Amelia Kate Richardson Watching the ceiling fan make its endless circles while my mind ran through tomorrow’s to-do list for the hundredth time. My heart would race, my thoughts would spiral, and sleep felt like something that happened to other people—lucky people who didn’t have anxiety whispering worst-case scenarios in their ears.
Here’s what took me years to understand: my anxiety and my sleep problems weren’t two separate issues. They were locked in this exhausting dance where anxiety stole my sleep, and lack of sleep made my anxiety worse. It was a cycle I didn’t know how to break until I learned that quality sleep isn’t just nice to have—it’s one of the most powerful tools we have for managing anxiety.
If you’re reading this at 3 AM because anxiety won’t let you rest, I want you to know something: there’s hope. Let me share what I’ve learned about how sleep can actually become your ally in the battle against anxious thoughts.
Why Sleep and Anxiety Are So Tangled Up Together
You’ve probably noticed that everything feels worse when you’re tired. That small worry becomes a catastrophe. That minor interaction gets replayed and analyzed until you’re convinced you’ve ruined everything. I used to think I was just being dramatic, but it turns out there’s real science behind why exhaustion amplifies anxiety.
When we don’t get enough quality sleep, our brain’s emotional regulation center—the amygdala—goes into overdrive. It’s like the part of your brain that’s supposed to calmly assess threats starts seeing danger everywhere. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex (the rational, “let’s think this through” part of your brain) gets quieter. No wonder everything feels overwhelming when we’re running on four hours of sleep.
But here’s where it gets interesting from a faith perspective: God designed our bodies to need rest. Not because we’re weak, but because rest is part of how He wired us to function well. Psalm 127:2 reminds us that “He grants sleep to those he loves.” Sleep isn’t just biological—it’s spiritual. It’s an act of trust, a way of saying, “God, I’m putting this day down now. You’ve got this.”
How Quality Sleep Actually Reduces Anxiety
I used to think sleep was just what happened when I wasn’t doing anything productive. Now I understand it’s when some of the most important work happens—work that directly impacts my anxiety levels.
During deep sleep, your brain processes emotions and consolidates memories. It’s like your mind is filing away the day’s experiences, separating what matters from what doesn’t. When I don’t get enough of this deep sleep, I’ve noticed that small moments from the day stick with me like burrs. That awkward comment I made. The email I should’ve worded differently. My brain can’t properly process and release them.
REM sleep—the dreaming stage—is when your brain practices responding to emotional situations. It’s essentially emotional rehearsal and stress processing. When anxiety disrupts this stage, I wake up feeling emotionally raw, like I’m starting the day already depleted.
What I’ve discovered over the years is that prioritizing sleep isn’t selfish or lazy. It’s one of the most practical things I can do to keep my anxiety manageable. When I’m well-rested, I can actually use the coping strategies I’ve learned. I can pray with focus instead of frantic desperation. I can challenge anxious thoughts instead of being swept away by them.
The Anxiety-Sleep Cycle: Breaking Free
Here’s the cruel irony: anxiety makes it hard to sleep, and poor sleep makes anxiety worse. I spent years trapped in this cycle, thinking I just had to accept that anxious people don’t sleep well.
The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to fight my way to sleep and started creating conditions where sleep could happen naturally. It meant addressing both sides of the cycle—calming my anxious mind AND supporting my body’s natural sleep rhythms.
I had to get honest about my evening habits. Was I doom-scrolling through news at 11 PM? Yep. Was I lying in bed trying to solve problems that felt urgent but really could wait until morning? Absolutely. Was I drinking coffee at 4 PM because I was tired from not sleeping well? You bet.
Breaking the cycle meant making some changes I didn’t love at first. But I’ve learned that temporary discomfort is worth long-term peace. And honestly, God has been so faithful in helping me develop better patterns. When I bring my sleep struggles to Him in prayer, He often gently shows me the habits I need to change.
Biblical Wisdom on Rest and Trust
The Bible has so much to say about rest, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. God knew we’d struggle with this. He knew anxiety would try to keep us awake, replaying conversations and rehearsing worst-case scenarios.
When Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” He’s offering something radical. Real rest. Not just physical sleep, but the deep soul-rest that comes from trusting Him with what we can’t control.
I’ve found that my bedtime prayers have shifted over the years. Instead of frantically listing all my worries, I practice what I call “bedtime surrender.” I literally tell God, “I’m handing You my to-do list. I’m giving You my worries about tomorrow. I trust that You’ll be awake while I sleep.” It sounds simple, but it’s been transformative.
Psalm 4:8 has become my nighttime anchor: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” I’ve written it on a card by my bedside. On nights when anxiety is particularly loud, I whisper this truth until my racing heart slows down.
Practical Strategies for Better Sleep When Anxiety Hits
Let me share what actually works for me—not theory from a textbook, but real practices I use when anxiety is trying to steal my sleep.
Create a Wind-Down Ritual
About an hour before bed, I dim the lights in my house. This signals to my brain that it’s time to start shifting gears. I’ve learned that I can’t go from full-speed productivity to sleep in five minutes. My nervous system needs time to downshift.
During this hour, I do calming activities. Sometimes it’s reading a physical book (not my phone). Other times it’s gentle stretching or a warm bath. My favorite is sitting with my journal and a cup of chamomile tea, writing out a gratitude list. This practice redirects my mind from what’s worrying me to what’s blessing me.
Practice “Worry Time” Earlier in the Day
This sounds counterintuitive, but it’s been a game-changer. Instead of trying to suppress anxious thoughts all day and having them explode at bedtime, I set aside 15 minutes in the late afternoon specifically for worrying. I write down every concern, work through solutions for what I can control, and pray about what I can’t.
Having a designated worry time means when anxious thoughts show up at 10 PM, I can gently say, “We already dealt with you today. Tomorrow at 4 PM, we’ll check in again.” It sounds strange, but giving my anxiety a scheduled appointment has helped keep it from crashing my sleep.
Use Breathing Techniques and Scripture
When I’m lying in bed and anxiety starts ramping up, I combine deep breathing with Scripture meditation. I breathe in slowly for four counts while thinking, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Hold for four counts: “I shall not want.” Exhale for four counts: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”
This does two things: the slow breathing activates my parasympathetic nervous system (the calming response), and focusing on Scripture gives my mind something true to anchor to instead of spiraling into worst-case scenarios.
Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Sanctuary
I had to get real about my bedroom environment. For years, I worked on my laptop in bed, watched anxiety-inducing news before sleep, and kept my phone on my nightstand where every notification could wake me.
Now my bedroom is just for sleep (and my husband, and Bailey the dog who insists on sleeping at the foot of the bed). I charge my phone in the bathroom. I keep the room cool—around 67 degrees. I use blackout curtains. I invested in a white noise machine that plays gentle rain sounds.
These changes felt excessive at first, but they’ve made such a difference. My brain now associates my bedroom with rest, not stress.
Address the Afternoon Slump Wisely
When I’m tired from poor sleep, my instinct is to load up on caffeine. But I’ve learned that coffee after 2 PM almost guarantees anxiety-disrupted sleep that night. Instead, I take a 10-minute walk outside, have a healthy snack with protein, or do some gentle movement.
If I’m really dragging, I set a timer for 20 minutes and rest with my eyes closed—not quite sleeping, but giving my body a brief reset. This is infinitely better than the caffeine-at-4-PM approach I used to rely on.
When Sleep Anxiety Becomes Its Own Problem
I need to address something important: sometimes anxiety about not sleeping becomes its own issue. I’ve been there—lying awake, watching the clock, calculating how many hours I could still get if I fell asleep right now, and feeling my anxiety spike with each passing minute.
This is called sleep anxiety, and it’s incredibly common in those of us who struggle with general anxiety. The fear of not sleeping actually keeps us awake, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What helped me break this pattern was giving myself permission to rest, even if I wasn’t sleeping. I stopped looking at the clock. I reminded myself that lying quietly in a dark room, even if I’m awake, still gives my body valuable rest. I prayed simple prayers: “God, whether I sleep or not, You’re with me. Whether I feel rested or not, Your strength is sufficient.”
On really hard nights, I get up after 20 minutes of restlessness. I go sit in a different room with dim lighting, read something calming or pray, and only return to bed when I feel genuinely sleepy. This breaks the association between my bed and anxious wakefulness.
Building Consistent Sleep Patterns
Here’s what nobody tells you about improving sleep when you have anxiety: it takes time, and consistency matters more than perfection.
I’ve had to commit to going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day—even on weekends. My body craves this rhythm. When I stay up until 2 AM on Saturday and sleep until noon on Sunday, I pay for it all week with disrupted sleep and heightened anxiety.
This consistency has been hard for me as someone who used to pride myself on being flexible and spontaneous. But I’ve learned that healthy boundaries around sleep aren’t restrictive—they’re protective. They guard my mental health and give my anxiety less room to wreak havoc.
When You Need Additional Help
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, sleep problems persist. And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong or that your faith is lacking.
I worked with a therapist who specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and it made a huge difference. There’s no shame in getting professional help. God often works through trained counselors and healthcare providers.
If you’re dealing with persistent sleep issues and severe anxiety, please talk to your doctor. Sometimes there are underlying medical conditions or medication adjustments that can help. Seeking medical help isn’t a failure of faith—it’s wisdom.
Sleep as an Act of Trust
I want to end with something that’s taken me years to truly believe: choosing to sleep is an act of faith.
Every night when I turn off the lights and close my eyes, I’m saying, “God, I trust that the world will keep turning without me watching over it. I trust that You’ll handle what I can’t. I trust that tomorrow’s challenges will come with tomorrow’s strength.”
This doesn’t come easily to those of us with anxiety. Our instinct is to stay vigilant, to keep problem-solving, to maintain control. But God invites us into something different. He invites us into rest that says we’re not the ones holding everything together—He is.
Quality sleep reduces anxiety not just because of the biological processes (though those matter), but because it’s a regular practice in letting go. It’s training in trust. It’s a nightly reminder that we’re human and we need rest, and that’s exactly how God designed us.
Your Next Steps Toward Better Sleep
If you’re struggling with anxiety and poor sleep, start small. Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Pick one or two strategies that resonate with you and commit to them for two weeks.
Maybe it’s creating a simple wind-down routine. Maybe it’s moving your phone out of your bedroom. Maybe it’s writing a bedtime surrender prayer and reading it each night.
Track how you feel. Notice the connection between sleep quality and anxiety levels. Be patient with yourself—you’re breaking patterns that took years to establish.
And on the nights when anxiety wins and sleep doesn’t come? Remember that God’s mercies are new every morning. Tomorrow is another opportunity to practice rest. Another chance to experience His faithfulness.
I still have nights when anxiety disrupts my sleep. But they’re fewer now, and I have tools to navigate them. Most importantly, I’ve learned that pursuing quality sleep isn’t selfish or indulgent—it’s one of the most loving things I can do for myself and everyone who depends on me.
Your anxious mind needs rest. Your weary body craves sleep. And your loving Heavenly Father wants to meet you in that place of surrender. May you find the courage tonight to lay down your burdens, close your eyes, and trust Him with the darkness.
Sleep well, friend. You’re more loved than your anxiety wants you to believe, and tomorrow holds more hope than your worried mind can imagine right now.
