Bedtime Anxiety in Teens: Causes & Treatment for Nighttime Fear
For many teens, the hardest part of their day isn’t school – it’s falling asleep. When the lights go out, worries can switch on, turning bedtime into a stressful struggle.
Teens need eight to ten hours of sleep, yet only eight percent of U.S. high school students get enough.1,2 Bedtime anxiety can make it harder to rest, affecting mood, focus, and school performance.
For teens struggling with mental health issues, support from a mental health professional is advised. They can help parents and teens get to the root cause of the issue and provide guidance on how to find relief.
This page can also help you better understand the bedtime anxiety teens often face by covering:
- What bedtime anxiety is
- Common signs and symptoms
- Causes of nighttime fear
- The impact of untreated bedtime anxiety
- Treatment and support for nighttime anxiety
- Where to find professional support
What Is Bedtime Anxiety In Teens?
Bedtime is supposed to be a time to rest and recharge after a busy day. But for many teens, bedtime can be a source of anxiety rather than comfort. But why is it that as soon as teens get ready to sleep, all the thoughts from the day suddenly flood in?
“Bedtime anxiety” refers to persistent anxious thoughts that appear before sleep, making it difficult to relax and drift off. Plus, with severe nighttime anxiety, teens can become trapped in a cycle where anxiety disrupts sleep, and poor sleep amplifies anxiety the next day.
Because sleep is essential for adolescent health – from brain development and mood to hormone regulation, focus, and memory – even a few nights of poor sleep can cause a negative ripple effect.3
This sleep-anxiety cycle can feel endless, especially when the panic at night youth may experience becomes a regular pattern. Fortunately, this cycle can be broken. And one of the first steps is recognizing the symptoms of bedtime anxiety.
Recognizing Mental Health Nighttime Symptoms Youth Experience
If your teen struggles to fall asleep at night, bedtime anxiety may be one of the reasons why.
And, with over 30% of teens having an anxiety disorder, it’s one of the most common reasons why teens may find sleep a challenge.4
Some of the signs to look for in bedtime anxiety in teens include the following emotional, physical, sleep-related, and behavioral indicators.5,6
- Emotional symptoms:
- Feeling overwhelmed or “on edge”
- Irritability
- Nervousness as bedtime approaches
- A sense of impending danger or that something bad will happen
- Racing thoughts
- Persistent worries at night
- Physical symptoms:
- Restlessness or fidgeting
- Digestive issues, like an upset stomach
- Rapid heartbeat
- Fast or shallow breathing
- Sweating
- Tense muscles
- Trembling or shaking
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Feeling unable to relax
- Frequent waking during the night
- Nightmares
- Daytime fatigue or tiredness
- Poor concentration or mood swings
- Behavioral symptoms:
- Some teenagers may use delay tactics to avoid going to bed if they are anxious. For instance, you may hear them say things like “Just one more level in this game…” “Can I watch one more episode?” or “I just want to finish this chapter, then I’ll go to bed.” These aren’t necessarily signs of defiance. They may instead be coping strategies to avoid the anxiety that appears when they go to bed.
If any of these signs feel familiar, your teen may be experiencing bedtime anxiety. But what could be causing it?
Causes of Bedtime Anxiety in Teens
The bedtime anxiety teens may experience rarely comes from a single source. It’s likely caused by a combination of factors, such as biological changes, mental health challenges, and environmental elements. These are examined in more detail below.
Brain and Sleep Cycle Changes
Sleep cycle changes are a natural part of adolescent development due to a circadian phase delay. This means that teenagers tend not to feel tired until much later at night because their internal body clock has essentially shifted forward. So, as well as not being sleepy until later, they might also struggle to get up in the mornings.7
Mental Health Conditions
Certain mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can have a large impact on sleep.1 Research shows that as many as 90% of youth with anxiety experience sleep-related problems. This may include avoiding going to bed, having trouble falling asleep, difficulties staying asleep, and feeling unrested when they wake up.8
Stress
Stress can keep our minds whirring at the end of the day, right when we are trying to fall asleep. And adolescence can be filled with stress. For instance, teens may feel stressed out by school pressures, homework, or grades, leading them to think they need to always be doing more to improve and compete. Packed schedules can also keep teens wide awake, even after long days.2
Lifestyle
Certain habits can add fuel to the fire of nighttime anxiety, even if we aren’t aware of them. For example, drinking caffeine late in the day or eating too close to bedtime can keep a teen awake. Additionally, having an irregular sleep schedule or not winding down properly for bed can add to anxiety about falling asleep. Identifying routines that may disrupt sleep means that changes can be made to help, rather than hinder, drifting off at bedtime.
Technology and Blue Light
Blue light from screens can disrupt sleep by suppressing melatonin in the brain – the chemical that helps us feel sleepy.2
Furthermore, reports by the CDC link excessive screen time to:9
- Later bedtimes
- Short sleep duration
- Worse quality sleep
- Increased daytime sleepiness
- Higher levels of anxiety and low mood
The truth is that many teens genuinely want to sleep, but find that their mind feels too awake to fall asleep for these reasons. Knowing what causes nighttime fear in teens can help us understand how to begin helping them. But before moving on to treatment options, it’s important to understand the impact that bedtime anxiety can have on a teen.
Impact of Untreated Bedtime Anxiety
It’s important to understand the impact of untreated bedtime anxiety, especially as up to 70% of American teens live with a borderline to severe sleep debt.2
When the stress-related insomnia teenagers experience disrupts sleep regularly, it can have both immediate and long-term effects on their health and education. These include:
- Daytime fatigue and school struggles: With bedtime anxiety, teens may be losing out on essential sleep, causing them to feel more tired during the day. This daytime sleepiness is linked with a decline in school grades, less motivation and enjoyment, worsening school attendance, and troubles concentrating and focusing in class.7
- Mental health risks: Studies show that late bedtimes and short sleep durations are linked to higher levels of anxiety, stress, suicidal thoughts, and risk-taking behaviors.2,7,9
- Reduced independence: If bedtime feels frightening, the lack of emotional safety teens experience may lead them to avoid sleeping alone. It may also inhibit them from attending sleepovers at a friend’s house or going on school trips that involve an overnight stay.
- Injury: Sleep-deprived teens are much more likely to take risks, including unsafe driving, and over half of all fall-asleep car accidents involve drivers under the age of 25 years.2
- Physical health consequences: Anxiety and long-term lack of sleep can negatively impact your body in many ways, increasing the risk of:5
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart problems, such as heart disease, heart failure, and arrhythmia
- Stroke
The good news? Bedtime anxiety is highly treatable, and the right support can help teens feel safer at nighttime again.
Treatment and Support for Bedtime Anxiety in Teens
Effective treatments are available for bedtime anxiety in teens, though many people may not realize this. When looking for sleep and anxious teen help programs, it’s good to recognize that treatment often requires a multi-faceted approach. A combination of therapy, lifestyle changes, and (sometimes) medication is usually involved in the sleep anxiety treatment teens require to sleep better and feel less anxious at night. These approaches are covered in the following sections.
Therapy
Therapy is an effective treatment for tackling anxiety disorders, including worries related to sleep. Several therapies that are evidence-backed include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a focused, structured therapy that helps teens challenge unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors that contribute to anxiety, and replace them with healthier, more realistic patterns.10
- CBT for insomnia (CBT-I): CBT-I is the first-line treatment for sleep difficulties. In therapy, teens learn to associate their bed with sleep rather than worries, improve sleep schedules and routines, and use relaxation to assist winding down for bed.5
- Trauma-focused therapy: Trauma-focused therapy can help teens who experience nightmares or nighttime anxiety linked to past traumatic events.
Medication
For some adolescents, medication may be recommended when mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD, significantly affect sleep. By treating the underlying cause, a combination of therapy and medication may help resolve the sleep anxiety they experience.
However, keep in mind that some medications can actually make anxiety or sleep worse when you first begin taking them. This is why you should always consult with your care provider before starting any new medications.
Professional treatment can be life-changing, but there are also practical steps families can take at home to make bedtime feel calmer and safer.
Lifestyle Changes
Creating healthy, predictable routines and coping strategies can help reduce anxiety and improve the overall sleep process.
Some suggestions for simple changes to experiment with include the following.
Lifestyle Changes for Improved Sleep:
- Create predictable bedtime routines: Having consistent sleep and wake-up times can help teens get into a healthy sleep pattern by regulating their body clock. Work with them to create a simple and reliable routine (even at weekends) to make bedtime as relaxing and smooth as possible.1
- Reduce evening stimulation: Encourage teens to turn off their screens and stop studying an hour before bed. They may resist, but evidence shows that having a parent help with setting these limits can encourage teens to make better decisions about managing their time.2 Instead of using screens to relax before sleep, they could try non-screen activities, such as listening to music, journaling, or doing some relaxation or grounding exercises.
- Validate their feelings: If your teen tells you that bedtime gets them worked up, make sure they feel heard and seen. You might reassure them by saying, “I can see how stressful nights are for you. Let’s try to figure this out together.”
- Identify triggers: Perhaps your teenager is feeling stressed out at bedtime because they have taken on too many commitments, are overscheduled, or are buckling under pressure at school. Or, maybe they are drinking energy drinks through the day up until the moment their head hits the pillow. You could help your teen identify what may be contributing to their nighttime stress and assist them in making healthy changes.1,2
- Model healthy sleep habits: Teens often look to their parents as role models, so try to set a good example when it comes to sleep routines. After all, sleep is just as important as eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly when it comes to healthy lifestyles.2
And remember: when anxiety feels too big to manage alone, reaching for support is an important next step.
Mission Prep: Easing Nighttime Anxiety In Teens
Bedtime anxiety can take a real toll on a teen’s emotional, mental, and physical health, but it doesn’t have to continue. With the right support, adolescents can learn to fall asleep with confidence rather than fear.
At Mission Prep, we specialize in supporting teens with anxiety, sleep challenges, and mental health issues. Our personalized treatment plans can help your teen feel safer at night, more in control of their thoughts, and look forward to a restful night’s sleep.
If your teen is ready to feel calmer at bedtime, reaching out for support is the first step. Contact us today to learn how we can support your family on the path toward peaceful nights and healthier sleep.
References
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). (2023, March). Sleep problems. https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Childrens-Sleep-Problems-034.aspx
- Jarocha, T. (2024, September 19). Complete guide to teenagers and sleep. Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/guide/parents-guide-to-teenagers-and-sleep/
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Teenagers and sleep: How much sleep is enough? Retrieved November 20, 2025, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/teenagers-and-sleep-how-much-sleep-is-enough#:~:text=Tie%20good%20sleep%20to%20car,enough%20sleep%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Crocetti.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (n.d.). Any anxiety disorder. Retrieved November 20, 2025, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder
- Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 12). Sleep anxiety. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21543-sleep-anxiety#overview
- National Health Service. (2025, November 12). Anxiety disorders in children. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/anxiety-disorders-in-children/
- Campbell, I. G., Cruz-Basilio, A., Figueroa, J. G., & Bottom, V. B. (2023). Earlier bedtime and its effect on adolescent sleep duration. Pediatrics, 152(1). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-060607
- McMakin, D. L., & Alfano, C. A. (2015). Sleep and anxiety in late childhood and early adolescence. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 28(6), 483–489. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000204
- Zablotsky, B., Ng, A. E., Black, L. I., Haile, G., Bose, J., Jones, J. R., & Blumberg, S. J. (2025). Associations between screen time use and health outcomes among US teenagers. Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, E38. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd22.240537
- American Psychological Association. (2022). Treating child & teen anxiety [PDF]. https://www.apa.org/education-career/ce/child-teen-anxiety.pdf
