Hyperarousal — When Your Whole System Stays “On”
The insomnia backdrop: a brain and body that treat bedtime like a high-stakes meeting instead of a wind‑down signal.
Hyperarousal is a state where your alertness and stress systems are chronically turned up. The sympathetic nervous system, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and thought patterns all contribute. Instead of gliding toward calm in the evening, your heart, muscles, and mind stay braced for “something might happen,” even when you’re horizontal.
People with chronic insomnia often describe feeling “wired but tired,” startling easily, or noticing racing thoughts the moment the lights go off. Hyperarousal can be trait‑level (some nervous systems run hot) and state‑level (ramped up after stress, illness, or big life changes). Over time, the brain can start to associate the bed and nighttime with this keyed‑up state, making the problem self‑sustaining.
This is why simply “trying harder” to sleep backfires: effort is arousal. The more you monitor, evaluate, and judge your sleep in real time, the more your brain interprets the situation as high stakes. CBT‑I and related approaches aim to lower hyperarousal by changing thoughts, tightening sleep windows, and adding behaviours that cue safety rather than threat.
Hyperarousal isn’t a character flaw; it’s your threat system doing its job a bit too enthusiastically. Giving it predictable routines, clear boundaries between day and night, and tools like relaxation training or therapy is how you gradually convince it that it doesn’t need to guard you from your own pillow.
Why It Matters
Seeing insomnia as hyperarousal, not “bad sleep genes,” opens up more levers — from stress management to sleep scheduling — that can genuinely move the needle.
Closing Line
Your nervous system is not sabotaging you on purpose; it just needs repeated proof that bedtime is safe enough to stand down.