‘Sunset Anxiety’ Is a Real Thing. Here’s Why You Might Feel Uneasy as Daylight Fades

It’s different for everyone, but there’s an overarching sense of loss—of both time and control.

October 16, 2024

Image of person standing in front of sunset clock

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I think everyone (who’s not a hater) can agree that sunsets are an objectively beautiful thing. Sometimes, however, I find that the fading daylight doesn’t fill me with awe or gratitude and instead triggers a hard-to-place emotion that mixes grief, uneasiness, and dread. I call this troubled feeling “sunset anxiety” and, turns out, I’m not the only one who deals with it.

At least a handful of other people on the internet (read: Reddit) also seem to experience a spike in restlessness as the sun goes down. The r/Anxiety subreddit is filled with folks who report feeling panicky, empty, regretful, or guilty as day transitions to night. While the specifics are different for everyone, there’s an overarching sense of loss—of both time and control. While it’s bright outside, the day has potential; when sunset hits, it all comes crashing down.

Sunset anxiety is far from an official diagnosis. There’s no entry for it in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the authoritative handbook for identifying and diagnosing mental health conditions, nor is there much research on it, Debra Kissen, PhD, psychologist and CEO of the Light On Anxiety CBT Treatment Center in Chicago, tells SELF. Still, the lack of hard evidence doesn’t mean the phenomenon doesn’t exist.

“What I know is that everyone's anxiety is universal but also very unique to them,” Dr. Kissen says. If sunset anxiety strikes a chord for you, hopefully just knowing that others feel the same is a bit of a relief, as it was for me. But what I (and so many Redditors) can’t help but wonder is: Why? Here’s what experts have to say.

What might cause “sunset anxiety”?

Those of us who are naturally more anxious or who’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder may be more likely to feel uneasy at sunset. A 2022 study found that, for people less prone to worry, anxiety peaked in the morning and slowly declined; however, participants with high worry levels experienced sustained anxiety throughout the day. New research also suggests your personal body clock may have something to do with it; “evening types” (read: night owls) are more likely than morning people to experience nervousness and racing thoughts from the afternoon onwards. (This is in line with a 1986 study that found that, for people with anxiety disorders, symptoms tend to be more severe in the afternoon or evening.)

Besides a propensity for worry, a lot of things could be at play here, and the roots of your evening uneasiness will depend on how, exactly, you’re feeling, Dr. Kissen says. “When clients say they’re anxious, I’m always like: ‘Well, what flavor?’” Personally, my sunset anxiety tends to be the strongest when I work from home—especially when I’m still in pajamas at 6 p.m. and haven’t stepped outside or done anything besides act as an extension of my laptop. It feels tied to beliefs around “wasting” time, a sense of FOMO, and the simultaneous pent-up energy and exhaustion of hectic workdays where I neglect basic self-care.

If the mantra behind your sunset anxiety is “I didn’t do enough,” or it feels a bit like Sunday scaries, “productivity guilt” could be partially to blame. “Productivity guilt happens when we have unreasonable expectations of how much we can accomplish within a given period,” Israa Nasir, MHC-LP, therapist and author of Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More, tells SELF. Then, when we fail to meet them, we feel bad. And it doesn’t always have to be work-related: This toxic productivity mindset can also include pressure to use your off time “wisely” and “take advantage” of free evenings, vacations, or weekends.

“Anticipatory anxiety”—when you’re worrying about the future in the present—can play a role too. “As the day ends, we’re reminded of everything we didn’t do,” Nasir says. “On top of that, we know that the next day will begin and have its own tasks, so the things we left incomplete may feel even heavier.”

Perfectionists (hi, I’m the problem, it’s me) may be especially prone to this internalized pressure to do enough, which can be a result of learned behaviors (from parents, teachers, and society), Nasir adds. “We might believe that in order to be loved, we have to be perfect…and develop these high standards for ourselves that aren’t always realistic,” she explains. When you inevitably fall short, your self-worth can take a hit. Productivity guilt and anticipatory anxiety can also be the result of a current circumstance (like an unhealthy workplace or an overwhelming role as a caretaker), Nasir says.

Feeling anxious around sunset may come down to timing too. “We're often busy, focused on completing tasks and just getting through our day, and there's no time for anxiety to creep in,” Evita Limon-Rocha, MD, a psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, tells SELF. “It’s like a closet; we shove all these thoughts and feelings in there and forget about them. They never went away—we just didn't process them.”

But anxiety loves the quiet, Dr. Limon-Rocha says, so when you finally get a break from the go-go-go (very likely at sunset time—ta-da!), worry gets its moment to shine. This period of freedom from obligations can also bring uncertainty about what to do next, and if you’re fried from a stressful day, you may not have any cognitive juice left in your tank to decide what to make for dinner or to motivate yourself to go for a walk.

And let us not forget that sunset is also a sign for our bodies to start winding down, Dr. Kissen says. It can be uncomfortable to fight this natural rhythm, but most of us are forced to do so, staying alert and productive because we have more to do or we’re finally getting to enjoy our personal lives after working all day. And if you’ve spent the day largely disconnected from things that matter to you, it can leave you feeling quite empty, Dr. Kissen adds. When daylight ends and you haven’t lived any of those hours for yourself, it’s no wonder nightfall is a bummer.

How to deal with anxiety around sunset

Combatting icky feelings at sundown will depend on what’s causing them in the first place. If you think a lack of human connection, movement, or time outside might be partially to blame, for example, try to schedule that into your day as a form of self-care. “I consider it like taking a vitamin or going to the gym—stuff that’s hard to do in the moment but good in the long run,” Dr. Kissen says. It may be a matter of recognizing what’s important to you (a nature walk, dinner with a friend, a satisfying lunch), and forcing yourself to do it the same way you’d dutifully go to the dentist, she adds.

Practicing mindfulness throughout the day can also prevent a pileup of stress that surfaces later—and help you let go of toxic “I’m not doing enough” thoughts. “Take 30 seconds to just be present with yourself,” Dr. Limon-Rocha suggests. Build in moments of “decompression” where you can, with practices like breathing exercises or meditation, or by intentionally doing nothing at all.

Having a routine around sunset can also ward off anxiety, and give you a sense of purpose. “I’m mindful of building a nighttime habit so that my mind knows that the workday is over,” Nasir says. She suggests journaling, but you can also try other methods of destressing after work like turning on music, going outside, or just lying down to move into the evening feeling more grounded.

Finally, know when to seek professional help. “Everyone worries,” Dr. Limon-Rocha says. “When anxiety starts affecting your sleep, how you connect with other people, your ability to go to school or do your work, your well-being, that’s different. Then it’s probably time to see a therapist, to work on and through it.” Personally, I’ve learned that an evening workout does wonders, though it’s not foolproof. So if you find yourself cringing at sunset instead of basking in its glory, just know that I might be over here in my pajamas feeling the same type of way.