Dr. Chandni Tugnait, Founder and Director of Gateway of Healing, explained that anxiety that arises at night does not always indicate a sleep disorder or a specific psychological condition.
“For many people, nighttime is not a period of rest. Instead, it becomes an unplanned processing of a day that was too busy to fully absorb. This is not a personal failure or a sleep disorder. It is what happens when the nervous system has been overloaded for hours and is finally given a moment of quiet,” said Tugnait, as quoted by Hindustan Times on Wednesday (June 10, 2026, local time).
According to her, one of the primary reasons people experience anxiety at night is that the brain does not get enough opportunities to rest during the day. A packed schedule, constant notifications, work deadlines, and continuous exposure to digital information keep the brain engaged without sufficient breaks.
When night falls and the surroundings become quieter, thoughts and emotions that had been pushed aside during the day begin to surface. As a result, many people experience anxiety, excessive worry, or difficulty calming their minds before going to sleep.
She also explained that hormonal factors play a significant role. Stress hormones such as cortisol can remain elevated due to prolonged overstimulation throughout the day. This causes the nervous system to stay in a heightened state of alert, as though it is responding to a threat that does not actually exist.
“When cortisol levels remain elevated, the nervous system continues to stay vigilant for threats that never actually arrive,” she explained.
As a result, the body finds it difficult to relax, the heart may beat faster, and the mind remains active even when it is time to rest.
Another contributing factor is that the body becomes accustomed to the fast pace and constant stimulation of daily life. During work or other activities, attention is occupied by tasks, conversations, and responsibilities. However, when the environment becomes quiet at night, thoughts that had been set aside often return with greater intensity.
To help reduce nighttime anxiety, Tugnait recommends establishing a consistent bedtime routine. Simple practices such as putting away electronic devices, journaling, reading a book, doing gentle stretches, or listening to calming music can help prepare the mind and body for sleep.
According to her, these habits send a signal to the body and nervous system that it is time to rest, allowing the mind to settle and improving overall sleep quality.
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