Picture it: You’ve had a nice weekend, maybe even a productive one. You get set to turn in for the night as Sunday draws to a close, and that’s when it happens. Your brain decides it’s Sunday Night Showtime, and while your body is ready to sleep, your head is running through everything. And by everything, we’re talking that email you need to send, the eggs you forgot to buy, that time you said “You’re welcome” instead of “thank you” to the delivery driver. Is any of it worth thinking about now? No. Does that stop it happening? Also no.
You’re not alone. Sunday night insomnia is a real thing and, even when you’ve done everything you’re supposed to, it still happens. Now, we’re going to look at why – and what you can do to reduce the likelihood of it happening.
The Sunday Scaries
Also known as Sunday Night Blues, or Sunday NIght Syndrome, or indeed a number of other terms, this phenomenon is recognized by psychologists as a form of anticipatory anxiety that is obstructive to sleep. It can be a mix of dread, pressure and sometimes even excitement, as the week ahead sprawls out in front of you. The mental spiral messes with your ability to relax and your stress levels spike, releasing cortisol and making it impossible to switch off.
Too much weekend, not enough routine
Nobody is judging you for this, but on the weekend you don’t live the same way you do during the week. You might sleep in, even if only for a half-hour; maybe you snack more because there’s good TV to watch, but the reality is that by the time you’re bedding down in readiness for the week ahead, your body and brain are still on weekend mode; instead of being exhausted from a work schedule, part of you is still yelling “I know, let’s get pizza! We haven’t watched Breaking Bad in a while, let’s binge it!”
Reclaiming Sunday night
While it isn’t easy, a few small changes can make a big difference to Scary Sunday and stop it careering into Bare Minimum Monday.
- Start the unwind earlier: While during the week you might still be active at 11pm, start to nest pretty much the moment the dishes are put away after dinner. Dim the lights, keep the TV to slower, more thoughtful viewing, and embrace quiet.
- Calm your body and mind: Get into your pajamas, brew a herbal tea, reach for the sleep gummies and ease yourself into a restful place. All ways to relax body and mind without the groggy feeling that can come with other sleep aids.
- Prep for Monday ahead of time: One of the main mental hangups when you’re trying to doze off on weekends is The Things I Have To Do. Prepare lunches, organize your work bag, and set out an outfit on Sunday afternoon. Tie up the loose ends so they don’t charge into your mind palace the moment your head hits the pillow.
Even when doing all the right things – including all of the above – Sunday night insomnia can still strike. But if you take some steps to reduce its power, it can become less of a problem pretty much overnight.