Ever notice how after 10:00 p.m., your brain suddenly decides it’s the perfect time to rethink every life decision you’ve ever made? Or maybe you start doing things you’d never have the guts to do in daylight like texting someone you shouldn’t, deep cleaning your room, or having a random emotional breakdown. There’s actually a reason for that.

Psychologists say the best way to calm your late-night brain is to build healthier habits. Try limiting screen time after 8:00 p.m. The blue light from phones and computers tricks your brain into staying awake and social media can stir up negativity.

Going to bed early is also a game changer. Sleep is one of the best gifts you can give your body because it allows it to reset and prepare for the next day. During sleep, your brain sorts through memories, balances your emotions, and restores your energy.

“At 10:00 p.m., I often find myself feeling exhausted from the day and longing to scroll on my TikTok,” says Kate Spizer (’27). “When I only sleep five hours, I doze off in class the next day and always feel exhausted by fifth period. I love the days when I can actually get more than eight hours of sleep because I wake up feeling refreshed and don’t need a bunch of caffeine to keep me awake. Being sleep deprived and caffeinated is not a good combination. It makes me anxious.”

Spizer’s experience is common among many teens, especially hard-working students at HSMSE. Everyone knows the feeling of receiving a long worksheet in English class when all you can think about is your cozy bed that’s miles away from school. “I’m so tired” is one of the most common things that HSMSE students say. As someone who is in their third year of high school, I’ve realized that a few more hours of sleep each night can completely change your mental state and lead to an overall improvement in your health, confidence, and focus.

Anxious feelings can get worse on Sunday nights. This is called the “Sunday Scaries,” a newer pop culture term trending on TikTok. Why Sundays, you may ask? Sundays are the day before the start of a new week and often the day after a crazy night out. You start to think about all the embarrassing things that you did over the weekend that didn’t seem so bad at the time. Now you’re facing the reality of them alone. 

At the end of the day, all those late-night thoughts and emotions are really just your brain’s way of showing it is tired. When it is past 10:00 p.m. and you find yourself overthinking or scrolling through TikTok, it is simply exhaustion catching up to you. “I often find my sleep schedule getting messed up when I stay up late on Saturday nights to watch TikTok. It makes me wake up super late on Sunday morning leading to a less productive day ahead,” says Elena Davis (‘27). “If I stay at home or in bed for a big portion of the day, I find myself being less motivated to do my homework that’s due on Monday. If I have enough energy to go outside on Sunday morning, then I can build my day around that outing and I will have a structured plan of when to do my homework,” Elena says. Getting a full night of sleep makes a bigger difference than most people realize. You wake up feeling clear minded, more focused, and ready to handle a demanding HSMSE day instead of running on caffeine and stress.