Why do I sometimes get a sudden burst of energy before bed?
Clients often tell me that they’re exhausted all day… but when it comes time for bed, they get a surge of energy, feel wired, and they’re more alert than they have been all day.
They’re often worried they’ve missed their chance at sleep. I’ve heard many clients describe the sense that they have a wave of sleep you have to catch, otherwise they feel doomed to a restless night.
The next night, they try to catch the wave earlier, which often only ends up in frustrated tossing and turning later in the night.
There are several different reasons this could be happening.
Because I treat insomnia, the most common reason I see is something called “conditioned arousal”. That’s a fancy way of saying that the brain has come to associate the bed with stress.
If you’ve been struggling with insomnia, tossing and turning, lying awake in bed, the brain becomes trained to anticipate that and will kick up this stress as bedtime approaches. (1)
You may have heard of pavlovian conditioning or classical conditioning where a neutral stimulus (bedtime/the bed) becomes associated with a stimulus that elicits a natural response (in this case the stress response). (2)
This isn’t something you can think your way out of.
This is operating in a part of the brain we can’t consciously control on command. Instead you’ll need to break or extinguish the association and form a new one.
Thankfully, there are effective treatments for this such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) that can help you with this process along with a suite of other tools to treat insomnia. (3)
Another possible reason for a bedtime energy burst could be stress related to sleep deprivation.
Stress and sleep deprivation have a complex relationship. (4)
Whether you’re stressed from not getting enough sleep or you’re struggling to sleep because you’re stressed, the solution is the same.
We don’t need to determine which came first, the chicken or the egg, or in this case, the sleep deprivation or the stress. Either way, de-arousal strategies also known as relaxation exercises strategies can help.
To find examples of these relaxation exercises, you can download the CBT-I Coach App which has several different versions available free. There are numerous relaxation exercises available online.
Keep in mind, relaxation exercise alone doesn't usually fully resolve insomnia. Although it can help, a more thorough and targeted approach is often needed. You can think about this like brushing your teeth. It is helpful and important, but not enough to resolve a deeper issue.
Beliefs about sleep could be another reason. For example, let’s consider a case:
Tyler experiences frequent bedtime bursts of energy. As his bedtime approaches, the thought: “I MUST sleep well tonight.” pops into his mind. He pictures doing poorly at work and suffering from fatigue the next day. This train of thought (although unintentional and automatic) creates stress in his body.
This stress response leads to a burst of anxious energy.
Rather than thinking about it like a wave of sleep that you “must” catch, think about it as a wave of wakefulness that will pass. Most of the time, that bedtime burst of energy will calm down, and you’ll be sleepy again.
If we resist these waves of energy, that creates more stress which creates another wave.
Instead, accepting the wave can help it pass along - allowing sleep to return.
If you get stuck, don’t hesitate to reach out for support of a clinician who can help you identify what is going on and target the approach to what you need and help you catch and challenge alarming beliefs about sleep.
Learn more about sleep anxiety here.
Finally, the circadian rhythm or body-clock could be another explanation for an evening burst of energy.
Some people are natural night owls and do their best work late at night. In this case befriending this evening burst of energy (when the work or personal schedule allows) can be a powerful way to leverage natural energy fluctuations. If that isn’t possible, shifting the sleep schedule earlier is possible with the help of a therapist using a targeted strategy called chronotherapy.
There are also a number of other circadian patterns and disorders that could be at play depending on several factors such as: your sleep schedule and how far from bedtime the burst of energy is. Working with a therapist trained in behavioral sleep medicine can be a really helpful way to get clear about what, if any, circadian rhythm factors are at play.
While there are many different factors that can lead to a bedtime burst in energy, there are also many solutions. Know that you’ve got options.
If we haven’t met yet, Hello!
I’m Kasryn (she/her)
I help exhausted adults break the cycle of sleepless nights using a research-backed approach.
I offer a free 15-30 online consultation.
Click here to schedule your free consultation
In the consultation, you can ask me any questions you’d like. We’ll briefly discuss your sleep concerns, discuss available treatment options and determine what next steps you'd like to take.
I want to make sure you get connected with the resource for you - even if that doesn’t involve working with me. I have a large network of trusted colleagues and I’m happy to help you get connected. Everyone wins when you get set up with the provider who is best able to help you.