67% of Americans Lose Sleep Over Money — 6 Expert Tips To Get Yours Back
Are you one of the millions of people tossing and turning at night because of stress over money? A recent MoneyLion survey revealed that 67% of Americans reported regularly losing sleep over finances.
Several experts have even noticed a shift in just how much financial worries can affect sleep. Dr. Michael Grandner, a clinical psychologist and director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, has heard about money‑related sleep issues more often in the past couple of years.
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He said, “There are many things we’ve fixed about our society, but there is still a problem with too much financial insecurity. And it is literally keeping people up at night.”
As Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Sleep Scientist at RAND Corporation and the author of "Sharing the Covers," explained it, “Financial worries can be uniquely disruptive for sleep, because it's a form of stress that often feels unpredictable and outside of one’s control."
If you’re one of the millions lying awake at night with financial struggles weighing on your mind, experts say there is hope. Here are six tips to help you break out of it.
1. Determine the Extent of Your Problem
Not all financial-related sleep issues are the same. Regular tossing and turning is different from a clinical sleep disorder. Grandner's first piece of advice is to get clear on what you're actually dealing with.
"If insomnia or sleep apnea are present, treat those first," he said.
If your sleep problems run deeper than financial stress, address the medical piece before tackling the money anxiety.
2. Reframe Sleep
Sleep isn't downtime; it's your brain's recharge period, and your recharge period is what allows you to actually solve problems tomorrow. Grandner recommended reminding yourself of this when money worries creep in at midnight.
"The best thing you can do to improve your situation is to get some sleep tonight," he said. "Now is not the time to do all of this. The bank is closed."
3. Schedule Worry
Instead of letting financial anxiety ambush you at bedtime, give it a specific time slot earlier in the evening.
Troxel recommended what she called a "scheduled worry" exercise: grab pen and paper, set a timer for 10 minutes and dump every financial worry (or other worried thoughts) that comes to mind. When the timer goes off, you're done — close the book on worry for the night.
"Practice this for at least two weeks to break the habit of worrying in bed," Troxel said. Yes, it sounds simple. It also works.
4. Develop a Wind-Down Routine
A chaotic evening sets you up for a chaotic night. Troxel recommended dedicating at least 30 minutes before bed to something genuinely relaxing, whether that's reading, watching tv or cuddling with a partner.
The goal is to shift your nervous system from alert mode to rest mode. And according to her, a wind-down routine "is a great way to quiet the mind and prepare for bed."
5. Don’t Force It
If you’re lying in bed and sleep just isn’t coming, it may be time to find a distraction and hit reset.
“Don’t stay in bed if it isn’t working,” Grandner said. “Get up. If you’re awake more than 20 minutes, reset in another room.”
You don't want your brain to start associating your bed with wakefulness and worry. That could just make the insomnia worse. Move somewhere else, do something low-key and come back to bed only when you're actually tired.
6. Keep Your Wake-Up Time Consistent
When stress is running high, Troxel said it's important to keep your wake-up time consistent. Even if you had a terrible night, wake up at the same time every morning.
“Wake-up is the most important cue to regulate our circadian rhythm, which governs sleep," she explained. It's the strongest signal your body uses to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
The Bottom Line
Money stress and sleeplessness often feel like a permanent package deal, but they're not. These six strategies can help you find peace in sleep again. Start with whichever one resonates most, stick with it for a couple weeks and watch how differently your nights (and your days) feel when you're actually rested. Turns out, solving money problems is a lot easier when you've had some sleep.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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