Bonus Episode: Sleep Anxiety: The 1 Thing Everyone Gets Wrong About Sleep Hygiene

Summary: In this episode, I talk about why so many people struggle with sleep anxiety even when they’re doing everything “right.” You might be following all the sleep hygiene rules, no screens, consistent bedtime, calming routines, and still lying awake, wondering what’s wrong. The truth is, for anxious brains, trying too hard to sleep can actually make it harder. Sleep is one of the few biological processes that resists effort, and the more pressure you put on it, the more alert your body becomes.

I walk you through what’s really happening, including the role of hyperarousal and nighttime rumination, where your mind gets caught in worry and overthinking. I also share a more effective approach rooted in CBT for insomnia, including strategies like paradoxical intention (trying to stay awake to reduce pressure), identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts about sleep, and retraining your brain’s association with the bed by getting up when you can’t sleep.

Most importantly, we talk about loosening rigid sleep rules and shifting toward a more flexible, accepting approach. The goal isn’t to force sleep, but to reduce the anxiety around it so your body can do what it already knows how to do. Sleep isn’t broken; anxiety is just getting in the way, and that is something you can change.

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