Guide · Sleep & Anxiety
Best Sleep Habits for Anxiety
← All guides · By the Willow & Stone team · Updated September 2026
Key Takeaways
- Anxiety and poor sleep feed each other. Worry makes sleep harder, and short sleep leaves people more sensitive to anxiety the next day.
- The habits with the most leverage are a fixed wake time, morning light and getting out of bed when you cannot sleep.
- Caffeine and alcohol both undermine sleep: stop caffeine about eight hours before bed and alcohol at least three hours before.
- If habits are not enough after a few weeks, CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment. It is available through therapists and free apps.
When you are anxious, bedtime can be the worst part of the day. The house goes quiet and every unfinished worry gets louder. The Sleep Foundation describes the cycle plainly: worrying causes poor sleep, and sleep difficulties cause greater anxiety. The good news is that the cycle can be interrupted from the sleep side. The habits below are drawn from CBT for insomnia and standard sleep-hygiene guidance, and they are listed roughly in order of how much difference they tend to make.
Most of these habits cost nothing. Pick two or three to start, keep them for two weeks and track your sleep in a simple diary: bedtime, time to fall asleep, awakenings and wake time. That diary is also what a clinician will ask for if you need more help.
1. Keep the same wake-up time every day
Anchor the body clock
A consistent wake time, including on weekends, is the single most important anchor for the body clock. It builds steady "sleep pressure" through the day, so you are genuinely sleepy at night. Sleeping in after a bad night feels kind, but it pushes the next night’s sleepiness later and keeps the cycle going.
Choose a wake time you can keep seven days a week, set one alarm, and get up when it rings. Bedtime can flex a little. The wake time should not.
Source: Sleep Foundation: Sleep hygiene
2. Get bright light early, and dim it late
Circadian timing
The Sleep Foundation notes that bright daytime light supports a healthy sleep-wake cycle, while too much light at night can interfere with melatonin. Direct sunlight is many times brighter than indoor lighting, so even 10 to 20 minutes outside in the morning sends a strong signal to the body clock.
In the evening, lower the lights and switch to warmer lamps. It suggests keeping electronic devices to a minimum for two to three hours before bed, which is also a good way to limit late-night news and email, two common triggers for worry.
3. Set a caffeine cutoff about eight hours before bed
Coffee, tea, energy drinks, pre-workout
Caffeine’s half-life ranges from about 2 to 12 hours depending on the person, so an afternoon coffee can still be active at bedtime. The Sleep Foundation recommends stopping caffeine at least eight hours before bed. For a 10 p.m. bedtime, that means nothing after 2 p.m.
Caffeine can also cause nervousness, which can feel a lot like anxiety. If you cut back, taper gradually. Stopping suddenly can bring headaches, anxiety and low mood for a few days.
4. Do not use alcohol to fall asleep
The second-half-of-the-night problem
Alcohol can make you drowsy, which is why many anxious people use a nightcap. But the Sleep Foundation explains that as the body processes alcohol, sleep becomes lighter and more broken, especially in the second half of the night. It also reduces REM sleep. Many people notice this as a 3 a.m. wake-up with a racing heart.
Experts recommend avoiding alcohol for at least three hours before bed. If you find you cannot sleep without a drink, tell your clinician. That pattern is common, and it can be treated.
5. Build a 30 to 60 minute wind-down routine
A buffer between the day and bed
Anxious minds need a runway. A predictable routine of the same few steps in the same order, such as a shower, dim lights, stretching and a paper book, tells the nervous system the day is over. Keep it boring and repeatable.
Move anything that tends to stir you up, such as work messages, bills, social media and hard conversations, to earlier in the evening when you can.
6. Park your worries on paper before bed
A worry list or "tomorrow list"
The Sleep Foundation lists writing down worries before bed as one of its relaxation techniques for anxiety. Early in the evening, take ten minutes to write what is on your mind. Next to each item, write one small next step or "nothing to do tonight". Then close the notebook.
If a worry returns in bed, remind yourself it is already written down and scheduled for tomorrow. Over time, many people find the brain stops rehearsing things it knows are captured.
7. Practice one relaxation skill during the day
Slow breathing, muscle relaxation, mindfulness
Box breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery and mindfulness meditation are all recommended for anxiety-related sleep problems. The key is to practice in the daytime, when you are calm, so the skill is automatic at night.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that a 2019 analysis of 18 studies found mindfulness practices improved sleep quality more than education-based treatments.
Caveat: If a practice makes you feel more on edge, as can happen after trauma, switch to a more physical option such as muscle relaxation or gentle stretching.
8. Get out of bed if you cannot sleep
Stimulus control, a core CBT-I technique
Lying in bed awake and worrying teaches the brain that bed is a place for worrying. Stimulus control reverses that: if you cannot fall asleep in what feels like 15 to 20 minutes, get up and go to another dim room. Do something quiet and dull, and come back only when you feel sleepy. Use the bed only for sleep and sex.
It is uncomfortable for the first week or two. It is also one of the best-supported parts of CBT for insomnia.
Source: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Primer (PMC)
9. Keep naps short and early, or skip them
Protect nighttime sleep drive
The Sleep Foundation suggests that adults keep naps to about 20 minutes and take them at least eight hours before bedtime, which for most people means before 3 p.m. Relying on naps instead of steady nighttime sleep can lead to fragmented sleep or insomnia.
If you are working on insomnia, skipping naps for a few weeks can make it easier to fall asleep at night. If you drive or operate machinery and feel dangerously sleepy, safety comes first.
Source: Sleep Foundation: Napping
10. Move during the day, and time hard workouts
Exercise helps sleep, with one timing caveat
According to the Sleep Foundation, moderate to vigorous exercise can help adults fall asleep faster and spend less time awake during the night. Daytime movement also burns off some of the physical restlessness that comes with anxiety.
Evening exercise is fine for most people. Very vigorous workouts in the last hour before bed may cut into sleep for some people, so keep late sessions gentle if you notice that.
11. Make the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and turn the clock away
Environment
A cool, dark, quiet room and a comfortable bed are standard sleep-hygiene advice for good reason. Blackout curtains, an eye mask, earplugs or a fan can all help. For anxious sleepers, one change matters most: turn the clock away. Checking the time at 2 a.m. and counting the hours left fuels worry.
Charge your phone outside the bedroom if you can, so it is not the first thing you reach for when you wake.
Source: MedlinePlus: Healthy sleep
12. If habits are not enough, ask about CBT-I
First-line treatment for chronic insomnia
CBT for insomnia combines several items on this list, including stimulus control, a consistent schedule and relaxation, with sleep-window adjustments and work on anxious thoughts about sleep. It is delivered by trained clinicians, in apps and in digital programs. In the OASIS trial of 3,755 university students, digital CBT-I reduced insomnia, and sleep improvements came with reductions in paranoia and hallucinatory experiences. The trial also measured depression and anxiety.
The VA’s free Insomnia Coach app offers a self-guided version.
Caveat: If you snore loudly, stop breathing in your sleep or are very sleepy during the day, get checked for sleep apnea before starting CBT-I.
Source: Freeman et al., OASIS trial, Lancet Psychiatry 2017 (PMC); Sleep Foundation: CBT for insomnia
A note on sleep medication
Some people with anxiety also take a medication that affects sleep, either one prescribed for sleep or one prescribed for anxiety or mood. Do not stop, start or change the timing of any medication to fix your sleep without talking to your prescriber. Timing adjustments are sometimes possible, but they should be made together. Our page on sleep, insomnia and medication covers the common questions.
When to talk to a clinician
Get help if poor sleep lasts more than a few weeks despite these habits, if anxiety is spilling into most of your day, if you have panic attacks at night, or if you are relying on alcohol or over-the-counter sleep aids. Sleep problems can also point to thyroid issues, hormonal shifts, sleep apnea or depression. An evaluation that looks at all of those is often faster than trial and error.
Common Questions
Why does my anxiety get worse at night?
With fewer distractions, worries take up more attention, and stress hormones can keep the brain alert. The Sleep Foundation also notes that poor sleep leaves people more sensitive to anxiety, which feeds the cycle.
How long does it take for new sleep habits to work?
Many people notice changes within two to four weeks of keeping a fixed wake time and using stimulus control. CBT-I programs usually run over several weeks.
Is it okay to use my phone in bed if I use night mode?
Night mode reduces some blue light, but the content can still keep you alert. The Sleep Foundation suggests limiting electronics for two to three hours before bed.
Should I take melatonin for anxiety-related insomnia?
Ask your prescriber first. Melatonin is a supplement, product strengths vary, and it can interact with other medications. It also does not address the worry that keeps many anxious people awake.
What if I wake at 3 a.m. and cannot get back to sleep?
Use the same rule as at bedtime: if you are awake and frustrated, get up, keep the lights low, do something calm and return when sleepy. Avoid checking the clock or your phone.
Sources
- Sleep Foundation: Anxiety and sleep
- NHLBI (NIH): Sleep deprivation and deficiency
- MedlinePlus: Healthy sleep
- Sleep Foundation: Insomnia treatments
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