You’ve climbed into bed. The room is quiet. The lights are off. But your mind? Wide awake—running through your to-do list, replaying the day’s conversations, or anxiously calculating how little sleep you’ll get if you don’t drift off soon.
If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing more than just a racing mind. You could be living with sleep anxiety—and not even know it.
What Is Sleep Anxiety?
Sleep anxiety is a form of anticipatory anxiety that arises around bedtime. Unlike general anxiety, this is specifically tied to the fear of not sleeping. And ironically, the harder you try to sleep, the more elusive it becomes.
It’s a frustrating cycle:
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You worry you won’t sleep.
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That worry activates your stress response.
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Stress keeps your mind and body alert.
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You lie awake… and worry more.
And round it goes.
Signs You Might Be Missing
Sleep anxiety doesn’t always show up as full-blown panic. Often, it sneaks in as habits or feelings you’ve come to see as normal:
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Clock-watching: Frequently checking the time and calculating how many hours you might get.
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Evening dread: Feeling uneasy, tense, or restless as bedtime approaches.
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Avoidance behaviours: Delaying bedtime with scrolling, binge-watching, or unnecessary tasks.
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Rigid sleep routines: Believing you must follow a strict ritual or you won’t sleep.
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Over-awareness in bed: Being hyper-alert to every sound, heartbeat, or body sensation.
You might not call it anxiety—but your nervous system knows better. These patterns reflect underlying tension and unease.
How It Develops (Without You Noticing)
Sleep anxiety often begins subtly—after a few restless nights, a stressful life chapter, or too much pressure to “get your eight hours.” Over time, your brain starts linking bedtime with performance anxiety, not relaxation.
The bedroom, once a place of rest, becomes a zone of pressure and expectation.
Because this process is gradual, many people overlook it, blaming stress, ageing, or just “being a bad sleeper.” But sleep anxiety, left unaddressed, can quietly evolve into chronic insomnia.
Find Out Where You Stand
Wondering if sleep anxiety is affecting your nights?
👉 Take the Sleep Anxiety Scale here to gain clarity—and receive a free calming tool you can start using tonight to unwind with more ease.