I feel sleepy, but the moment I think about sleep, I get anxious
Does anyone else get sleep anxiety whenever they have something important the next day?
I've noticed a pattern with myself. On normal nights, I can usually sleep, but whenever I have something important the next day (church, an event, an appointment, travel, school, etc.), I suddenly become very anxious about sleep.
The moment I start thinking, "I need to sleep because I have something to do tomorrow," I start worrying that I won't fall asleep. Then I become hyperaware of my heartbeat, get palpitations, and feel stressed. Ironically, the fear of not sleeping seems to make it harder to sleep.
What's confusing is that I often feel physically sleepy—heavy eyes, yawning, tired body—but my mind won't stop worrying.
Does anyone else experience this? How do you deal with the anticipation and fear of not sleeping when you know you have to be somewhere the next day?
I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have gone through something similar and what helped them.
Posted Jun 13, 2026, 5:30 PM UTC