Why falling asleep can feel impossible while your body heals — and how to rebuild a restful night routine.
Struggling to fall asleep, waking up a lot during the night, or feeling exhausted all day even when you sleep — this is incredibly common in eating disorder recovery. Your body is doing a lot of healing, and your mind is doing a lot of mental work on top of that. When you've been restricting, your body may still be running on starvation mode, which keeps your brain alert and overthinking at night.
I know the experience well. Throughout most of my eating disorder and much of my recovery, my sleep was a rollercoaster. I would go to bed and lie awake for an hour, two hours, sometimes three. I'd get so frustrated I'd get back up and start doing something else, only to come back to bed when I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Alongside the restless nights came extreme hunger, excessive tiredness, and getting ill more easily. It was all part of the same story: my body was working flat out to repair.
Your body loves routine. When bedtime and wake time become predictable, your circadian rhythm can fall into place, and sleep gets easier. This is what worked for me:
If you have a difficult night, or you're waking up a lot and not getting the hours you wanted, try not to panic — the freakout state is not very conducive to sleep either. One rough night doesn't undo your progress. And avoid using the bed as a place to hang around during the day; keeping it associated with sleeping makes it easier to fall asleep when night comes.
Good sleep starts during the day. Little daily habits — journaling, getting up at a set time, eating regularly — are the non-negotiables you can fall back on even when you don't have motivation. On hard days, you don't need to plan a whole new route; you just follow the routine you already set on a clearer day. The more you repeat it, the safer and more natural it becomes.
Sleep problems are incredibly common in recovery. Your body is doing a lot of healing and your mind is doing a lot of mental work, which takes a huge toll. If you have been restricting, your body may still be in a starved, overthinking state that makes it hard to wind down. The exhaustion and restless nights settle as your body learns it is safe and gets enough food.
Very likely yes. I experienced the same thing — lying awake for one, two, sometimes three hours while feeling exhausted all day. Lots of people in recovery report the same. Restriction, a body in starvation mode, and a mind that is overthinking at night all interfere with sleep. As your body repairs and your eating pattern stabilises, sleep usually improves.
Build a consistent routine. Go to bed and wake at similar times so your circadian rhythm can settle. Turn off devices one to two hours before bed, dim the lights, and do grounding activities like reading, listening to quiet music, or having a warm drink. Follow the same sequence each night. If you are lying awake in frustration, get up, do something calming, and come back when you are genuinely tired.
No. A difficult night, or waking up a lot, does not undo your progress. Panicking is not conducive to sleep either. Keep the bed associated with sleeping rather than with lying awake frustrated, and don't use the bed as a place to hang around during the day. One rough night is normal, especially when your body is doing so much healing.
There is no fixed timeline — everyone is different. Sleep tends to improve gradually as your eating becomes regular, your weight stabilises, and your body begins to trust that food is coming. Be patient and kind to yourself. If sleep problems are severe or persistent, speak to your healthcare team rather than struggling alone.