October 22, 2025

Orthosomnia: Why Trying Too Hard to Sleep Keeps You Awake

We live in an age where we track everything: steps, calories, water intake, even how many times the dog blinked today (okay, maybe not yet, but give it time). So it’s no surprise that people are now tracking their sleep, too.

And while sleep trackers, smartwatches, and “nighttime hacks” can be helpful, there’s a hidden downside: the more we chase perfect sleep, the harder it actually becomes to get it.

That, my friend, is something called orthosomnia.

Illustration of a person lying awake in bed looking anxious, surrounded by clocks, a smartwatch, and a 65% sleep quality chart, representing orthosomnia — anxiety about tracking sleep that makes it harder to fall asleep.

What Is Orthosomnia?

Orthosomnia is basically sleep anxiety. It’s when worrying about not sleeping enough makes it impossible to sleep at all.

Picture this:
You’re lying in bed, determined to fall asleep right now.
You check the time… 11:00 PM. Then 11:30. Then midnight.

Now you’re doing math like a caffeinated accountant:

“If I fall asleep in 15 minutes, I’ll get 6 hours and 45 minutes… okay, 6 hours and 30… okay, why is it 2 AM already?”

That cycle of stress keeps your brain switched “on” when it should be drifting “off.”

Why Sleep Anxiety Is Getting Worse

Sleep Trackers: Ever had your watch tell you that you “only” got 65% sleep quality? Suddenly, you feel tired because your watch said so.

Social Media: Every feed is full of people showing off their “perfect” nighttime routine with herbal tea, yoga, and $300 silk pajamas. There’s a new hack every week, and it’s exhausting just trying to keep up.

Life Pressure: Work, kids, bills, the state of the world. It’s a miracle any of us sleep at all.

Person sitting up in bed at night, checking a smartwatch with an anxious expression.

Signs You Might Have Orthosomnia

You feel anxious before bed, even when you’re exhausted.
You can’t stop checking the clock.
You wake up feeling worse after looking at your tracker results.
You’ve tried every TikTok hack but still can’t switch your brain off.

How to Break the Cycle

The goal isn’t perfect sleep. It’s better sleep.
And sometimes, letting go is the best thing you can do.

Here’s how:

Create a wind-down ritual. A warm shower, a few pages of a book, Hibermate mask on. Let your brain know it’s bedtime.
Hide the clocks. No more mental math at 1 AM. It won’t help.
Take a tech break. Put your phone away an hour before bed. Charlotte from 7th grade can wait.
Don’t chase sleep. If you’re wide awake, get up, stretch, read for a bit, then try again.
Keep trackers in perspective. Data is helpful, but don’t let numbers decide how you feel.

Person sleeping peacefully wearing the Hibermate sleep mask with earmuffs in soft morning light.

Final Thought

Chasing perfect sleep is like chasing the perfect selfie. The harder you try, the worse it gets.
Instead of aiming for perfection, aim for good enough most nights.

Your body knows what it’s doing.
And with a little help (say, a sleep mask that blocks light and noise 😉), it’ll do exactly what it’s meant to do:
rest.