Dr. Freeman's Blog Posts

screen addiction cause insomnia when phone use keeps a tired person awake at night

Can Screen Addiction Cause Insomnia?

Yes. Compulsive phone, social media, gaming, streaming, or internet use can contribute significantly to insomnia. The problem is not simply that screens emit light. For many people, screens become a way to manage anxiety, boredom, loneliness, frustration, stress, or difficult thoughts at the end of the day. That temporary relief

Read More »
Sleep anxiety cause insomnia; man lying awake at night with fear of not sleeping

Can Sleep Anxiety Cause Chronic Insomnia?

Yes. Sleep anxiety can cause chronic insomnia when the fear of not sleeping keeps the nervous system alert night after night. A person may begin with a short period of poor sleep, but the fear that develops around sleep can become one of the main reasons the insomnia continues.

Many

Read More »
Can health anxiety cause insomnia worried person experiencing sleep anxiety, health fears, and insomnia symptoms

Can Health Anxiety Cause Insomnia?

Yes. Health anxiety can cause insomnia, and insomnia can make health anxiety worse. A person may begin with a real sleep problem, but the fear about what poor sleep means can become one of the main reasons the nervous system stays awake.

This pattern often starts suddenly. Someone who has

Read More »
A tense woman carefully arranging colorful paper clips in perfect rows to represent perfectionism, rumination, and insomnia

Can Perfectionism Cause Insomnia?

Yes. Perfectionism can cause insomnia when the mind stays active at night reviewing mistakes, judging performance, comparing life progress, and trying to prevent future failure. The person may be exhausted, but the nervous system remains on alert.

Many perfectionistic people do not think of themselves as anxious. They may describe

Read More »
Mountain sunrise above a sea of clouds representing anxiety-related chronic insomnia, emotional recovery, and the return of restorative sleep

Can Anxiety Cause Chronic Insomnia?

Yes, anxiety can absolutely cause chronic insomnia. It can also maintain it long after the original stressor has passed. In my clinical work, I often see that people are not just struggling with sleep. They are struggling with a nervous system that has learned to stay alert, a mind that

Read More »
A service member in a therapy session discussing PTSD-related insomnia, hypervigilance, nightmares, and sleep recovery

Can PTSD Cause Insomnia?

Can PTSD Cause Insomnia? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Yes, PTSD can cause insomnia. Post-traumatic stress disorder can keep the nervous system on alert long after the danger has passed. A person may be physically safe in bed, but the brain and body may still be scanning for threat.

Read More »

Dr. Freeman's Articles on Sleep, Trauma, and Behavioral Medicine