Can’t sleep on a Sunday night? Why it happens and what helps
Fine all weekend, then wide awake on Sunday night thinking about Monday? You are not imagining it. A later weekend routine and the build-up to the working week can both make Sunday the hardest night to fall asleep. A few small changes to your weekend, and a calmer Sunday evening, often make a real difference.
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What Sunday night insomnia feels like
The weekend has been fine. Then Sunday evening arrives and something shifts. You think about the inbox, the early alarm, the meeting you are not looking forward to. By the time you get into bed your mind is already in Monday, and sleep will not come.
Then the clock watching starts. You work out how many hours you will get if you fall asleep now, and now, and now. That worry about being tired tomorrow is often what keeps you awake longest.
It is very common. In a 2022 survey of 1,250 American adults for the Sleep Foundation, nearly a third said Sunday was the hardest night of the week to fall asleep.
Why Sunday night is harder
Your body clock likes routine. Later nights and longer lie-ins on Friday and Saturday push it later, a bit like flying a time zone west. Sleep researchers call this social jet lag. By Sunday night your body is not ready for sleep at your usual weekday bedtime, even if you feel you should be.
On top of that comes the mental side. Sunday evening is when many people start planning, worrying or bracing themselves for the week. Common triggers include:
- A job you are finding stressful, or a hard week ahead
- Unfinished jobs from the weekend
- An early start, or a long commute on Monday
- Drinking more than usual over the weekend
- Napping on Sunday afternoon
Things to try this Sunday
Do a short week ahead check-in in the late afternoon, not at bedtime. Write down what is coming up and one thing you will do first on Monday morning. Then close the list for the night.
Plan something you enjoy for Sunday evening, so it is not just waiting for the week to start. Keep the last hour calm, with dim lights and your phone away. In bed, slow your breathing with a longer out-breath than in-breath. If you are still wide awake after what feels like 20 minutes, get up, sit somewhere calm in low light, and go back when you feel sleepy.
Habits that help over the next few weeks
The biggest change is usually on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Try to get up within about an hour of your weekday time, and get some daylight soon after. A short lie-in is fine. A three hour one makes Sunday night much harder.
Keep naps short and before mid-afternoon, and go easy on alcohol over the weekend, as it tends to break up sleep. If Sunday dread is about work itself, it is worth taking that seriously in the day, by talking to your manager or someone you trust.
When to see a GP
See your GP if poor sleep has lasted 3 months or more, or is happening most nights, not just on Sundays. Go too if dread about the week is affecting your mood, or you feel low or hopeless much of the time.
If you are struggling to cope, call Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night.
If Sunday nights have started to spoil your weekends
If you spend Sunday afternoon already dreading the night ahead, that is not you being dramatic. Your mind has learned to link Sunday with lying awake, and that link can switch on before you even get into bed.
What helps is giving Sunday evening a different, calmer feel, and letting your body practise settling at your normal bedtime. With hypnosis we slow your breathing and loosen your muscles first, then help your attention move away from the week ahead. Many people find that with regular listening, Sunday starts to feel like any other night. It sits well alongside a steadier weekend routine.
I am Adam Cox, a clinical hypnotherapist with 17 years in practice and post-graduate qualifications in clinical hypnotherapy. Sleep sessions are among the most listened to on my podcast, The Hypnotist, which has been downloaded more than 20 million times.
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Recorded sessions from my store. Download once, keep them, and play them in bed with your phone on night mode.
Questions people ask
Why can’t I sleep on Sunday nights?
Usually it is a mix of two things. Later nights and lie-ins at the weekend shift your body clock, so you are not sleepy at your usual weekday bedtime. And thinking ahead to Monday keeps your mind busy just when you want it to settle.
What are the Sunday scaries?
It is a popular name for the low, uneasy or anxious feeling many people get on Sunday afternoon or evening as the working week gets closer. For some people it shows up mainly as trouble getting to sleep.
Should I go to bed earlier on Sunday to catch up?
Usually not. Going to bed much earlier than normal when you are not sleepy often means more time lying awake. Aim for your normal bedtime and focus on getting up at your usual time on Sunday morning instead.
Is it bad to have a lie-in at the weekend?
An occasional lie-in is fine. If you sleep in by several hours every weekend, it can make Sunday night harder. Keeping your wake-up time within about an hour of your weekday time tends to help.
Can hypnosis help with Sunday night anxiety?
Hypnosis is designed to help you relax deeply and settle a busy mind at bedtime. Many people find a regular session on Sunday evening helps them switch off, although results vary and it works best alongside a steady sleep routine.
Could hypnosis help your sleep?
Take my free sleep hypnosis suitability test. Tell me what keeps you awake, try two quick hypnosis experiments and get an honest answer, with your next step.
Want help to stop dreading Sunday nights?
If recordings are not enough on their own, we can work on what is keeping you awake together. Start with a £49 consultation call over Zoom. We talk through your nights and whether hypnotherapy is right for you, and the fee comes off your first session. If poor sleep has lasted 3 months or more, please see your GP too.
Further reading: NHS: Insomnia · NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better · Sleep Foundation: Sunday scaries survey (2022)