I feel sleepy, but the moment I think about sleep, I get anxious

Sleep 🫐

Does anyone else get sleep anxiety whenever they have something important the next day?

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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.

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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.

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What's confusing is that I often feel physically sleepy—heavy eyes, yawning, tired body—but my mind won't stop worrying.

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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?

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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

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