Anxious at Night?

You’re settling in for bed after a long day, absolutely exhausted. But the second your head hits the pillow, your mind starts racing—you’re fixated on an offhand comment you made in a meeting or replaying the moment when you lost your cool with your son. 

Why do these thoughts, known as rumination, happen at night when you finally have a chance to relax? Molly Schiffer, LCPC, associate director of Sheppard Pratt’s Center for OCD and Anxiety, chatted with us about the anxiety you experience in the evening.

Why do people often feel worse at night?

“As the sun sets and day turns to evening, there is a notable decrease in activity and social interaction; this makes it easier for anxious thoughts to bubble to the surface,” Schiffer shares. “When you have more downtime, you have more space to focus on anxious thoughts.”

She says that this increased focus on anxious thoughts can lead to behaviors that perpetuate anxiety: rumination, excessive research on anxiety-related topics, and unhealthy social media use—including doomscrolling—to name a few.

These behaviors can then lead to lack of sleep, which in turn makes anxiety and symptoms of depression worse.

I ruminate at night. Why?

More downtime is a factor once again. “Unresolved stressors from the day can surface when you have the chance to relax,” says Schiffer. “If you have anxiety or depression, you’re probably more aware of negative internal dialogue in the evening. That, plus uninterrupted rumination, can make your negative thoughts and anxieties feel more urgent and harder to disengage from.”

I’m guilty of spending lots of time on my phone at night. Is that a problem?

Sorry—your phone habits are associated with nighttime anxiety! By the end of the day, you’re mentally fatigued—and that means your ability to regulate your emotions effectively decreases in the evening. “Take constant engagement with your phone and combine it with distressing content plaguing your algorithm,” Schiffer says. “That’s a recipe for cognitive overload and nervous system dysregulation.”

How can I address my phone overuse and decrease my anxiety?

Strategies Schiffer often uses with her patients include:

• Decrease phone use before bed; start by lowering brightness and volume
• Create phone-free time throughout the day (meals, walking the dog) 
• Create phone-free spaces in your home
• Make your phone less accessible; try charging it in a different room
• Turn off notifications
• Remove social media from your home screen
• Keep your phone face down  

Still experiencing anxiety after trying these tips? The Center for OCD and Anxiety can help.