Sleep Anxiety: The Emotional and Financial Cost of Sleeplessness

Are you one of those people who, when 10 p.m. rolls around, your stomach drops? Maybe this typical bedtime stops being something you look forward to, which causes you dread and anxiety. You’re not the only one. It’s that moment you’re afraid of going to sleep because you know you’re going to lie there with your mind racing, missing out on significant hours of sleep. Sleep anxiety is a real problem for many adults.

Some people experience this in such a significant way that they turn to a social media movement called sleepmaxxing. Social media is full of reels that take viewers through elaborate bedtime routines, including special lighting, mouth tape, and weighted blankets.

Some even have sleep trackers that they share on their reels. It seems everyone is trying to hack their way to better sleep. This can include spending hundreds of dollars on gadgets to promise the best sleep ever.

God never intended rest to be complicated. It was His plan that rest would be an important part of life, but it didn’t include having to learn sleep science or buy expensive gadgets to find rest.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. – Psalm 127:2, ESV

When Sleep Becomes the Enemy

Until you experience it, sleep anxiety sounds silly. It makes a person wonder how someone could be afraid of sleep. But when you’re lying in bed with your heart pounding, wondering if you’re going to be able to get enough sleep for tomorrow, you will understand sleep anxiety. It’s in this moment that you realize what it is to have sleep as an enemy. Night after night, it’s a battle to get enough sleep to have a productive next day.

Sleep problems and mental health go hand-in-hand. You can’t sleep because you’re anxious, and the more anxious you are, the harder it is to sleep. It is a continuous circle of dread and frustration. It was not supposed to be this way. For most Christians, at a time when they need Scripture, they can’t recall it well enough to reduce the anxiety. Sleep anxiety makes faith sometimes feel fragile.

This is a self-reinforcing cycle, where worry causes poor sleep, and poor sleep causes more worry. It is exhausting. You began to dread bedtime hours before dark. Your bedroom is no longer a place of peace and unwinding. It has become a place of struggle and tension. There may even be times when you try to sleep elsewhere just to see if it will make a difference.

The physical impact on the body is real as well. When you’re not sleeping well, the rest of your body feels it. You begin to lack patience, your focus is diminished, and you feel like you get sick more often. And beyond all that, you’re constantly tired, and it becomes harder to hear God’s voice clearly or respond to situations with wisdom and grace. Managing sleep anxiety is important for your overall health.

Most people who experience sleep anxiety feel as though they’re not trusting God enough. Sometimes they try to pray harder and have stronger faith, hoping this will lead to a night of restful sleep. But then that thinking begins to add guilt to the situation, and the anxiety continues to skyrocket. There are times our bodies and minds need help. Even David knew about sleepless nights and cried out to God during his struggle.

I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. – Psalm 6:6, ESV

The Obsession with Sleepmaxxing

The latest attempt for us to solve our sleep crisis is sleepmaxxing. This effort uses expensive gadgets to find a way to get a peaceful night’s sleep. It’s everywhere. People are establishing elaborate routines with high-end items that claim to help individuals fall asleep. This can sometimes create even more anxiety just trying to get these items to work.

People are trying everything from mouth taping to sleep trackers that monitor every breath. There are weighted blankets and cooling mattress pads designed to help bodies relax and fall asleep. The desire for sleep becomes a search for the perfect gadgets, which creates even more anxiety rather than reducing it. It becomes another task that they feel they must master.

Human nature wants to do everything possible to maintain control. Sleepmaxxing to reduce sleep anxiety doesn’t seem productive at times. It creates new pressure around something that we are already pressured to maintain. Taking care of our bodies is biblical, but we must do it wisely and not anxiously.

This obsession with tracking sleep and perfecting routine often backfires. It creates another avenue of stress. Rather than trusting our ability to execute the perfect bedtime routine, we should trust God to sustain us with His peace throughout the night.

Trying to keep a perfect sleep routine means individuals have to check their sleep scores every morning. These numbers often lead to a mindset of pass or fail. Again, the cycle of anxiety gets bigger when the numbers aren’t right. People will exhaust themselves trying to cultivate the perfect sleep routine, but without God in the middle of it, the effort is empty.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. – Psalm 127:1, ESV

What Scripture Says About Sleep

Our perception of sleep can be changed when we examine what the Bible says about rest. Our worries about sleep do not help. The word tells us that even the animals do not worry about these fundamental aspects of their lives.

Christian counselors maintain that sleep anxiety typically reveals deeper issues about control and trust. This is one of the first things we must understand when we seek peaceful sleep. They say we must learn that real security comes from God and not from sleep. This will change how we see and approach bedtime. Keeping a regular schedule and avoiding caffeine at night are still sensible aspects of a good routine, but we don’t have to depend on these for our peace.

Another practice that can be life-changing is to end each day with gratitude rather than anxiety. Learning to be thankful in all circumstances can help diminish anxiety. Instead of continually reviewing everything that was right or wrong or what we need to do tomorrow, take time to see where God showed up in your day.

Another anchor that could deflate anxiety would be to read in the book of Psalms each night. The passages in this book often create a sense of gratitude and peace. David knew a lot about sleepless nights, and the verses in this book of the Bible reflect how to attain a peaceful night in the presence of God.

Prayer and meditation have been proven to calm an anxious mind as you’re lying down to sleep. This isn’t about emptying your mind of thoughts; it’s about filling it with the right ones. Christian counselors who understand sleep struggles. They can help you understand how meditation calms the mind.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8, ESV

Finding True Rest

We all know there are times when sleep doesn’t come easily. The thing to understand is that there’s no need to be anxious about it. The sleep scores don’t matter when it comes to God’s love or peace.

The entirety of sleepmaxxing isn’t wrong; some sleep practices can help cultivate a healthy sleep routine. Just be sure it doesn’t become another source of stress or something to control to perfection.

If you are struggling with sleep anxiety, contact our office today to schedule an appointment with me or another Christian counselor in our online directory. We can help you determine what type of treatment plan will assist you in creating peaceful sleep habits.