A rough night can make everything feel harder the next day: shorter fuse, bigger worries, less patience. That isn't just you. Sleep and mental health are closely connected, and the link runs both ways. Stress can keep you awake, and lost sleep can make you stress.
Why does bad sleep make you anxious?
Sleep is when your brain gets a chance to reset. When you miss out, the part of the brain that helps keep your emotions in check doesn't work as well. In one study, a single sleepless night raised anxiety levels by up to 30%.¹
Deep sleep seems to be especially calming. The more deep sleep people got, the more their anxiety eased overnight.¹
So if you feel more irritable, more reactive, or quicker to expect the worst after a night of bad sleep, you're not imagining it.
Can better sleep really help?
Yes. Researchers who looked across 65 trials found that when people's sleep improved, they also felt less depressed, less anxious, and less stressed. The bigger the improvement in sleep, the bigger the lift in mood.³
The good news is that sleep is something you can work on, one night at a time. Small, steady changes add up.
Try tonight
- Set your Sleep Goal. Aim for 7 hours or more in Sleepwave, then notice how your mood tracks with your sleep over a few weeks.⁴
- Keep a steady rhythm. Going to bed and waking up at the same times helps your body clock settle.⁴
- Unplug early. Put screens away at least 30 minutes before bed and play gentle soundscapes on Sleepwave to prep your mind for sleep.⁴
- Breathe out the day. Relax with a breathing exercise in Sleepwave to help your mind slow down before sleep.
Be kind to yourself on the tough nights. One bad night doesn't undo your progress. If feelings of low mood or anxiety persist or begin to affect your daily life, reach out to a doctor or mental health services for support.
References
- Ben Simon E, Rossi A, Harvey AG, Walker MP. Overanxious and underslept. Nature Human Behaviour. 2020;4:100–110. doi:10.1038/s41562-019-0754-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0754-8
- University of California, Berkeley. Deep sleep can rewire the anxious brain. Berkeley News. November 4, 2019. https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/11/04/deep-sleep-can-rewire-the-anxious-brain/
- Scott AJ, Webb TL, Martyn-St James M, Rowse G, Weich S. Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2021;60:101556. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About sleep. Reviewed November 20, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html
