{"id":35214,"date":"2025-07-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-staging.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/?p=35214"},"modified":"2025-05-27T14:44:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:44:09","slug":"financial-insomnia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva-node-stage.tsc-starts-coding.com\/blog\/financial-insomnia\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With Financial Insomnia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most likely, the only time we lost sleep over money as kids was waiting for the tooth fairy to leave a quarter under our pillow in exchange for a baby tooth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adults warned us that with independence came responsibilities to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. We hate to admit it, but they were on to something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In adulthood, financial stress can affect our waking hours and impact our ability to get a good night\u2019s sleep. Our recent survey<\/a> found that money was the top reason why Americans of all generations are struggling to sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spoke to mental health and financial experts to better understand financial insomnia<\/a> and get their advice on ways to manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is financial insomnia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Financial insomnia is when money stress interferes with your ability to fall\u2014or stay\u2014asleep. Whether you\u2019re lying awake staring at the ceiling or waking up at 3 am in a cold sweat, the heaviness of debt, bills, rent, or job security can be crushing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour mind tends to spiral with ‘what ifs.\u2019 What if I lose my job? What if an emergency happens? What if I can\u2019t cover my bills?\u201d says Emma Lin<\/a>, MD, a pulmonary and sleep medicine physician. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This overwhelming cycle of negative thinking triggers the body\u2019s fight-or-flight response, flooding your systems with cortisol<\/a> and making it nearly impossible to relax. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To calm your nerves, you may try to solve your financial issues from a place of fear, duress, and isolation, which only exacerbates the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Financial insomnia is when money stress interferes with your ability to fall\u2014or stay\u2014asleep.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Causes of financial insomnia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Debt (credit cards, student, and personal loans are a few), unexpected bills, or losing your job top the list of major financial stressors that hijack people\u2019s sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other factors include limited savings, societal pressures, work instability, and family planning. Underearning or being vague about your expenses can also keep your mind racing<\/a> when it should be resting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman
Money fears can derail your bedtime routine, making it harder to sleep.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How financial stress impacts sleep <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Money fears can derail even the most mindful bedtime routines. These thoughts keep the brain on overdrive when it should be powering down\u2014and oftentimes, the harder you try to quiet it, the more challenging it is to find a sense of calm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rise in stress hormones can contribute to shallow breathing, heart palpitations, anxiety<\/a>, overwhelm, muscle tension, and disrupted melatonin<\/a> production. These symptoms lead to sleep deprivation<\/a> and compromise the quality of your sleep.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without solid, uninterrupted sleep, you might drag our heels during the day and feel irritable, overwhelmed, or anxious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same financial stressors responsible for the dark circles under your eyes and brain fog are harder to get a handle on when you\u2019re mentally and physically exhausted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cyclical pattern leads to poor decision-making when it comes to money, from missing bill due dates to impulse spending for temporary relief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These quick fixes can cause deeper financial holes and more frequent financial insomnia, leading to a feeling of hopelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFinancial stress can be sleep’s worst enemy, and bad sleep leads to poor money decisions,” notes says Antje Eggersdorfer<\/a>, business and finance expert at Seton.de. You may find yourself spending money you don\u2019t have, or not checking your bank balance because it’s stressful. It’s a vicious cycle that’s difficult to break.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Person
Finding a therapist to talk about your concerns can help ease financial insomnia. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to combat financial insomnia <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, which do you address first: your financial situation or getting a good night\u2019s rest? Experts advise taking small steps with both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding a good therapist can help you fall asleep and release the grip of financial insomnia on your nights and days.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stacey Ross, a mental health specialist with Addiction Resource<\/a>, recommends seeking someone who has experience with CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia<\/a>), which trains your brain to relax at night, regardless of any emotional weight you\u2019re carrying.\u00a0

No matter how serious your financial situation is, you have control over creating a calming bedtime ritual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning off your phone, avoiding checking account balances, and listening to a guided meditation can help you fall asleep faster and increase your chances of sleeping through the night, leading to a deeper, more restorative rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eggersdorfer suggests these steps for approaching your finances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n