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,” says Debra Kissen, PhD, psychologist and CEO of the Light On Anxiety CBT Treatment Center in Chicago. 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.)
