🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 157 (from laksa170)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa157.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491","crawl_time":1776122558,"first_indexed_time":1677305849,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,verywellmind!www,\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491 s443","src_root_hash":"10064058272378209957","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"'I Want to Sleep But My Body Won’t Let Me': Why Does This Happen?","meta_descriptions":["Struggling to fall asleep is a frustrating experience. Learn some of the most common reasons it happens and what you can do fall asleep right now and prevent sleep problems in the future."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Key Takeaways\nStress can make it hard to sleep because of increased cortisol levels.\nMental health issues can disrupt sleep and should be addressed with care.\nPoor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes can worsen sleep problems.\nYou're exhausted, and your bed is comfy, but your mind and body refuse to shut down. If you've ever found yourself lying awake, wondering, \"Why won't my body let me sleep?,\" you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of American adults experience problems with falling or staying asleep.\n1\nWhen you feel tired, it should theoretically be easy to fall asleep. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wanting to sleep but being unable to can happen for many reasons. Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle factors can all disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the most common reasons for difficulty falling asleep.\nStress\nResearch from the American Psychological Association indicates that stress levels are higher than ever, which can greatly affect your ability to relax and rest. Stress leads to the release of excess\ncortisol\nin your body.\n2\nCortisol, often called the \"stress hormone,\" plays multiple roles, including waking you up, keeping you alert, and raising blood sugar for energy. It works in opposition to\nmelatonin\n, the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.\n3\nStress can trigger an increase in\ncortisol\nbecause you need that energy and alertness to respond to threats.\n4\nUnfortunately, that mechanism is best suited to dealing with immediate dangers (like a predator) where skipping sleep to fight or run away can save your life. For most modern causes of stress, like an excessive workload or a relationship problem, staying awake through the night doesn’t really help.\nSolution\nWhile you can't control every stressor, managing what you can is important. You might not be able to back out of existing work projects, but you can be cautious about accepting new ones. Similarly, while you can't cure a\nchronic health condition\n, you can begin a tailored moderate exercise routine.\nMental Health Issues\nSometimes, your body's inability to sleep might be a symptom of a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can also cause sleep problems. Whether chronic or acute, these conditions are stressful, which means they trigger that same elevated cortisol release that keeps you awake at night.\nNot only that, sleep disturbances are often a symptom of a mood or anxiety disorder.\nSolution\nTaking care of your mental health is crucial. Consider seeing a mental health professional, even if you feel your issues aren't severe enough. Therapists can help you develop skills to improve your mental well-being, regardless of a clinical diagnosis.\nIn addition to\ntherapy\n, engage in self-care and connect with friends and family. Activities that make you feel supported can reassure your body that you're safe, reducing the need for nightly cortisol spikes.\nPoor Sleep Hygiene\nMany people have trouble sleeping due to factors they may not realize, such as inconsistent bedtimes, consuming caffeine late in the day, or spending too much time on screens.\nSleep hygiene\ninvolves the habits and conditions during your day that affect your natural sleep-wake cycle.\nYour body uses environmental light\nand temperature changes to determine the time of day, which influences your alertness or sleepiness.\nIn an ideal world, your sleep hygiene would include waking up to bright, natural sunlight, then gradually increasing your activity levels as light levels and temperature increase, peaking in the afternoon. Then, begin winding down your activity levels as temperature and light levels decrease before finally going to sleep in the dark.\nPoor sleep hygiene\nis any part of your day that doesn’t match that ideal. Some of the most common culprits of poor sleep hygiene include:\nUsing screens that emit bright\nblue light\n, like TV or your phone in the evening.\n5\nConsuming caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients that cause a spike in energy or alertness later in the day when you should be winding down.\nWaking up in a dark room.\nA sedentary lifestyle where you don’t get much physical activity during the day.\nWorking, reading, watching TV or doing anything other than sleep in your bed.\nWhen these bad habits disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle, falling and staying asleep becomes a lot more difficult. The result is often a night of tossing and turning, followed by a day of excessive sleepiness and lingering fatigue. Improving your sleep hygiene can often make a BIG difference when it comes to getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need.\nSolution\nSome of the best things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene involve being more consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure you adapt to light and temperature conditions to help trigger different phases of the cycle.\nHere are a few tricks you can try:\nOpen your curtains so you can wake up to sunlight.\nTry to spend about two hours outside in the sun in the morning or afternoon.\n6\nFor example, eat breakfast in your backyard and take your lunch break outside.\nDim or turn off lights when you’re at home relaxing in the evening.\nIf you’re not ready to give up screens at night, lower the brightness level and the sound volume. Also, consider trying to enforce a\nscreen ban on yourself\nfor at least the last hour right before bedtime.\nLower the temperature about one or two hours before bed, ideally to between 65⁰ and 68⁰ Fahrenheit.\nIf you can’t touch the thermostat, take a hot bath or shower about 30-60 minutes before bed so that the comparatively cooler air when you get out of the water causes a decrease in body temperature.\nMenstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy\nHormones also play a vital role in regulating sleep. If it feels like your body won't let you sleep, it's important to consider whether monthly changes in hormone levels might be a culprit.\nFor people who menstruate, the monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also impact sleep quality.\n7\nThe changes in estrogen and progesterone levels that accompany your menstrual cycle might make it difficult to fall asleep.\nFor the same reasons, the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and menopause can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Heightened levels during pregnancy can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, while the sharp decline in those hormones during menopause can make it harder to fall asleep.\nUnderstanding how these hormonal fluctuations might affect your sleep can help you recognize the causes and take steps to address these changes to minimize their impact on your body's ability to rest.\nSolution\nIf you often find it hard to sleep right before or during your period, talk to your doctor about possibly taking\nmelatonin\nor medication during this time. Your doctor might recommend a hormonal treatment when you begin menopause.\nCircadian Rhythm Misalignment\nYour body tries to stick to a relatively consistent 24-hour cycle. But sometimes, your internal clock doesn't sync up with your environment.\nJet lag\n, which occurs when you travel to a different time zone and struggle to adjust your sleep schedule to fit, is one common example. However, this can also happen if you do\nshift work\nand your schedule isn't consistent from week to week.\nAnother possible cause of disruption is what’s sometimes called \"social jet lag\" or\ndelayed sleep phase syndrome\n.\n8\nThis refers to people whose internal clock is naturally out of alignment with the society they live in.\nIf you need to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. to get enough sleep before work in the morning, but your melatonin and other sleep hormones don't start increasing until midnight, you'll struggle to force yourself into a sleep-wake cycle that fits your work schedule.\nSolution\nUnfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this.\nBy paying extra attention to your sleep hygiene, including using light and temperature to trigger wakefulness and sleepiness during the day, you can gradually reprogram your internal clock to better fit your daily routine. Bright light therapy and certain medications may help.\nWhat Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep?\nA lot of the solutions above are more long-term fixes and prevention methods. In the meantime, here are some\nstrategies you can try right now that may help you fall asleep\ntonight.\nDo a Mindful Activity\nIf you've been lying in bed for more than 25 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and go to a different room. Leave your phone and any other screen behind and spend time doing a quiet, mindful activity in the dark or low lighting. Mindful activities can involve:\nYoga\nReading a book\nFolding laundry\nMeditation\nJournaling\nKnitting\nPuzzles\nDrawing or coloring\nSometimes, when it's hard to fall asleep, the\nworry you feel about the fact that you can’t fall asleep\nends up making it even harder. A mindful activity you enjoy can take your attention away from that worry and help put you in a calmer, more restful mental state.\nIf you start to feel sleepy at any point, go lay down in bed again. But if you’re still awake 25 minutes later, get up and repeat the process.\nDo Something Kind for Yourself\nIf anxiety or depression are keeping you awake, you can try reclaiming control of your mind by combatting negative thoughts with defiant acts of kindness. Just because your brain is trying to convince you that you haven’t earned rest or you don't deserve to relax doesn’t mean you have to listen.\nIf your brain is convincing you it’s all pointless or hopeless, you can still choose pointless joy over pointless stress.\nBlatantly contradict that train of thought by doing something nice for yourself.\nGet up and take a bubble bath.\nGo sit outside and admire the stars.\nPaint your nails your favorite color.\nToss your blanket in the dryer for five minutes so you can wrap yourself up in its cozy warmth.\nThe negative thoughts might persist, but get in the habit of insisting that you’re going to choose joy regardless. \nTry Our Sleep Quiz\nOur fast and free\nsleep quiz\ncan help you determine whether or not some of your sleep issues could potentially be connected to a sleep disorder:\nThis sleep quiz was medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#skip-to-content)\n\nMenu\n\n- [Conditions A-Z](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/conditions-a-z-4797402)\n  - [Addiction](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/addiction-overview-4581803)\n  - [Depression](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/depression-4157261)\n  - [ADHD](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/adhd-overview-4581801)\n  - [Anxiety](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/anxiety-7508391)\n  - [Bipolar Disorder](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/bipolar-disorder-4157274)\n  - [PTSD](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/ptsd-4157229)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/conditions-a-z-4797402)\n- [Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/therapy-4581775)\n  - [Therapy Center](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/therapy-7092217)\n  - [When To See a Therapist](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-know-when-it-s-time-to-see-a-therapist-5077040)\n  - [Types of Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-choose-the-best-type-of-therapy-for-you-6500320)\n  - [Best Online Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/best-online-therapy-4691206)\n  - [Best Couples Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/best-online-marriage-counseling-4691952)\n- [Living Well](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n  - [Managing Stress](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/stress-management-overview-4581770)\n  - [Meditation](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/meditation-and-mindfulness-4581783)\n  - [Sleep and Dreaming](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-and-dreaming-4157166)\n  - [Understanding Emotions](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/emotions-4157165)\n  - [Self-Improvement](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/self-improvement-4157212)\n- [Relationships](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/relationships-4157190)\n  - [Healthy Relationships](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/strengthening-relationships-4162997)\n  - [Dating](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/dating-tips-and-strategies-7511571)\n  - [Intimacy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sex-and-relationships-7511610)\n- [Psychology](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/psychology-4157187)\n  - [Theories](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/theories-of-psychology-4157184)\n  - [Student Resources](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/student-resources-overview-4581768)\n  - [Personality Types](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/the-myers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583)\n- [Trending](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/news-latest-research-and-trending-topics-4846421)\n  - 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[ADHD](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/adhd-overview-4581801)\n  - [Anxiety](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/anxiety-7508391)\n  - [Bipolar Disorder](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/bipolar-disorder-4157274)\n  - [PTSD](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/ptsd-4157229)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/conditions-a-z-4797402)\n- [Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/therapy-4581775)\n  - [Therapy Center](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/therapy-7092217)\n  - [When To See a Therapist](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-know-when-it-s-time-to-see-a-therapist-5077040)\n  - [Types of Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-choose-the-best-type-of-therapy-for-you-6500320)\n  - [Best Online Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/best-online-therapy-4691206)\n  - [Best Couples Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/best-online-marriage-counseling-4691952)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/therapy-4581775)\n- [Living Well](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n  - [Managing Stress](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/stress-management-overview-4581770)\n  - [Meditation](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/meditation-and-mindfulness-4581783)\n  - [Sleep and Dreaming](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-and-dreaming-4157166)\n  - [Understanding Emotions](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/emotions-4157165)\n  - [Self-Improvement](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/self-improvement-4157212)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n- [Relationships](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/relationships-4157190)\n  - [Healthy Relationships](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/strengthening-relationships-4162997)\n  - [Dating](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/dating-tips-and-strategies-7511571)\n  - [Intimacy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sex-and-relationships-7511610)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/relationships-4157190)\n- [Psychology](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/psychology-4157187)\n  - [Theories](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/theories-of-psychology-4157184)\n  - [Student Resources](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/student-resources-overview-4581768)\n  - [Personality Types](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/the-myers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/psychology-4157187)\n- [Trending](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/news-latest-research-and-trending-topics-4846421)\n  - [Quizzes](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/quizzes-8609222)\n  - [Guided Meditations](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/guided-meditations-8609227)\n  - [Verywell Mind Insights](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/mental-health-data-insights-5185693)\n  - [2024 Verywell Mind 25](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/the-verywell-mind-25-2024-7484480)\n  - [Mental Health in the Classroom](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/mental-health-in-the-classroom-survey-7569880)\n  - [View All](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/news-latest-research-and-trending-topics-4846421)\n\n[More in Living Well](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n\n- [Sleep and Dreaming](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-and-dreaming-4157166)\n- [Emotions](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/emotions-4157165)\n- [Race and Social Justice](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/race-and-social-justice-5073654)\n- [Gender Identity](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/gender-identity-and-expression-5185416)\n- [Sexual Identity](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sexual-identity-and-expression-5185424)\n- [Self-Improvement](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/self-improvement-4157212)\n- [Stress Management](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/stress-management-overview-4581770)\n- [Relationships](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/relationships-4157190)\n- [Mindfulness and Meditation](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/meditation-and-mindfulness-4581783)\n\n[View More](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/about-us-5184564)\n- [Editorial Process](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/our-editorial-process-4778006)\n- [Review Board](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/review-board-4796494)\n- [Crisis Support](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/crisis-support-6666353)\n\nVerywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.\n\nⒸ 2026 People Inc. — All rights reserved\n\n# 'I Want to Sleep But My Body Won’t Let Me': Why Does This Happen?\nThe science behind those sleepless nights\n\nBy\n\n[Rachael Green](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/rachael-green-5211216)\n\n![Rachael Green]()\n\n![Rachael Green](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/h-xpTHr9C400Vja52dkzTu-3vWo=\/200x200\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/RachaelGreenProfilePicture1-a3b8368ef3bb47ccbac92c5cc088e24d.jpg)\n\n[Rachael Green](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/rachael-green-5211216)\n\nRachael is a New York-based writer who writes for Verywell Mind, where she leverages her decades of personal experience with and research on mental illness—particularly ADHD and depression—to help readers better understand how their mind works and how to manage their mental health.\n\nLearn about our  [editorial process](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/our-editorial-process-4778006)\n\nUpdated on March 31, 2026\n\nMedically reviewed\n\nVerywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. [Learn more](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/review-board-4796494).\n\nby\n\n[Steven Gans, MD](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/steven-gans-md-4779222)\n\n![Steven Gans]()\n\n![Steven Gans](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/fZ_tk7yoILxKtKtadDqryfeRKaE=\/200x200\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/steven-gans-1000-51582b7f23b6462f8713961deb74959f.jpg)\n\nMedically reviewed by [Steven Gans, MD](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/steven-gans-md-4779222)\n\nSteven Gans, MD, is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.\n\nLearn about our  [Medical Review Board](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/review-board-4796494)\n\n![Top View of a Beautiful Woman Lying in Bed ](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/bnvDIbtVBz11xrQXNOj2mF12SHA=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/GettyImages-1351146414-6094849eb6cc4bcbb510c9ebcea4c81f.jpg)\n\n![Top View of a Beautiful Woman Lying in Bed ](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/bnvDIbtVBz11xrQXNOj2mF12SHA=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/GettyImages-1351146414-6094849eb6cc4bcbb510c9ebcea4c81f.jpg)\n\nFreshSplash \/ Getty Images\n\nTable of Contents\n\nView All\n\nTable of Contents\n\n- [Stress](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-stress)\n- [Mental Health Issues](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-mental-health-issues)\n- [Poor Sleep Hygiene](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-poor-sleep-hygiene)\n- [Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-menstrual-cycle-menopause-or-pregnancy)\n- [Circadian Rhythm Misalignment](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-circadian-rhythm-misalignment)\n- [What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep?](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-what-should-i-do-if-i-cant-fall-asleep)\n- [Try Our Sleep Quiz](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-try-our-sleep-quiz)\n\nClose\n\n### Key Takeaways\n- Stress can make it hard to sleep because of increased cortisol levels.\n- Mental health issues can disrupt sleep and should be addressed with care.\n- Poor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes can worsen sleep problems.\n\nYou're exhausted, and your bed is comfy, but your mind and body refuse to shut down. If you've ever found yourself lying awake, wondering, \"Why won't my body let me sleep?,\" you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of American adults experience problems with falling or staying asleep.1\n\nWhen you feel tired, it should theoretically be easy to fall asleep. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wanting to sleep but being unable to can happen for many reasons. Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle factors can all disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the most common reasons for difficulty falling asleep.\n\n## Stress\nResearch from the American Psychological Association indicates that stress levels are higher than ever, which can greatly affect your ability to relax and rest. Stress leads to the release of excess [cortisol](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/cortisol-and-stress-how-to-stay-healthy-3145080) in your body.2\n\nCortisol, often called the \"stress hormone,\" plays multiple roles, including waking you up, keeping you alert, and raising blood sugar for energy. It works in opposition to [melatonin](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-melatonin-5114942), the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.3\n\nStress can trigger an increase in [cortisol](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/cortisol-cocktail-for-a-month-11787394) because you need that energy and alertness to respond to threats.4\n\nUnfortunately, that mechanism is best suited to dealing with immediate dangers (like a predator) where skipping sleep to fight or run away can save your life. For most modern causes of stress, like an excessive workload or a relationship problem, staying awake through the night doesn’t really help.\n\n### Solution\n[Reducing your stress levels](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195) can help. Use the time when you're awake to identify [what’s causing your stress](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-are-the-main-causes-of-stress-3145063) and create a plan to tackle the root cause.\n\nWhile you can't control every stressor, managing what you can is important. You might not be able to back out of existing work projects, but you can be cautious about accepting new ones. Similarly, while you can't cure a [chronic health condition](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-cope-when-your-partner-has-a-chronic-health-issue-5193847), you can begin a tailored moderate exercise routine.\n\n## Mental Health Issues\nSometimes, your body's inability to sleep might be a symptom of a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can also cause sleep problems. Whether chronic or acute, these conditions are stressful, which means they trigger that same elevated cortisol release that keeps you awake at night.\n\nNot only that, sleep disturbances are often a symptom of a mood or anxiety disorder.\n\n### Solution\nTaking care of your mental health is crucial. Consider seeing a mental health professional, even if you feel your issues aren't severe enough. Therapists can help you develop skills to improve your mental well-being, regardless of a clinical diagnosis.\n\nIn addition to [therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/different-types-of-psychotherapy-5186909) , engage in self-care and connect with friends and family. Activities that make you feel supported can reassure your body that you're safe, reducing the need for nightly cortisol spikes.\n\n## Poor Sleep Hygiene\nMany people have trouble sleeping due to factors they may not realize, such as inconsistent bedtimes, consuming caffeine late in the day, or spending too much time on screens.\n\n[Sleep hygiene](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-sleep-hygiene-5085887) involves the habits and conditions during your day that affect your natural sleep-wake cycle. [Your body uses environmental light](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/synchronizing-biological-clock-daily-schedule-4174976) and temperature changes to determine the time of day, which influences your alertness or sleepiness.\n\nIn an ideal world, your sleep hygiene would include waking up to bright, natural sunlight, then gradually increasing your activity levels as light levels and temperature increase, peaking in the afternoon. Then, begin winding down your activity levels as temperature and light levels decrease before finally going to sleep in the dark.\n\n[Poor sleep hygiene](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-ditch-poor-sleep-hygiene-5225795) is any part of your day that doesn’t match that ideal. Some of the most common culprits of poor sleep hygiene include:\n\n- Using screens that emit bright [blue light](https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/best-blue-light-blocking-glasses-4579815), like TV or your phone in the evening.5\n- Consuming caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients that cause a spike in energy or alertness later in the day when you should be winding down.\n- Waking up in a dark room.\n- A sedentary lifestyle where you don’t get much physical activity during the day.\n- Working, reading, watching TV or doing anything other than sleep in your bed.\n\nWhen these bad habits disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle, falling and staying asleep becomes a lot more difficult. The result is often a night of tossing and turning, followed by a day of excessive sleepiness and lingering fatigue. Improving your sleep hygiene can often make a BIG difference when it comes to getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need.\n\n### Mindful Moment\nNeed a breather? Take this free [2-minute meditation to help you fall asleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/2-minute-video-meditation-to-drift-off-to-sleep-8559761)—or choose from our [guided meditation library](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/guided-meditations-8609227) to find another one that will help you feel your best.\n\n[I Drank Tart Cherry Juice Before Bed for a Week—Here's What It Did for My Sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/tart-cherry-juice-for-sleep-11727715)\n\n### Solution\nSome of the best things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene involve being more consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure you adapt to light and temperature conditions to help trigger different phases of the cycle.\n\nHere are a few tricks you can try:\n\n- Open your curtains so you can wake up to sunlight.\n- Try to spend about two hours outside in the sun in the morning or afternoon.6 For example, eat breakfast in your backyard and take your lunch break outside.\n- Dim or turn off lights when you’re at home relaxing in the evening.\n- If you’re not ready to give up screens at night, lower the brightness level and the sound volume. Also, consider trying to enforce a [screen ban on yourself](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/why-and-how-to-do-a-digital-detox-4771321) for at least the last hour right before bedtime.\n- Lower the temperature about one or two hours before bed, ideally to between 65⁰ and 68⁰ Fahrenheit.\n- If you can’t touch the thermostat, take a hot bath or shower about 30-60 minutes before bed so that the comparatively cooler air when you get out of the water causes a decrease in body temperature.\n\n[11 Ways to Get Better Sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-get-better-sleep-5094084)\n\n## Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy\nHormones also play a vital role in regulating sleep. If it feels like your body won't let you sleep, it's important to consider whether monthly changes in hormone levels might be a culprit.\n\nFor people who menstruate, the monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also impact sleep quality.7\n\nThe changes in estrogen and progesterone levels that accompany your menstrual cycle might make it difficult to fall asleep.\n\nFor the same reasons, the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and menopause can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Heightened levels during pregnancy can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, while the sharp decline in those hormones during menopause can make it harder to fall asleep.\n\nUnderstanding how these hormonal fluctuations might affect your sleep can help you recognize the causes and take steps to address these changes to minimize their impact on your body's ability to rest.\n\n### Solution\nIf you often find it hard to sleep right before or during your period, talk to your doctor about possibly taking [melatonin](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-melatonin-5114942) or medication during this time. Your doctor might recommend a hormonal treatment when you begin menopause.\n\n## Circadian Rhythm Misalignment\nYour body tries to stick to a relatively consistent 24-hour cycle. But sometimes, your internal clock doesn't sync up with your environment.\n\n[Jet lag](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/jet-lag-symptoms-causes-coping-and-prevention-7095358), which occurs when you travel to a different time zone and struggle to adjust your sleep schedule to fit, is one common example. However, this can also happen if you do [shift work](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/shift-work-sleep-disorder-7098445) and your schedule isn't consistent from week to week.\n\nAnother possible cause of disruption is what’s sometimes called \"social jet lag\" or [delayed sleep phase syndrome](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/delayed-sleep-phase-syndrome-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-7110083).8 This refers to people whose internal clock is naturally out of alignment with the society they live in.\n\nIf you need to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. to get enough sleep before work in the morning, but your melatonin and other sleep hormones don't start increasing until midnight, you'll struggle to force yourself into a sleep-wake cycle that fits your work schedule.\n\n### Solution\nUnfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this.\n\nBy paying extra attention to your sleep hygiene, including using light and temperature to trigger wakefulness and sleepiness during the day, you can gradually reprogram your internal clock to better fit your daily routine. Bright light therapy and certain medications may help.\n\n## What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep?\nA lot of the solutions above are more long-term fixes and prevention methods. In the meantime, here are some [strategies you can try right now that may help you fall asleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/military-sleep-method-7111161) tonight.\n\n### Do a Mindful Activity\nIf you've been lying in bed for more than 25 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and go to a different room. Leave your phone and any other screen behind and spend time doing a quiet, mindful activity in the dark or low lighting. Mindful activities can involve:\n\n- [Yoga](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/yoga-for-sleep-benefits-poses-and-how-to-get-started-5209194)\n- Reading a book\n- Folding laundry\n- [Meditation](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/types-of-meditation-to-find-your-calm-8553523)\n- [Journaling](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/the-benefits-of-journaling-for-stress-management-3144611)\n- Knitting\n- Puzzles\n- [Drawing or coloring](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/drawing-art-therapy-and-stress-relief-3144585)\n\nSometimes, when it's hard to fall asleep, the [worry you feel about the fact that you can’t fall asleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-sleep-anxiety-7109292) ends up making it even harder. A mindful activity you enjoy can take your attention away from that worry and help put you in a calmer, more restful mental state.\n\nIf you start to feel sleepy at any point, go lay down in bed again. But if you’re still awake 25 minutes later, get up and repeat the process.\n\n### Do Something Kind for Yourself\nIf anxiety or depression are keeping you awake, you can try reclaiming control of your mind by combatting negative thoughts with defiant acts of kindness. Just because your brain is trying to convince you that you haven’t earned rest or you don't deserve to relax doesn’t mean you have to listen.\n\nIf your brain is convincing you it’s all pointless or hopeless, you can still choose pointless joy over pointless stress.\n\nBlatantly contradict that train of thought by doing something nice for yourself.\n\n- Get up and take a bubble bath.\n- Go sit outside and admire the stars.\n- Paint your nails your favorite color.\n- Toss your blanket in the dryer for five minutes so you can wrap yourself up in its cozy warmth.\n\nThe negative thoughts might persist, but get in the habit of insisting that you’re going to choose joy regardless.\n\n[12 Tips for Better Sleep With Anxiety](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-sleep-with-anxiety-5224455)\n\n## Try Our Sleep Quiz\nOur fast and free [sleep quiz](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-quiz-how-well-are-you-sleeping-7562482) can help you determine whether or not some of your sleep issues could potentially be connected to a sleep disorder:\n\nThis sleep quiz was medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.\n\nRead more:\n\n- [Living Well](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n- [Sleep and Dreaming](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-and-dreaming-4157166)\n\n8 Sources\n\nVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our [editorial process](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/our-editorial-process-4778006) to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.\n\n1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Sleep difficulties in adults: United States, 2020](https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/products\/databriefs\/db436.htm).\n2. American Psychological Association. [Stress in America](https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress).\n3. Mohd Azmi NAS, Juliana N, Azmani S, et al. [Cortisol on circadian rhythm and its effect on cardiovascular system](https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7830980\/). IJERPH. 2021;18(2):676. Doi:10.3390\/ijerph18020676\n4. HealthDirect Australia. [The role of cortisol in the body](https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/the-role-of-cortisol-in-the-body).\n5. Ishizawa M, Uchiumi T, Takahata M, Yamaki M, Sato T. [Effects of pre-bedtime blue-light exposure on ratio of deep sleep in healthy young men. Sleep Medicine](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1389945721003257). 2021;84:303-307. doi:10.1016\/j.sleep.2021.05.046\n6. Zhang M, Wang Q, Pu L, et al. [Light therapy to improve sleep quality in older adults living in residential long-term care: a systematic review](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1525861022007903). *Journal of the American Medical Directors Association*. 2023;24(1):65-74.e1. doi:10.1016\/j.jamda.2022.10.008\n7. Baker FC, Lee KA. [Menstrual cycle effects on sleep](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1556407X22000145). *Sleep Medicine Clinics*. 2022;17(2):283-294. doi:10.1016\/j.jsmc.2022.02.004\n8. Yoon SYR, Shapiro CM. [Chronobiology of sleep – circadian rhythms, behavior, and performance. In: Encyclopedia of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/B978012822963720008X). *Elsevier*; 2023:56-66. doi:10.1016\/B978-0-12-822963-7.20008-X\n\n![Rachael Green](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/4xIJSNY6K5Ou93InTRHLot43n4s=\/144x144\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/RachaelGreenProfilePicture1-a3b8368ef3bb47ccbac92c5cc088e24d.jpg)\n\n![Rachael Green](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/4xIJSNY6K5Ou93InTRHLot43n4s=\/144x144\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/RachaelGreenProfilePicture1-a3b8368ef3bb47ccbac92c5cc088e24d.jpg)\n\nBy [Rachael Green](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/rachael-green-5211216)   \n Rachael is a New York-based writer who writes for Verywell Mind, where she leverages her decades of personal experience with and research on mental illness—particularly ADHD and depression—to help readers better understand how their mind works and how to manage their mental health.\n\n[See Our Editorial Process](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/our-editorial-process-4778006)\n\n[Meet Our Review Board](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/review-board-4796494)\n\nShare Feedback\n\nWas this page helpful?\n\nThanks for your feedback\\!\n\nWhat is your feedback?\n\nHelpful\n\nReport an Error\n\nOther\n\nRelated Articles\n\n[![Man in bed dreaming about having coffee with a woman ](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/4w3B4_atzSOwAObwAF4hwmvdbnM=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/whatdoesitmeanwhenyoudreamaboutsomeone-final-4be86efdf454499d86ca0c085fd54b44.png) ![Man in bed dreaming about having coffee with a woman ](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/4w3B4_atzSOwAObwAF4hwmvdbnM=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/whatdoesitmeanwhenyoudreamaboutsomeone-final-4be86efdf454499d86ca0c085fd54b44.png) What Does It Mean When You Dream About 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Terrors](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/i-wake-up-screaming-what-to-know-about-night-terrors-5218842)\n\n[![how to get better sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/RQIpDrYb4BMa6qVfRtN7G65UYGU=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/how-to-get-better-sleep-5094084-regular-no-text-FINAL-614e0058b0054f78887e3bd1ff54a673.png) ![how to get better sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/RQIpDrYb4BMa6qVfRtN7G65UYGU=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/how-to-get-better-sleep-5094084-regular-no-text-FINAL-614e0058b0054f78887e3bd1ff54a673.png) 11 Ways to Get Better Sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-get-better-sleep-5094084)\n\n[![Woman sleeping](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/-E-1w7S0dxpV3JN3CYQnXa_3UcU=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/143073570-56a792573df78cf772973eb6.jpg) ![Woman sleeping](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/-E-1w7S0dxpV3JN3CYQnXa_3UcU=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/143073570-56a792573df78cf772973eb6.jpg) Theories on Why We Sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/theories-of-sleep-2795929)\n\n[![A conceptual illustration of a human brain with an alarm clock placed on it displayed between a starry night and a cloudy day background](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/ayrmkInnJfaBcQUkXLkWyfiS51o=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/vwm-bvrain-sleep-getty-A-c5f05b58d9dc4022b80380f4c8f7b8e7.jpg) ![A conceptual illustration of a human brain with an alarm clock placed on it displayed between a starry night and a cloudy day background](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/ayrmkInnJfaBcQUkXLkWyfiS51o=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/vwm-bvrain-sleep-getty-A-c5f05b58d9dc4022b80380f4c8f7b8e7.jpg) What's Your Sleep Chronotype? Take the Quiz To Find Out](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-chronotype-quiz-11928275)\n\n[![recurring nightmares](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/eLVdxRGq44MhRE_lG8tCVI7L9DE=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/why-do-i-have-recurring-nightmares-4846336_final2-6f437a888630423dabac65ba0344e350.png) ![recurring nightmares](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/eLVdxRGq44MhRE_lG8tCVI7L9DE=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/why-do-i-have-recurring-nightmares-4846336_final2-6f437a888630423dabac65ba0344e350.png) Why Do I Have Recurring Nightmares?](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/why-do-i-have-recurring-nightmares-4846336)\n\n[![person tired at their desk](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/2QNelp0B5-Jm-3YZVMZae8qBZPQ=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/GettyImages-1352185989-be3c14ab82644e448e43c8e6cbce209e.jpg) ![person tired at their desk](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/2QNelp0B5-Jm-3YZVMZae8qBZPQ=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/GettyImages-1352185989-be3c14ab82644e448e43c8e6cbce209e.jpg) Why Am I So Tired After Work?](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/why-am-i-so-tired-after-work-6741246)\n\n[![person sad in bed](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/AD8h38_ys_f4ORNC_ElWWl4wkPA=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/GettyImages-1383076970-322ea4d234c3408a8eaf15a61fd0a31d.jpg) ![person sad in bed](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/AD8h38_ys_f4ORNC_ElWWl4wkPA=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/GettyImages-1383076970-322ea4d234c3408a8eaf15a61fd0a31d.jpg) Why Do I Cry in My Sleep?](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/crying-in-sleep-causes-6753532)\n\n[![man pouring tea into a green teacup](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/PuV-Khlt2xJuzulv2oisKRNbzSU=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/SvetlanaRepnitskaya-72842020910e4e92821dfdc7ab27aee3.jpg) ![man pouring tea into a green teacup](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/PuV-Khlt2xJuzulv2oisKRNbzSU=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/SvetlanaRepnitskaya-72842020910e4e92821dfdc7ab27aee3.jpg) I Drank Chamomile Tea Before Bed for a Week—Here's How It Affected My Sleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-chamomile-tea-affected-my-sleep-11750708)\n\n[![couple talking](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/sVwz1QYAU2kd1aDUkrwwBjOadvM=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/StefaNikolic-8b2d726c0f174ee18882f6accb9892f3.jpg) ![couple talking](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/thmb\/sVwz1QYAU2kd1aDUkrwwBjOadvM=\/400x250\/filters:no_upscale\\(\\):max_bytes\\(150000\\):strip_icc\\(\\)\/StefaNikolic-8b2d726c0f174ee18882f6accb9892f3.jpg) Dos and Don’ts of Asking Where Your Relationship Is Going](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-ask-where-the-relationship-is-going-11944825)\n\n- [Conditions A-Z](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/conditions-a-z-4797402)\n- [Therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/therapy-4581775)\n- [Living Well](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/living-well-7510832)\n- [Relationships](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/relationships-4157190)\n- [Psychology](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/psychology-4157187)\n- [Trending](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/news-latest-research-and-trending-topics-4846421)\n\n- [Meet Our Review Board](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/review-board-4796494)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/about-us-5184564)\n- [Editorial Process](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/our-editorial-process-4778006)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.people.inc\/brands-privacy)\n- [In the News](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/in-the-news-4782525)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/www.people.inc\/advertising)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/www.people.inc\/brands-termsofservice)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/www.people.inc\/careers)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/about-us-5184564#toc-contact-us)\n- [Crisis Support](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/crisis-support-6666353)\n\nFollow Us\n\nVerywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.\n\nⒸ 2026 People Inc. — All rights reserved\n\nVerywell Mind is part of the [People Inc.](https:\/\/www.people.inc\/) publishing family.","attrs_readable_markdown":"### Key Takeaways\n- Stress can make it hard to sleep because of increased cortisol levels.\n- Mental health issues can disrupt sleep and should be addressed with care.\n- Poor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes can worsen sleep problems.\n\nYou're exhausted, and your bed is comfy, but your mind and body refuse to shut down. If you've ever found yourself lying awake, wondering, \"Why won't my body let me sleep?,\" you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of American adults experience problems with falling or staying asleep.1\n\nWhen you feel tired, it should theoretically be easy to fall asleep. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wanting to sleep but being unable to can happen for many reasons. Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle factors can all disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the most common reasons for difficulty falling asleep.\n\n## Stress\nResearch from the American Psychological Association indicates that stress levels are higher than ever, which can greatly affect your ability to relax and rest. Stress leads to the release of excess [cortisol](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/cortisol-and-stress-how-to-stay-healthy-3145080) in your body.2\n\nCortisol, often called the \"stress hormone,\" plays multiple roles, including waking you up, keeping you alert, and raising blood sugar for energy. It works in opposition to [melatonin](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-melatonin-5114942), the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.3\n\nStress can trigger an increase in [cortisol](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/cortisol-cocktail-for-a-month-11787394) because you need that energy and alertness to respond to threats.4\n\nUnfortunately, that mechanism is best suited to dealing with immediate dangers (like a predator) where skipping sleep to fight or run away can save your life. For most modern causes of stress, like an excessive workload or a relationship problem, staying awake through the night doesn’t really help.\n\n### Solution\nWhile you can't control every stressor, managing what you can is important. You might not be able to back out of existing work projects, but you can be cautious about accepting new ones. Similarly, while you can't cure a [chronic health condition](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-cope-when-your-partner-has-a-chronic-health-issue-5193847), you can begin a tailored moderate exercise routine.\n\n## Mental Health Issues\nSometimes, your body's inability to sleep might be a symptom of a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can also cause sleep problems. Whether chronic or acute, these conditions are stressful, which means they trigger that same elevated cortisol release that keeps you awake at night.\n\nNot only that, sleep disturbances are often a symptom of a mood or anxiety disorder.\n\n### Solution\nTaking care of your mental health is crucial. Consider seeing a mental health professional, even if you feel your issues aren't severe enough. Therapists can help you develop skills to improve your mental well-being, regardless of a clinical diagnosis.\n\nIn addition to [therapy](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/different-types-of-psychotherapy-5186909) , engage in self-care and connect with friends and family. Activities that make you feel supported can reassure your body that you're safe, reducing the need for nightly cortisol spikes.\n\n## Poor Sleep Hygiene\nMany people have trouble sleeping due to factors they may not realize, such as inconsistent bedtimes, consuming caffeine late in the day, or spending too much time on screens.\n\n[Sleep hygiene](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-sleep-hygiene-5085887) involves the habits and conditions during your day that affect your natural sleep-wake cycle. [Your body uses environmental light](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/synchronizing-biological-clock-daily-schedule-4174976) and temperature changes to determine the time of day, which influences your alertness or sleepiness.\n\nIn an ideal world, your sleep hygiene would include waking up to bright, natural sunlight, then gradually increasing your activity levels as light levels and temperature increase, peaking in the afternoon. Then, begin winding down your activity levels as temperature and light levels decrease before finally going to sleep in the dark.\n\n[Poor sleep hygiene](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-to-ditch-poor-sleep-hygiene-5225795) is any part of your day that doesn’t match that ideal. Some of the most common culprits of poor sleep hygiene include:\n\n- Using screens that emit bright [blue light](https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/best-blue-light-blocking-glasses-4579815), like TV or your phone in the evening.5\n- Consuming caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients that cause a spike in energy or alertness later in the day when you should be winding down.\n- Waking up in a dark room.\n- A sedentary lifestyle where you don’t get much physical activity during the day.\n- Working, reading, watching TV or doing anything other than sleep in your bed.\n\nWhen these bad habits disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle, falling and staying asleep becomes a lot more difficult. The result is often a night of tossing and turning, followed by a day of excessive sleepiness and lingering fatigue. Improving your sleep hygiene can often make a BIG difference when it comes to getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need.\n\n### Solution\nSome of the best things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene involve being more consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure you adapt to light and temperature conditions to help trigger different phases of the cycle.\n\nHere are a few tricks you can try:\n\n- Open your curtains so you can wake up to sunlight.\n- Try to spend about two hours outside in the sun in the morning or afternoon.6 For example, eat breakfast in your backyard and take your lunch break outside.\n- Dim or turn off lights when you’re at home relaxing in the evening.\n- If you’re not ready to give up screens at night, lower the brightness level and the sound volume. Also, consider trying to enforce a [screen ban on yourself](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/why-and-how-to-do-a-digital-detox-4771321) for at least the last hour right before bedtime.\n- Lower the temperature about one or two hours before bed, ideally to between 65⁰ and 68⁰ Fahrenheit.\n- If you can’t touch the thermostat, take a hot bath or shower about 30-60 minutes before bed so that the comparatively cooler air when you get out of the water causes a decrease in body temperature.\n## Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy\nHormones also play a vital role in regulating sleep. If it feels like your body won't let you sleep, it's important to consider whether monthly changes in hormone levels might be a culprit.\n\nFor people who menstruate, the monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also impact sleep quality.7\n\nThe changes in estrogen and progesterone levels that accompany your menstrual cycle might make it difficult to fall asleep.\n\nFor the same reasons, the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and menopause can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Heightened levels during pregnancy can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, while the sharp decline in those hormones during menopause can make it harder to fall asleep.\n\nUnderstanding how these hormonal fluctuations might affect your sleep can help you recognize the causes and take steps to address these changes to minimize their impact on your body's ability to rest.\n\n### Solution\nIf you often find it hard to sleep right before or during your period, talk to your doctor about possibly taking [melatonin](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-melatonin-5114942) or medication during this time. Your doctor might recommend a hormonal treatment when you begin menopause.\n\n## Circadian Rhythm Misalignment\nYour body tries to stick to a relatively consistent 24-hour cycle. But sometimes, your internal clock doesn't sync up with your environment.\n\n[Jet lag](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/jet-lag-symptoms-causes-coping-and-prevention-7095358), which occurs when you travel to a different time zone and struggle to adjust your sleep schedule to fit, is one common example. However, this can also happen if you do [shift work](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/shift-work-sleep-disorder-7098445) and your schedule isn't consistent from week to week.\n\nAnother possible cause of disruption is what’s sometimes called \"social jet lag\" or [delayed sleep phase syndrome](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/delayed-sleep-phase-syndrome-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-7110083).8 This refers to people whose internal clock is naturally out of alignment with the society they live in.\n\nIf you need to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. to get enough sleep before work in the morning, but your melatonin and other sleep hormones don't start increasing until midnight, you'll struggle to force yourself into a sleep-wake cycle that fits your work schedule.\n\n### Solution\nUnfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this.\n\nBy paying extra attention to your sleep hygiene, including using light and temperature to trigger wakefulness and sleepiness during the day, you can gradually reprogram your internal clock to better fit your daily routine. Bright light therapy and certain medications may help.\n\n## What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep?\nA lot of the solutions above are more long-term fixes and prevention methods. In the meantime, here are some [strategies you can try right now that may help you fall asleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/military-sleep-method-7111161) tonight.\n\n### Do a Mindful Activity\nIf you've been lying in bed for more than 25 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and go to a different room. Leave your phone and any other screen behind and spend time doing a quiet, mindful activity in the dark or low lighting. Mindful activities can involve:\n\n- [Yoga](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/yoga-for-sleep-benefits-poses-and-how-to-get-started-5209194)\n- Reading a book\n- Folding laundry\n- [Meditation](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/types-of-meditation-to-find-your-calm-8553523)\n- [Journaling](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/the-benefits-of-journaling-for-stress-management-3144611)\n- Knitting\n- Puzzles\n- [Drawing or coloring](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/drawing-art-therapy-and-stress-relief-3144585)\n\nSometimes, when it's hard to fall asleep, the [worry you feel about the fact that you can’t fall asleep](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-sleep-anxiety-7109292) ends up making it even harder. A mindful activity you enjoy can take your attention away from that worry and help put you in a calmer, more restful mental state.\n\nIf you start to feel sleepy at any point, go lay down in bed again. But if you’re still awake 25 minutes later, get up and repeat the process.\n\n### Do Something Kind for Yourself\nIf anxiety or depression are keeping you awake, you can try reclaiming control of your mind by combatting negative thoughts with defiant acts of kindness. Just because your brain is trying to convince you that you haven’t earned rest or you don't deserve to relax doesn’t mean you have to listen.\n\nIf your brain is convincing you it’s all pointless or hopeless, you can still choose pointless joy over pointless stress.\n\nBlatantly contradict that train of thought by doing something nice for yourself.\n\n- Get up and take a bubble bath.\n- Go sit outside and admire the stars.\n- Paint your nails your favorite color.\n- Toss your blanket in the dryer for five minutes so you can wrap yourself up in its cozy warmth.\n\nThe negative thoughts might persist, but get in the habit of insisting that you’re going to choose joy regardless.\n\n## Try Our Sleep Quiz\nOur fast and free [sleep quiz](https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/sleep-quiz-how-well-are-you-sleeping-7562482) can help you determine whether or not some of your sleep issues could potentially be connected to a sleep disorder:\n\nThis sleep quiz was medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	'I Want to Sleep But My Body Won’t Let Me': Why Does This Happen?
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Boilerpipe Text	Key Takeaways Stress can make it hard to sleep because of increased cortisol levels. Mental health issues can disrupt sleep and should be addressed with care. Poor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes can worsen sleep problems. You're exhausted, and your bed is comfy, but your mind and body refuse to shut down. If you've ever found yourself lying awake, wondering, "Why won't my body let me sleep?," you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of American adults experience problems with falling or staying asleep. 1 When you feel tired, it should theoretically be easy to fall asleep. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wanting to sleep but being unable to can happen for many reasons. Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle factors can all disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the most common reasons for difficulty falling asleep. Stress Research from the American Psychological Association indicates that stress levels are higher than ever, which can greatly affect your ability to relax and rest. Stress leads to the release of excess cortisol in your body. 2 Cortisol, often called the "stress hormone," plays multiple roles, including waking you up, keeping you alert, and raising blood sugar for energy. It works in opposition to melatonin , the hormone that helps you feel sleepy. 3 Stress can trigger an increase in cortisol because you need that energy and alertness to respond to threats. 4 Unfortunately, that mechanism is best suited to dealing with immediate dangers (like a predator) where skipping sleep to fight or run away can save your life. For most modern causes of stress, like an excessive workload or a relationship problem, staying awake through the night doesn’t really help. Solution While you can't control every stressor, managing what you can is important. You might not be able to back out of existing work projects, but you can be cautious about accepting new ones. Similarly, while you can't cure a chronic health condition , you can begin a tailored moderate exercise routine. Mental Health Issues Sometimes, your body's inability to sleep might be a symptom of a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can also cause sleep problems. Whether chronic or acute, these conditions are stressful, which means they trigger that same elevated cortisol release that keeps you awake at night. Not only that, sleep disturbances are often a symptom of a mood or anxiety disorder. Solution Taking care of your mental health is crucial. Consider seeing a mental health professional, even if you feel your issues aren't severe enough. Therapists can help you develop skills to improve your mental well-being, regardless of a clinical diagnosis. In addition to therapy , engage in self-care and connect with friends and family. Activities that make you feel supported can reassure your body that you're safe, reducing the need for nightly cortisol spikes. Poor Sleep Hygiene Many people have trouble sleeping due to factors they may not realize, such as inconsistent bedtimes, consuming caffeine late in the day, or spending too much time on screens. Sleep hygiene involves the habits and conditions during your day that affect your natural sleep-wake cycle. Your body uses environmental light and temperature changes to determine the time of day, which influences your alertness or sleepiness. In an ideal world, your sleep hygiene would include waking up to bright, natural sunlight, then gradually increasing your activity levels as light levels and temperature increase, peaking in the afternoon. Then, begin winding down your activity levels as temperature and light levels decrease before finally going to sleep in the dark. Poor sleep hygiene is any part of your day that doesn’t match that ideal. Some of the most common culprits of poor sleep hygiene include: Using screens that emit bright blue light , like TV or your phone in the evening. 5 Consuming caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients that cause a spike in energy or alertness later in the day when you should be winding down. Waking up in a dark room. A sedentary lifestyle where you don’t get much physical activity during the day. Working, reading, watching TV or doing anything other than sleep in your bed. When these bad habits disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle, falling and staying asleep becomes a lot more difficult. The result is often a night of tossing and turning, followed by a day of excessive sleepiness and lingering fatigue. Improving your sleep hygiene can often make a BIG difference when it comes to getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need. Solution Some of the best things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene involve being more consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure you adapt to light and temperature conditions to help trigger different phases of the cycle. Here are a few tricks you can try: Open your curtains so you can wake up to sunlight. Try to spend about two hours outside in the sun in the morning or afternoon. 6 For example, eat breakfast in your backyard and take your lunch break outside. Dim or turn off lights when you’re at home relaxing in the evening. If you’re not ready to give up screens at night, lower the brightness level and the sound volume. Also, consider trying to enforce a screen ban on yourself for at least the last hour right before bedtime. Lower the temperature about one or two hours before bed, ideally to between 65⁰ and 68⁰ Fahrenheit. If you can’t touch the thermostat, take a hot bath or shower about 30-60 minutes before bed so that the comparatively cooler air when you get out of the water causes a decrease in body temperature. Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy Hormones also play a vital role in regulating sleep. If it feels like your body won't let you sleep, it's important to consider whether monthly changes in hormone levels might be a culprit. For people who menstruate, the monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also impact sleep quality. 7 The changes in estrogen and progesterone levels that accompany your menstrual cycle might make it difficult to fall asleep. For the same reasons, the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and menopause can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Heightened levels during pregnancy can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, while the sharp decline in those hormones during menopause can make it harder to fall asleep. Understanding how these hormonal fluctuations might affect your sleep can help you recognize the causes and take steps to address these changes to minimize their impact on your body's ability to rest. Solution If you often find it hard to sleep right before or during your period, talk to your doctor about possibly taking melatonin or medication during this time. Your doctor might recommend a hormonal treatment when you begin menopause. Circadian Rhythm Misalignment Your body tries to stick to a relatively consistent 24-hour cycle. But sometimes, your internal clock doesn't sync up with your environment. Jet lag , which occurs when you travel to a different time zone and struggle to adjust your sleep schedule to fit, is one common example. However, this can also happen if you do shift work and your schedule isn't consistent from week to week. Another possible cause of disruption is what’s sometimes called "social jet lag" or delayed sleep phase syndrome . 8 This refers to people whose internal clock is naturally out of alignment with the society they live in. If you need to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. to get enough sleep before work in the morning, but your melatonin and other sleep hormones don't start increasing until midnight, you'll struggle to force yourself into a sleep-wake cycle that fits your work schedule. Solution Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this. By paying extra attention to your sleep hygiene, including using light and temperature to trigger wakefulness and sleepiness during the day, you can gradually reprogram your internal clock to better fit your daily routine. Bright light therapy and certain medications may help. What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep? A lot of the solutions above are more long-term fixes and prevention methods. In the meantime, here are some strategies you can try right now that may help you fall asleep tonight. Do a Mindful Activity If you've been lying in bed for more than 25 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and go to a different room. Leave your phone and any other screen behind and spend time doing a quiet, mindful activity in the dark or low lighting. Mindful activities can involve: Yoga Reading a book Folding laundry Meditation Journaling Knitting Puzzles Drawing or coloring Sometimes, when it's hard to fall asleep, the worry you feel about the fact that you can’t fall asleep ends up making it even harder. A mindful activity you enjoy can take your attention away from that worry and help put you in a calmer, more restful mental state. If you start to feel sleepy at any point, go lay down in bed again. But if you’re still awake 25 minutes later, get up and repeat the process. Do Something Kind for Yourself If anxiety or depression are keeping you awake, you can try reclaiming control of your mind by combatting negative thoughts with defiant acts of kindness. Just because your brain is trying to convince you that you haven’t earned rest or you don't deserve to relax doesn’t mean you have to listen. If your brain is convincing you it’s all pointless or hopeless, you can still choose pointless joy over pointless stress. Blatantly contradict that train of thought by doing something nice for yourself. Get up and take a bubble bath. Go sit outside and admire the stars. Paint your nails your favorite color. Toss your blanket in the dryer for five minutes so you can wrap yourself up in its cozy warmth. The negative thoughts might persist, but get in the habit of insisting that you’re going to choose joy regardless. Try Our Sleep Quiz Our fast and free sleep quiz can help you determine whether or not some of your sleep issues could potentially be connected to a sleep disorder: This sleep quiz was medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.
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[Theories](https://www.verywellmind.com/theories-of-psychology-4157184) - [Student Resources](https://www.verywellmind.com/student-resources-overview-4581768) - [Personality Types](https://www.verywellmind.com/the-myers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583) - [View All](https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-4157187) - [Trending](https://www.verywellmind.com/news-latest-research-and-trending-topics-4846421) - [Quizzes](https://www.verywellmind.com/quizzes-8609222) - [Guided Meditations](https://www.verywellmind.com/guided-meditations-8609227) - [Verywell Mind Insights](https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-data-insights-5185693) - [2024 Verywell Mind 25](https://www.verywellmind.com/the-verywell-mind-25-2024-7484480) - [Mental Health in the Classroom](https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-in-the-classroom-survey-7569880) - [View All](https://www.verywellmind.com/news-latest-research-and-trending-topics-4846421) [More in Living Well](https://www.verywellmind.com/living-well-7510832) - 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Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Ⓒ 2026 People Inc. — All rights reserved # 'I Want to Sleep But My Body Won’t Let Me': Why Does This Happen? The science behind those sleepless nights By [Rachael Green](https://www.verywellmind.com/rachael-green-5211216) ![Rachael Green]() ![Rachael Green](https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/h-xpTHr9C400Vja52dkzTu-3vWo=/200x200/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/RachaelGreenProfilePicture1-a3b8368ef3bb47ccbac92c5cc088e24d.jpg) [Rachael Green](https://www.verywellmind.com/rachael-green-5211216) Rachael is a New York-based writer who writes for Verywell Mind, where she leverages her decades of personal experience with and research on mental illness—particularly ADHD and depression—to help readers better understand how their mind works and how to manage their mental health. Learn about our [editorial process](https://www.verywellmind.com/our-editorial-process-4778006) Updated on March 31, 2026 Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. [Learn more](https://www.verywellmind.com/review-board-4796494). by [Steven Gans, MD](https://www.verywellmind.com/steven-gans-md-4779222) ![Steven Gans]() ![Steven Gans](https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/fZ_tk7yoILxKtKtadDqryfeRKaE=/200x200/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/steven-gans-1000-51582b7f23b6462f8713961deb74959f.jpg) Medically reviewed by [Steven Gans, MD](https://www.verywellmind.com/steven-gans-md-4779222) Steven Gans, MD, is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our [Medical Review Board](https://www.verywellmind.com/review-board-4796494) ![Top View of a Beautiful Woman Lying in Bed ](https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/bnvDIbtVBz11xrQXNOj2mF12SHA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/GettyImages-1351146414-6094849eb6cc4bcbb510c9ebcea4c81f.jpg) ![Top View of a Beautiful Woman Lying in Bed ](https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/bnvDIbtVBz11xrQXNOj2mF12SHA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/GettyImages-1351146414-6094849eb6cc4bcbb510c9ebcea4c81f.jpg) FreshSplash / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents - [Stress](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-stress) - [Mental Health Issues](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-mental-health-issues) - [Poor Sleep Hygiene](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-poor-sleep-hygiene) - [Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-menstrual-cycle-menopause-or-pregnancy) - [Circadian Rhythm Misalignment](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-circadian-rhythm-misalignment) - [What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep?](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-what-should-i-do-if-i-cant-fall-asleep) - [Try Our Sleep Quiz](https://www.verywellmind.com/i-want-to-sleep-but-my-body-wont-let-me-7111491#toc-try-our-sleep-quiz) Close ### Key Takeaways - Stress can make it hard to sleep because of increased cortisol levels. - Mental health issues can disrupt sleep and should be addressed with care. - Poor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes can worsen sleep problems. You're exhausted, and your bed is comfy, but your mind and body refuse to shut down. If you've ever found yourself lying awake, wondering, "Why won't my body let me sleep?," you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of American adults experience problems with falling or staying asleep.1 When you feel tired, it should theoretically be easy to fall asleep. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wanting to sleep but being unable to can happen for many reasons. Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle factors can all disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the most common reasons for difficulty falling asleep. ## Stress Research from the American Psychological Association indicates that stress levels are higher than ever, which can greatly affect your ability to relax and rest. Stress leads to the release of excess [cortisol](https://www.verywellmind.com/cortisol-and-stress-how-to-stay-healthy-3145080) in your body.2 Cortisol, often called the "stress hormone," plays multiple roles, including waking you up, keeping you alert, and raising blood sugar for energy. It works in opposition to [melatonin](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-melatonin-5114942), the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.3 Stress can trigger an increase in [cortisol](https://www.verywellmind.com/cortisol-cocktail-for-a-month-11787394) because you need that energy and alertness to respond to threats.4 Unfortunately, that mechanism is best suited to dealing with immediate dangers (like a predator) where skipping sleep to fight or run away can save your life. For most modern causes of stress, like an excessive workload or a relationship problem, staying awake through the night doesn’t really help. ### Solution [Reducing your stress levels](https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195) can help. Use the time when you're awake to identify [what’s causing your stress](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-main-causes-of-stress-3145063) and create a plan to tackle the root cause. While you can't control every stressor, managing what you can is important. You might not be able to back out of existing work projects, but you can be cautious about accepting new ones. Similarly, while you can't cure a [chronic health condition](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-cope-when-your-partner-has-a-chronic-health-issue-5193847), you can begin a tailored moderate exercise routine. ## Mental Health Issues Sometimes, your body's inability to sleep might be a symptom of a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can also cause sleep problems. Whether chronic or acute, these conditions are stressful, which means they trigger that same elevated cortisol release that keeps you awake at night. Not only that, sleep disturbances are often a symptom of a mood or anxiety disorder. ### Solution Taking care of your mental health is crucial. Consider seeing a mental health professional, even if you feel your issues aren't severe enough. Therapists can help you develop skills to improve your mental well-being, regardless of a clinical diagnosis. In addition to [therapy](https://www.verywellmind.com/different-types-of-psychotherapy-5186909) , engage in self-care and connect with friends and family. Activities that make you feel supported can reassure your body that you're safe, reducing the need for nightly cortisol spikes. ## Poor Sleep Hygiene Many people have trouble sleeping due to factors they may not realize, such as inconsistent bedtimes, consuming caffeine late in the day, or spending too much time on screens. [Sleep hygiene](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sleep-hygiene-5085887) involves the habits and conditions during your day that affect your natural sleep-wake cycle. [Your body uses environmental light](https://www.verywellmind.com/synchronizing-biological-clock-daily-schedule-4174976) and temperature changes to determine the time of day, which influences your alertness or sleepiness. In an ideal world, your sleep hygiene would include waking up to bright, natural sunlight, then gradually increasing your activity levels as light levels and temperature increase, peaking in the afternoon. Then, begin winding down your activity levels as temperature and light levels decrease before finally going to sleep in the dark. [Poor sleep hygiene](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-ditch-poor-sleep-hygiene-5225795) is any part of your day that doesn’t match that ideal. Some of the most common culprits of poor sleep hygiene include: - Using screens that emit bright [blue light](https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-blue-light-blocking-glasses-4579815), like TV or your phone in the evening.5 - Consuming caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients that cause a spike in energy or alertness later in the day when you should be winding down. - Waking up in a dark room. - A sedentary lifestyle where you don’t get much physical activity during the day. - Working, reading, watching TV or doing anything other than sleep in your bed. When these bad habits disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle, falling and staying asleep becomes a lot more difficult. The result is often a night of tossing and turning, followed by a day of excessive sleepiness and lingering fatigue. Improving your sleep hygiene can often make a BIG difference when it comes to getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need. ### Mindful Moment Need a breather? Take this free [2-minute meditation to help you fall asleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/2-minute-video-meditation-to-drift-off-to-sleep-8559761)—or choose from our [guided meditation library](https://www.verywellmind.com/guided-meditations-8609227) to find another one that will help you feel your best. [I Drank Tart Cherry Juice Before Bed for a Week—Here's What It Did for My Sleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/tart-cherry-juice-for-sleep-11727715) ### Solution Some of the best things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene involve being more consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure you adapt to light and temperature conditions to help trigger different phases of the cycle. Here are a few tricks you can try: - Open your curtains so you can wake up to sunlight. - Try to spend about two hours outside in the sun in the morning or afternoon.6 For example, eat breakfast in your backyard and take your lunch break outside. - Dim or turn off lights when you’re at home relaxing in the evening. - If you’re not ready to give up screens at night, lower the brightness level and the sound volume. Also, consider trying to enforce a [screen ban on yourself](https://www.verywellmind.com/why-and-how-to-do-a-digital-detox-4771321) for at least the last hour right before bedtime. - Lower the temperature about one or two hours before bed, ideally to between 65⁰ and 68⁰ Fahrenheit. - If you can’t touch the thermostat, take a hot bath or shower about 30-60 minutes before bed so that the comparatively cooler air when you get out of the water causes a decrease in body temperature. [11 Ways to Get Better Sleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-get-better-sleep-5094084) ## Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy Hormones also play a vital role in regulating sleep. If it feels like your body won't let you sleep, it's important to consider whether monthly changes in hormone levels might be a culprit. For people who menstruate, the monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also impact sleep quality.7 The changes in estrogen and progesterone levels that accompany your menstrual cycle might make it difficult to fall asleep. For the same reasons, the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and menopause can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Heightened levels during pregnancy can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, while the sharp decline in those hormones during menopause can make it harder to fall asleep. Understanding how these hormonal fluctuations might affect your sleep can help you recognize the causes and take steps to address these changes to minimize their impact on your body's ability to rest. ### Solution If you often find it hard to sleep right before or during your period, talk to your doctor about possibly taking [melatonin](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-melatonin-5114942) or medication during this time. Your doctor might recommend a hormonal treatment when you begin menopause. ## Circadian Rhythm Misalignment Your body tries to stick to a relatively consistent 24-hour cycle. But sometimes, your internal clock doesn't sync up with your environment. [Jet lag](https://www.verywellmind.com/jet-lag-symptoms-causes-coping-and-prevention-7095358), which occurs when you travel to a different time zone and struggle to adjust your sleep schedule to fit, is one common example. However, this can also happen if you do [shift work](https://www.verywellmind.com/shift-work-sleep-disorder-7098445) and your schedule isn't consistent from week to week. Another possible cause of disruption is what’s sometimes called "social jet lag" or [delayed sleep phase syndrome](https://www.verywellmind.com/delayed-sleep-phase-syndrome-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-7110083).8 This refers to people whose internal clock is naturally out of alignment with the society they live in. If you need to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. to get enough sleep before work in the morning, but your melatonin and other sleep hormones don't start increasing until midnight, you'll struggle to force yourself into a sleep-wake cycle that fits your work schedule. ### Solution Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this. By paying extra attention to your sleep hygiene, including using light and temperature to trigger wakefulness and sleepiness during the day, you can gradually reprogram your internal clock to better fit your daily routine. Bright light therapy and certain medications may help. ## What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep? A lot of the solutions above are more long-term fixes and prevention methods. In the meantime, here are some [strategies you can try right now that may help you fall asleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/military-sleep-method-7111161) tonight. ### Do a Mindful Activity If you've been lying in bed for more than 25 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and go to a different room. Leave your phone and any other screen behind and spend time doing a quiet, mindful activity in the dark or low lighting. Mindful activities can involve: - [Yoga](https://www.verywellmind.com/yoga-for-sleep-benefits-poses-and-how-to-get-started-5209194) - Reading a book - Folding laundry - [Meditation](https://www.verywellmind.com/types-of-meditation-to-find-your-calm-8553523) - [Journaling](https://www.verywellmind.com/the-benefits-of-journaling-for-stress-management-3144611) - Knitting - Puzzles - [Drawing or coloring](https://www.verywellmind.com/drawing-art-therapy-and-stress-relief-3144585) Sometimes, when it's hard to fall asleep, the [worry you feel about the fact that you can’t fall asleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sleep-anxiety-7109292) ends up making it even harder. A mindful activity you enjoy can take your attention away from that worry and help put you in a calmer, more restful mental state. If you start to feel sleepy at any point, go lay down in bed again. But if you’re still awake 25 minutes later, get up and repeat the process. ### Do Something Kind for Yourself If anxiety or depression are keeping you awake, you can try reclaiming control of your mind by combatting negative thoughts with defiant acts of kindness. Just because your brain is trying to convince you that you haven’t earned rest or you don't deserve to relax doesn’t mean you have to listen. If your brain is convincing you it’s all pointless or hopeless, you can still choose pointless joy over pointless stress. Blatantly contradict that train of thought by doing something nice for yourself. - Get up and take a bubble bath. - Go sit outside and admire the stars. - Paint your nails your favorite color. - Toss your blanket in the dryer for five minutes so you can wrap yourself up in its cozy warmth. The negative thoughts might persist, but get in the habit of insisting that you’re going to choose joy regardless. [12 Tips for Better Sleep With Anxiety](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-sleep-with-anxiety-5224455) ## Try Our Sleep Quiz Our fast and free [sleep quiz](https://www.verywellmind.com/sleep-quiz-how-well-are-you-sleeping-7562482) can help you determine whether or not some of your sleep issues could potentially be connected to a sleep disorder: This sleep quiz was medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN. Read more: - [Living Well](https://www.verywellmind.com/living-well-7510832) - [Sleep and Dreaming](https://www.verywellmind.com/sleep-and-dreaming-4157166) 8 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our [editorial process](https://www.verywellmind.com/our-editorial-process-4778006) to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Sleep difficulties in adults: United States, 2020](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db436.htm). 2. American Psychological Association. [Stress in America](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress). 3. Mohd Azmi NAS, Juliana N, Azmani S, et al. [Cortisol on circadian rhythm and its effect on cardiovascular system](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7830980/). IJERPH. 2021;18(2):676. Doi:10.3390/ijerph18020676 4. HealthDirect Australia. [The role of cortisol in the body](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/the-role-of-cortisol-in-the-body). 5. Ishizawa M, Uchiumi T, Takahata M, Yamaki M, Sato T. [Effects of pre-bedtime blue-light exposure on ratio of deep sleep in healthy young men. Sleep Medicine](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945721003257). 2021;84:303-307. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2021.05.046 6. Zhang M, Wang Q, Pu L, et al. [Light therapy to improve sleep quality in older adults living in residential long-term care: a systematic review](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525861022007903). Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2023;24(1):65-74.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2022.10.008 7. Baker FC, Lee KA. [Menstrual cycle effects on sleep](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1556407X22000145). Sleep Medicine Clinics. 2022;17(2):283-294. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2022.02.004 8. Yoon SYR, Shapiro CM. [Chronobiology of sleep – circadian rhythms, behavior, and performance. In: Encyclopedia of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012822963720008X). Elsevier; 2023:56-66. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-822963-7.20008-X ![Rachael Green](https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/4xIJSNY6K5Ou93InTRHLot43n4s=/144x144/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/RachaelGreenProfilePicture1-a3b8368ef3bb47ccbac92c5cc088e24d.jpg) ![Rachael Green](https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/4xIJSNY6K5Ou93InTRHLot43n4s=/144x144/filters:no_upscale\(\):max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/RachaelGreenProfilePicture1-a3b8368ef3bb47ccbac92c5cc088e24d.jpg) By [Rachael Green](https://www.verywellmind.com/rachael-green-5211216) Rachael is a New York-based writer who writes for Verywell Mind, where she leverages her decades of personal experience with and research on mental illness—particularly ADHD and depression—to help readers better understand how their mind works and how to manage their mental health. [See Our Editorial Process](https://www.verywellmind.com/our-editorial-process-4778006) [Meet Our Review Board](https://www.verywellmind.com/review-board-4796494) Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback\! What is your feedback? 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Readable Markdown	### Key Takeaways - Stress can make it hard to sleep because of increased cortisol levels. - Mental health issues can disrupt sleep and should be addressed with care. - Poor sleep habits like inconsistent bedtimes can worsen sleep problems. You're exhausted, and your bed is comfy, but your mind and body refuse to shut down. If you've ever found yourself lying awake, wondering, "Why won't my body let me sleep?," you're not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of American adults experience problems with falling or staying asleep.1 When you feel tired, it should theoretically be easy to fall asleep. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wanting to sleep but being unable to can happen for many reasons. Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and lifestyle factors can all disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle. Here are some of the most common reasons for difficulty falling asleep. ## Stress Research from the American Psychological Association indicates that stress levels are higher than ever, which can greatly affect your ability to relax and rest. Stress leads to the release of excess [cortisol](https://www.verywellmind.com/cortisol-and-stress-how-to-stay-healthy-3145080) in your body.2 Cortisol, often called the "stress hormone," plays multiple roles, including waking you up, keeping you alert, and raising blood sugar for energy. It works in opposition to [melatonin](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-melatonin-5114942), the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.3 Stress can trigger an increase in [cortisol](https://www.verywellmind.com/cortisol-cocktail-for-a-month-11787394) because you need that energy and alertness to respond to threats.4 Unfortunately, that mechanism is best suited to dealing with immediate dangers (like a predator) where skipping sleep to fight or run away can save your life. For most modern causes of stress, like an excessive workload or a relationship problem, staying awake through the night doesn’t really help. ### Solution While you can't control every stressor, managing what you can is important. You might not be able to back out of existing work projects, but you can be cautious about accepting new ones. Similarly, while you can't cure a [chronic health condition](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-cope-when-your-partner-has-a-chronic-health-issue-5193847), you can begin a tailored moderate exercise routine. ## Mental Health Issues Sometimes, your body's inability to sleep might be a symptom of a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can also cause sleep problems. Whether chronic or acute, these conditions are stressful, which means they trigger that same elevated cortisol release that keeps you awake at night. Not only that, sleep disturbances are often a symptom of a mood or anxiety disorder. ### Solution Taking care of your mental health is crucial. Consider seeing a mental health professional, even if you feel your issues aren't severe enough. Therapists can help you develop skills to improve your mental well-being, regardless of a clinical diagnosis. In addition to [therapy](https://www.verywellmind.com/different-types-of-psychotherapy-5186909) , engage in self-care and connect with friends and family. Activities that make you feel supported can reassure your body that you're safe, reducing the need for nightly cortisol spikes. ## Poor Sleep Hygiene Many people have trouble sleeping due to factors they may not realize, such as inconsistent bedtimes, consuming caffeine late in the day, or spending too much time on screens. [Sleep hygiene](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sleep-hygiene-5085887) involves the habits and conditions during your day that affect your natural sleep-wake cycle. [Your body uses environmental light](https://www.verywellmind.com/synchronizing-biological-clock-daily-schedule-4174976) and temperature changes to determine the time of day, which influences your alertness or sleepiness. In an ideal world, your sleep hygiene would include waking up to bright, natural sunlight, then gradually increasing your activity levels as light levels and temperature increase, peaking in the afternoon. Then, begin winding down your activity levels as temperature and light levels decrease before finally going to sleep in the dark. [Poor sleep hygiene](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-ditch-poor-sleep-hygiene-5225795) is any part of your day that doesn’t match that ideal. Some of the most common culprits of poor sleep hygiene include: - Using screens that emit bright [blue light](https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-blue-light-blocking-glasses-4579815), like TV or your phone in the evening.5 - Consuming caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients that cause a spike in energy or alertness later in the day when you should be winding down. - Waking up in a dark room. - A sedentary lifestyle where you don’t get much physical activity during the day. - Working, reading, watching TV or doing anything other than sleep in your bed. When these bad habits disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle, falling and staying asleep becomes a lot more difficult. The result is often a night of tossing and turning, followed by a day of excessive sleepiness and lingering fatigue. Improving your sleep hygiene can often make a BIG difference when it comes to getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need. ### Solution Some of the best things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene involve being more consistent with your sleep schedule and making sure you adapt to light and temperature conditions to help trigger different phases of the cycle. Here are a few tricks you can try: - Open your curtains so you can wake up to sunlight. - Try to spend about two hours outside in the sun in the morning or afternoon.6 For example, eat breakfast in your backyard and take your lunch break outside. - Dim or turn off lights when you’re at home relaxing in the evening. - If you’re not ready to give up screens at night, lower the brightness level and the sound volume. Also, consider trying to enforce a [screen ban on yourself](https://www.verywellmind.com/why-and-how-to-do-a-digital-detox-4771321) for at least the last hour right before bedtime. - Lower the temperature about one or two hours before bed, ideally to between 65⁰ and 68⁰ Fahrenheit. - If you can’t touch the thermostat, take a hot bath or shower about 30-60 minutes before bed so that the comparatively cooler air when you get out of the water causes a decrease in body temperature. ## Menstrual Cycle, Menopause or Pregnancy Hormones also play a vital role in regulating sleep. If it feels like your body won't let you sleep, it's important to consider whether monthly changes in hormone levels might be a culprit. For people who menstruate, the monthly fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also impact sleep quality.7 The changes in estrogen and progesterone levels that accompany your menstrual cycle might make it difficult to fall asleep. For the same reasons, the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and menopause can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Heightened levels during pregnancy can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue, while the sharp decline in those hormones during menopause can make it harder to fall asleep. Understanding how these hormonal fluctuations might affect your sleep can help you recognize the causes and take steps to address these changes to minimize their impact on your body's ability to rest. ### Solution If you often find it hard to sleep right before or during your period, talk to your doctor about possibly taking [melatonin](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-melatonin-5114942) or medication during this time. Your doctor might recommend a hormonal treatment when you begin menopause. ## Circadian Rhythm Misalignment Your body tries to stick to a relatively consistent 24-hour cycle. But sometimes, your internal clock doesn't sync up with your environment. [Jet lag](https://www.verywellmind.com/jet-lag-symptoms-causes-coping-and-prevention-7095358), which occurs when you travel to a different time zone and struggle to adjust your sleep schedule to fit, is one common example. However, this can also happen if you do [shift work](https://www.verywellmind.com/shift-work-sleep-disorder-7098445) and your schedule isn't consistent from week to week. Another possible cause of disruption is what’s sometimes called "social jet lag" or [delayed sleep phase syndrome](https://www.verywellmind.com/delayed-sleep-phase-syndrome-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-7110083).8 This refers to people whose internal clock is naturally out of alignment with the society they live in. If you need to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. to get enough sleep before work in the morning, but your melatonin and other sleep hormones don't start increasing until midnight, you'll struggle to force yourself into a sleep-wake cycle that fits your work schedule. ### Solution Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this. By paying extra attention to your sleep hygiene, including using light and temperature to trigger wakefulness and sleepiness during the day, you can gradually reprogram your internal clock to better fit your daily routine. Bright light therapy and certain medications may help. ## What Should I Do If I Can't Fall Asleep? A lot of the solutions above are more long-term fixes and prevention methods. In the meantime, here are some [strategies you can try right now that may help you fall asleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/military-sleep-method-7111161) tonight. ### Do a Mindful Activity If you've been lying in bed for more than 25 minutes without being able to fall asleep, get up and go to a different room. Leave your phone and any other screen behind and spend time doing a quiet, mindful activity in the dark or low lighting. Mindful activities can involve: - [Yoga](https://www.verywellmind.com/yoga-for-sleep-benefits-poses-and-how-to-get-started-5209194) - Reading a book - Folding laundry - [Meditation](https://www.verywellmind.com/types-of-meditation-to-find-your-calm-8553523) - [Journaling](https://www.verywellmind.com/the-benefits-of-journaling-for-stress-management-3144611) - Knitting - Puzzles - [Drawing or coloring](https://www.verywellmind.com/drawing-art-therapy-and-stress-relief-3144585) Sometimes, when it's hard to fall asleep, the [worry you feel about the fact that you can’t fall asleep](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sleep-anxiety-7109292) ends up making it even harder. A mindful activity you enjoy can take your attention away from that worry and help put you in a calmer, more restful mental state. If you start to feel sleepy at any point, go lay down in bed again. But if you’re still awake 25 minutes later, get up and repeat the process. ### Do Something Kind for Yourself If anxiety or depression are keeping you awake, you can try reclaiming control of your mind by combatting negative thoughts with defiant acts of kindness. Just because your brain is trying to convince you that you haven’t earned rest or you don't deserve to relax doesn’t mean you have to listen. If your brain is convincing you it’s all pointless or hopeless, you can still choose pointless joy over pointless stress. Blatantly contradict that train of thought by doing something nice for yourself. - Get up and take a bubble bath. - Go sit outside and admire the stars. - Paint your nails your favorite color. - Toss your blanket in the dryer for five minutes so you can wrap yourself up in its cozy warmth. The negative thoughts might persist, but get in the habit of insisting that you’re going to choose joy regardless. ## Try Our Sleep Quiz Our fast and free [sleep quiz](https://www.verywellmind.com/sleep-quiz-how-well-are-you-sleeping-7562482) can help you determine whether or not some of your sleep issues could potentially be connected to a sleep disorder: This sleep quiz was medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.
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