Anxiety and insomnia: breaking the night-time loop
Author: The Narcis editorial team · updated: July 17, 2026
Clinical review: a practising psychotherapist
Anxiety and sleep feed each other: the less you sleep the more anxious you become, and the more anxious you are the worse you sleep. This loop has to be broken during the day, not at three in the morning.
What works
The same wake-up time, even after a bad night. That matters more than when you fall asleep. For the hour before bed, no news feed and no work chats: the brain needs a signal that there is no danger.
If you have been lying awake a long time and notice yourself getting angry or tense, get up, do something calm in dim light, and go back when sleepiness returns. Bed should be associated with sleep, not with a struggle — and it is better not to watch the clock.
When it is time to see a professional
If insomnia persists for weeks and your days are spent exhausted and anxious, this is not about willpower. Therapy helps with the anxiety that keeps you awake, and a doctor can rule out medical causes.
If this topic resonated — you do not have to sit with it alone.
Find a therapist for this topic →This article is for information only and is not a substitute for an individual consultation with a specialist.