Feeling More Anxious Lately? This Sleep Stage Might Be Missing
Key takeaways
- Author: Ava Durgin June 09, 2026Assistant Health Editor By Ava Durgin Assistant Health Editor Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen.
- As we age, both sleep and emotional regulation tend to shift.
- So researchers have started asking a bigger question: Could changes in sleep itself be part of the reason anxiety rises with age?
Why this matters: practical guidance grounded in recent research or expert insight.
Author: Ava Durgin June 09, 2026Assistant Health Editor By Ava Durgin Assistant Health Editor Ava Durgin is the former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She holds a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology from Duke University.Image by Viktor Solomin / Stocksy June 09, 2026Sleep and anxiety have always had a complicated relationship. Poor sleep can leave us emotionally fragile the next day, while stress and racing thoughts often make it harder to fall asleep in the first place. But the connection may run deeper than simply feeling tired.
As we age, both sleep and emotional regulation tend to shift. Many older adults experience lighter sleep, fewer hours in bed, and more nighttime awakenings. At the same time, anxiety symptoms can become more common later in life, and they’re increasingly recognized as a major factor influencing cognitive health and quality of life.
So researchers have started asking a bigger question: Could changes in sleep itself be part of the reason anxiety rises with age?