Why You Feel Anxious at Night and Immediate Ways to Cope

When night falls, you suddenly start thinking about various things, and your anxiety grows—.
There are many people who have had that experience.

Small worries that didn't bother you during the day grow larger and larger in your head the moment you get into bed.
Things you have to do tomorrow, relationship worries, and even past failures come to mind...

Actually, there is a clear reason for the phenomenon of "anxiety becoming stronger at night."
In this article, I will summarize the causes and coping methods you can practice starting today.

● Why does anxiety become stronger at night?

1. Because the darkness makes the brain sensitive

Humans have an instinct that "dark environment = danger."
Because the field of vision becomes dark at night, the brain becomes more sensitive to anxiety and alertness.

This is why things you didn't care about during the day feel unnecessarily serious at night.

2. Because unnecessary stimulation decreases and thoughts increase

During the day, your head is busy with "external stimuli" such as work, household chores, smartphones, and conversations.
However, at night, those stimuli decrease, and it becomes easier to turn your consciousness inward.

As a result, the things you were worried about suddenly surface all at once.

3. Emotions are more likely to emerge strongly before falling asleep

Before sleeping, the brain becomes a bit hazy, and judgment weakens.
Things you wouldn't worry about if you thought about them calmly are easy to feel as big problems at night.

This is a natural state that happens to everyone, so you don't need to think that "only I am strange."

4. A sign that stress is accumulating

Emotions you suppressed during the day are more likely to overflow at night.

• Workplace relationships

• Anxiety about the future

• Money worries

• Relationships with family

Even if you can distract yourself from these problems with busyness during the day, at night you face them head-on, and they emerge as anxiety.

● Ways to immediately lighten nighttime anxiety

From here on, I will introduce ways to "ease anxiety" that you can start today.
They are all simple, so please try the ones you can.

1. Just "writing it down on paper" makes your head feel lighter

The true nature of anxiety is "problems that are vague in your head."

By writing it on paper, it turns into "concrete words," and your brain calms down.

【How to do it】
・List the things you are currently worried about on paper
・You don't need to solve them. Just writing them down is enough
・Once you've written them, draw a line and say "that's it for today"

With just this, half of your muddled feelings will be organized.

2. Reduce smartphone time at night

Smartphone light excites the brain and strengthens anxiety.
SNS and short videos are highly stimulating, which further increases anxiety.

Ideally, turn off your smartphone 1 hour before bedbut if that is difficult, it is okay to start small, such as
"dimming the screen" or "at least refraining from SNS."

3. Calm your brain with deep breathing

Anxiety makes your breathing shallow.
When breathing is shallow, the body judges that there is "danger," creating a vicious cycle where anxiety strengthens further.

Just by breathing deeply and slowly, your brain will calm down all at once.

Recommended breathing method: 4-2-6 breathing

1. Inhale for 4 seconds

2. Hold for 2 seconds

3. Exhale slowly for 6 seconds
   If you do this about 5 times, your mind will calm down surprisingly well.

4. Make a rule not to think in bed

If you make "futon = a place to sleep," your brain will find it easier to feel at ease, and anxiety will decrease.

Conversely, if you think about things while in bed, your brain will learn that "this is a place for thinking."

If you start thinking once you're in bed, get up
This rule alone can significantly lighten nighttime anxiety.

5. Create a small routine to settle your mind

Since night is a time when you are prone to feeling unstable,
creating a "habit to calm your mind" will become a strong ally.

Examples:
・Dim the lights in your room a little
・Drink some warm tea
・Do some light stretching
・Play your favorite music

The point is to have one action that makes you feel at ease when you do it.

● Anxiety is something you can "control"

Feeling anxious at night is by no means unusual.
It is a natural reaction that happens to everyone, influenced by how the brain works and the body's mechanisms.

However, anxiety is also something you can "weaken yourself."

• Write it down on paper

• Regulate your breathing

• Reduce smartphone use

• Prepare your nighttime environment

By simply stacking these small actions,
nighttime anxiety will gradually lighten.

If you have been feeling strong anxiety at night recently,
please try starting with what you can from tonight.

May your nights be even a little more peaceful.