Why anxiety at night?

If you are experiencing the most anxiety at night, it is likely because you have fewer distractions.  During the daytime, we are often preoccupied with things like jobs, people, and some sort of activity directing our thoughts to whatever that thing may be.  Whatever might be worrying you is put on hold when you are distracted by other things.  We, as human beings, are our most active and productive during the daytime, so as long as nothing is directly causing you to feel anxious, you won’t notice any internal anxiety. However, at nighttime, that is when we start to unwind, and there are fewer distractions.  There is also less stimulation; for example, if you are outside, all kinds of noises and visual things distract you.  But at nighttime, you are typically home where it is much quieter and less visual stimulation as well.  Those quieter/less stimulating moments are when the unaddressed and avoided items causing your anxiety to creep up.  Even if you intend not to think about whatever might be causing you to feel anxious, the thoughts may intrusively come into mind unwillingly.  Your thoughts begin to race and feel disorganized; maybe you are moving rapidly from one thought to another without even noticing the swift changes in thought patterns.  Sometimes the issue could also be that your body is too physically tense that it can trigger your brain to feel anxious as well.  Your muscles might be tense, or your heart might be somewhat elevated.  This will make it more challenging to feel calm and relaxed if you have those physical sensations.  You may feel some moments of anxiety during the daytime, but it is more likely that the intensity of anxiety worsens at night because of these variables listed above. 

So if this is something that is a struggle for you, it is best to set up a nighttime routine that supports relaxation and soothing sensations.  Consistency is key with this, too; it should be an almost daily thing.  It could be drinking a warm non-caffeinated beverage, a hot shower or bath, using candles or lotions to provide a comforting scent.  There are numerous ways to combat nighttime anxiety; you just need to find a rhythm that works for you and stick with it.