Nervous System and Nighttime Anxiety

If your nights feel anxious no matter how tired you are, your nervous system and nighttime anxiety may be more connected than you think. This article explores how stress patterns in your body keep your brain alert, even when you want to rest.

That’s not just your mind racing, it’s your body speaking. Nighttime anxiety is often a nervous system response. When you’ve been pushing through the day in high-alert mode, your system doesn’t immediately shift into rest just because you’re in bed.

Instead, your body might finally feel safe enough to release the tension it’s been holding. That flood of emotion and activation can feel like restlessness, worry, or panic.

This pattern is common for people who’ve experienced trauma, burnout, or chronic stress. It’s also familiar for those who are neurodivergent or live with conditions like ADHD, chronic illness, or anxiety. Your nervous system isn’t malfunctioning — it’s doing its best to keep you alert and safe.

Another often overlooked trigger? Screens.

If you’re scrolling on your phone before bed, your brain is taking in stimulating information and blue light that suppresses melatonin production. This disrupts your natural sleep rhythm and tells your body to stay alert.

When this happens night after night, your system begins associating bedtime with stimulation rather than relaxation.

Healing this doesn’t mean giving up your phone forever or forcing yourself to “just relax.” It means learning how to work with your body instead of against it.

Here are some ways to support your nervous system at night:

• Set a digital wind-down boundary. Try turning off screens at least 30–60 minutes before bed.
• Use dim lighting or wear blue-light blocking glasses.
• Do a grounding practice like deep belly breathing, a gentle somatic release, or legs-up-the-wall pose.
• Try a guided body scan or yoga nidra to unwind the mind-body loop.
• Create a bedtime routine your body can start to associate with safety.

Therapy that’s trauma-informed and nervous system-focused can help you get to the root of what’s keeping your body stuck in survival mode at night.

Somatic therapy is especially powerful because it doesn’t just address thoughts — it works directly with the body’s stored stress patterns. Practices like breathwork, body awareness, and co-regulation help you build a sense of internal safety over time.

Want to explore what somatic therapy actually looks like? Read this breakdown from the Polyvagal Institute.

At Integrative Healing, we work with people who feel “fine” all day and fall apart at night. That doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your body is doing what it was wired to do, and now you get to rewire it with care.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

If you want to shift from restlessness into true rest, therapy can help. Reach out here to start your healing process today.