It’s common to think of anxiety as a kind of mental loop - a spiral of “what if” that we can talk ourselves out of. But often, anxiety is less about what is happening in our heads and more to do with what’s going on in our bodies. And one of the most common triggers is exhaustion. When we are short on rest, everything feels that little bit sharper, square pegs won’t go into round holes. Sounds, emotions and even little frustrations hit that bit harder. It’s not a sign of weakness - it’s simple biology. The physical connection between sleep and anxiety During deep sleep, the body runs an overnight repair program. Damaged tissues heal, our immune system rebuilds, stress hormones drop, our neurotransmitters reset, and emotional memories get filed away. Miss that window for maintenance, and like any mechanism, there will be an overload before too long. This is why, after a few restless nights, even a minor stressor can feel like a full-blown crisis. Elevated cortisol and adrenaline make ......
