Anxiety

Anxiety at Night: Why It Gets Worse

Does your mind race when the lights go out? Learn why nighttime anxiety happens and what can help.

By Astrude Charles, PMHNP-BCMarch 6, 20261 min read

At night, distractions fade. Without daytime activity to occupy your attention, worries you pushed aside may surface loudly.

Fatigue lowers your ability to regulate emotions. Cortisol and circadian rhythms also influence how alert or anxious you feel after dark.

Nighttime anxiety often disrupts sleep, creating a cycle: poor sleep worsens anxiety, and anxiety worsens sleep.

A consistent wind-down routine, limiting screens before bed, and scheduling worry time earlier in the day may help some people.

When nighttime anxiety persists and affects functioning, psychiatric evaluation can address co-occurring insomnia and anxiety disorders through telehealth care.

Questions after reading?

We're happy to talk through whether telehealth psychiatric care is right for you — confidentially, with no pressure.

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