think about sleep, the harder it becomes to reach it.

What helps is shifting focus away from pressure and toward signals—small, consistent habits that tell your brain it’s time to rest. Calming the body and reshaping the way you approach bedtime takes practice, but it opens the door to deeper, steadier sleep.🌙

Source: Sleep Anxiety & Its Impact on Mental Health by Melissa Madeson, Ph.D. via PositivePsychology.com

The Loop That Keeps You Awake

Lying in bed, your brain shifts into overdrive. Thoughts replay the day, predict tomorrow, or pressure you to “fall asleep now.” That loop of worry about sleep makes it harder to drift off, creating a cycle of stress and exhaustion.

When the Mind Learns to Resist Sleep

Worrying about whether you’ll fall asleep can be enough to keep you awake. This anticipatory anxiety fuels insomnia, turning nights into a cycle of stress and wakefulness that repeats itself. The body expects rest, but the brain anticipates struggle. Over time, the bed itself becomes linked with frustration and fear, making sleep even harder to reach.

The Cost of Restless Nights

Even small sleep deficits affect focus, mood, and decision-making. Over time, disrupted sleep can alter hormone balance, weaken immunity, and raise risks for depression, weight changes, and cardiovascular strain.

Rethinking Bedtime with CBT-I

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) helps untangle anxious sleep thoughts. It teaches you to notice patterns like “‘Il never fall asleep” and replace them with realistic thinking. Pairing CBT-| with a sleep diary makes it easier to spot habits or triggers that keep you awake, giving you a plan to shift them.

Resetting the Signal

Your body relies on cues to know it’s time for rest. Consistency matters: dim lights, cool rooms, calming rituals like reading or stretching. At the same time, cutting caffeine, heavy meals, or screens before bed removes mixed signals.

Tools for a Racing Mind

Mindfulness helps you acknowledge worries without clinging to them. Progressive muscle relaxation, calming music, or guided imagery slow both body and brain. The less you fight for sleep, the more you create conditions for it.

Rest as a Reset

During sleep, the brain repairs, the body heals, and mood regulation stabilizes. Addressing sleep anxiety with practical routines and thought shifts turns bedtime from a nightly battle into a natural reset.

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