When Sleep Pressure Keeps You Awake
Many people, during exam season or before any important deadline, find their sleep disrupted by stress, late-night study sessions, and too much screen time. Yet research consistently shows that good sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Quality sleep boosts concentration, improves memory retention by up to 40%, and supports emotional resilience when you need it most.
This guide, created by a CBT and ACT therapist, offers science-backed tips and tools to help you get better sleep when it counts.
I hope you’ll find my practical strategies helpful. Simple and effective strategies from ideal room temperatures (16–18°C) to calming breathing exercises, and how reducing screen use before bed can lead to deeper, more restorative rest. With 75% of university students experiencing poor sleep, now is the time to make small changes that can have a big impact.
Whether you're revising hard or just trying to stay mentally sharp, this guide will help you understand what works, so you can rest well and perform at your best.
Recognise the Sleep Paradox
Trying too hard to sleep can often have the opposite effect. Good sleepers tend to adopt a more relaxed and accepting approach, allowing sleep to come naturally rather than forcing it. Letting go of pressure and embracing a non-controlling mindset can make all the difference.
As you head to bed, choose a statement that helps ease the pressure around sleep, or create one that resonates with you. Reminding yourself of the wisdom in that statement, alongside the strategies shared below, can provide a strong foundation for more restful, restorative sleep. Here are a few examples, but adapt them to suit what feels most helpful for you.
Examples:
"Sleep will come when it's ready; I don't need to force it."
"Trying to control sleep only makes it harder — I can let go and trust my body."
"I’m creating the right conditions for sleep, and that’s enough for now."
"I can allow thoughts to come and go without needing to fix anything. I can problem solve in the morning”
"It’s normal to have nights like this — sleep isn’t something I have to get perfect."
2. Write Worries Down
Avoid problem-solving in bed. Use a notebook to jot down worries before sleep. Postpone problem-solving until the morning.
3. Challenge Unhelpful Thoughts (CBT Approach)
At night, when everything is quiet, worries can often feel louder. Our mind tends to amplify fears, making problems seem bigger and more urgent than they really are. One helpful strategy is to write these thoughts down, either to return to them in the morning when you’re more able to think clearly, or to gently challenge and reframe them before bed.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourage us to examine our thoughts more closely. By questioning anxious or unhelpful beliefs, especially around sleep, we can reduce their impact and create space for more balanced thinking.
To help reframe your worries, ask yourself:
What evidence do I have for this thought?
Am I treating a thought as if it's a fact?
What advice would I give to a friend in this situation?
Are my judgments based on emotions or evidence?
Am I overestimating how bad this might be?
Am I underestimating my ability to cope?
Will this still matter in the morning? Next week? In three years?
Once you’ve found a more realistic perspective, it can help to think practically about steps you could take to support that more balanced outcome.
Here are some example statements you might use to gently challenge anxious beliefs about sleep:
“Even if I don’t sleep well tonight, I’ve managed before — I can cope again.”
“This is just a thought, not a fact.”
“What would I say to a friend feeling this way?”
4. Practice Diffusion (ACT Technique)
Sometimes when we’re struggling to sleep, our minds fill with anxious predictions like “I won’t sleep and I’ll be useless tomorrow” or “If I don’t sleep now, everything will go wrong.” These thoughts can feel overwhelming, and trying to argue with them or push them away often just adds more tension.
Instead of battling with these thoughts, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) offers a different approach: noticing thoughts as just that, thoughts. Not truths. Not commands. Just passing mental events. Guess work of the mind.
One helpful technique is to add the phrase:
“I’m having the thought that…”
So rather than saying to yourself, “I won’t sleep and I’ll fail tomorrow,” try saying:
“I’m having the thought that I won’t sleep and I’ll fail tomorrow.”
This simple shift creates space between you and the thought. It reminds you that thoughts are not facts, they’re just stories your mind is telling you in that moment. You don’t have to believe or act on them.
You can also take this a step further by adding:
“I notice I’m having the thought that…”
or
“My mind is doing that thing again, predicting disaster.”
These phrases help reduce the emotional grip of the thought, making it easier to let go and return your focus to the present, such as your breath, the feel of the bed, or a calming visualisation.
Remember: your goal isn’t to stop thoughts, but to change your relationship with them. The less you struggle with your mind, the more you can rest.
5. A Mindful “Here and Now” Strategy for Sleep
When your mind is busy at bedtime, gently bringing your attention to the present can help calm the nervous system and prepare your body for rest. You don’t need to force sleep to come, instead, allow yourself to rest in awareness.
Notice the contact between your body and the bed
Bring your attention to where your body meets the mattress, the back of your head, your shoulders, your arms, your hips, your legs. Gently scan your body without trying to change anything. Just notice.
Tune in to the sounds around you
Let yourself become aware of any sounds in the room or outside, the hum of a radiator, the wind outside the window, even your own breathing. Don’t analyse them. Just let them wash over you like waves.
You might say to yourself:
“Just listening. Nothing to do. Nothing to fix.”
“Right now in this moment all is well”
Let thoughts come and go
If a thought pops up (and it will), notice it , as if you’re watching clouds drift across the sky or leaves float past on a stream. You might gently label it:
“There’s a thought,” or
“Worrying is happening,” or
“My mind is busy tonight.”
Then gently guide your attention back to the sound, the sensation of the sheets, or your breath.
Anchor in one small thing
Choose one simple anchor, like the sound of your breath, the rhythm of your belly rising and falling, or a soft background sound. Each time your mind wanders (which is totally normal), gently return to that anchor.
You don’t need to try to fall asleep, just rest.
Let sleep come to you when it’s ready.
6. Establish a Consistent Wake Time
Stick to the same wake-up time every day, even after a poor night’s sleep. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock, which plays a key role in when you feel sleepy and when you feel alert.
Waking up at the same time each day helps anchor your sleep-wake cycle and gradually trains your body to feel naturally tired at the right time each night. Although it may feel tempting to sleep in after a rough night, doing this can actually make sleep more difficult the following evening. In time, consistency in your wake-up time will help promote deeper, more reliable sleep.
7. Create a Wind-Down Routine
Start winding down at least an hour before bed. Avoid screens and try:
Reading
Listening to calming music
Taking a warm bath
Progressive muscle relaxation
Anything that helps you to slooooow down ahead of bed.
8. Practise Therapeutic Breathing or Mindfulness
Engaging in slow, steady breathing exercises before bed can be a powerful way to calm your nervous system and prepare for sleep. One example is the 4-6-8 breathing technique: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 6 seconds, and exhale slowly for 8 seconds. This type of breathing helps shift your body out of a state of "fight or flight" and into "rest and digest," the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system responsible for calm and recovery.
By deliberately slowing your breath, you're sending a clear signal to your brain’s threat system that there is no danger, that it’s safe to let go and rest. The slower breathing mimics what your body naturally does when it feels relaxed and safe, reinforcing a sense of security and soothing any anxiety that might be keeping you alert.
You can also try a body scan, where you gently move your attention through different parts of your body, noticing any tension and allowing it to soften. This anchors your awareness in the present moment, helping you break free from any racing thoughts and letting your body settle into a more restful state. Together, these practices can form a calming pre-sleep ritual that supports better, deeper sleep.
9. Only Use Your Bed for Sleep
Avoid working, studying, or eating in bed to strengthen the mental association between your bed and sleep.
10. The 20-Minute Rule
If you can't sleep after ~20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, low-stimulation activity (e.g., reading in dim light), then return when sleepy.
11. Prioritise Daytime Activity—Earlier in the Day
Exercise helps sleep, but avoid intense workouts close to bedtime as they can be too stimulating.
12. Limit Caffeine and Heavy Meals
Avoid caffeine after early afternoon. Eat dinner before 9pm to prevent indigestion or reflux interfering with sleep.
13. Optimise Your Sleep Environment
Room temperature: 16–18°C
Use blackout curtains or an eye mask
Consider earplugs or listening to white noise
Ensure your mattress and pillow are supportive
14. Use Technology Wisely
Avoid screens 1–2 hours before bed
Or, use blue light filters/night mode
Dim screen brightness and try blue light-blocking glasses
You Deserve Rest
If you’re struggling to sleep during exam season, know that you’re not alone and that it’s not your fault. Sleep disruption is incredibly common when you're under pressure, and the harder you try to force it, the more elusive it can feel. But there is hope.
This guide offers a range of evidence-based strategies from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support your sleep naturally, from managing anxious thoughts to calming your nervous system, creating helpful routines, and anchoring in the present moment.
Remember, good sleep isn’t about perfection. It’s about creating the right conditions for rest, taking a gentler stance with your mind, and showing your body it’s safe to let go. Small shifts in behaviour and thinking can make a big difference over time.
At My Therapist Online, we understand that sleep issues often connect with deeper emotional or cognitive struggles, like anxiety, perfectionism, overthinking, or burnout. Our experienced therapists are here to help you work through whatever’s getting in the way of rest. Sometimes, by exploring and addressing the stress behind the sleep issue, restful sleep begins to return more naturally.
You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Whether you want to tackle sleep directly or look more broadly at what’s making it harder to rest, we’re here to support you.
Written by:
Lisa Johnston, BABCP Accredited, EMDR and ACT Therapist
Clinical Director & Founder of My Therapist Online
Lisa is an Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and EMDR Therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience and specialist expertise in treating anxiety-related conditions. She spent seven years at the renowned National Anxiety Disorders Service at Bethlem Royal Hospital, working alongside Professor David Veale, and has been delivering highly effective online therapy since 2012. Lisa specialises in the treatment of OCD, BDD, and Emetophobia, and is passionate about providing compassionate, evidence-based therapy that fits around people’s lives.
The science to support this article:
Yoo, S. S., Hu, P. T., Gujar, N., Jolesz, F. A., & Walker, M. P. (2007). A deficit in the ability to form new human memories without sleep. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(8), 373–378. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0700062104
Sleep and Health Education Program. (n.d.). College students and sleep. Harvard Medical School, Division of Sleep Medicine. Retrieved from https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-88
Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). Best temperature for sleep. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/best-temperature-for-sleep
Carter, B., Rees, P., Hale, L., Bhattacharjee, D., & Paradkar, M. S. (2016). Association between portable screen-based media device access or use and sleep outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(12), 1202–1208. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.2341