Why do new moms feel anxious at night?

New moms can feel more anxious at night for a few common reasons:

• Sleep deprivation: Broken sleep makes it harder to regulate emotions, so worries can feel bigger and more urgent.
• Hormonal and brain changes after birth: Rapid changes in hormones after delivery can affect mood and anxiety. New parent brains also tend to become more alert to baby-related cues, which can increase nighttime vigilance.
• Heightened vigilance: Many new parents become extra aware of their baby’s breathing, noises, and safety, and that can feel stronger in the quiet of night.
• Less distraction at night: When the house is dark and quiet, anxious thoughts can stand out more.
• Natural body rhythms: Stress hormones and alertness can fluctuate over the night, which may make worries feel more intense for some people.
• Intrusive thoughts: Some new moms have scary or upsetting thoughts about the baby’s safety, which can be distressing even when they don’t want them.

Mild nighttime anxiety can be common postpartum, but if it becomes severe, includes panic attacks, or leads to constant checking or inability to sleep, it may be postpartum anxiety or postpartum OCD. In that case, it’s a good idea to talk with a healthcare provider.