Mental health professionals say sunset anxiety is a real thing how to know if you have it

Nearly 20% of American adults reported having an anxiety disorder in the past year, data shows — and many are more likely to feel uneasy and anxious as the sun sets.While “sunset anxiety” isn’t an official medical diagnosis and does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), some mental health experts agree that it’s a very real phenomenon.The symptoms aren’t limited to just anxiety, according to Andrea D.Guastello, PhD, a licensed psychologist at the University of Florida Department of Psychiatry.“It can be any psychiatric symptom that increases in frequency or intensity as the sun goes down or at night,” Guastello told Fox News Digital. Symptoms may include feelings of depression, isolation, and hopelessness that tend to increase at night, the expert said.Sunset anxiety occurs when a person starts to feel anxious as the sun goes down at the end of the day, Beena Persaud, PsyD, a clinical psychologist with Cleveland Clinic Akron General in Akron, Ohio, told Fox News Digital. “The lack of natural light can cause people to have less energy and motivation, restless discomfort, worry and nervousness about accomplishing tasks,” she said.People who have previously experienced episodes of anxiety and are generally more on the anxious side are more susceptible, Persaud said, as are people who have a heightened sensitivity to light changes and those who consider themselves to be “night owls.”There are no specific gender or racial tendencies for sunset anxiety, the expert noted.“Adults are more likely to feel it than teens or children, and this may be due to adults’ sense of responsibility for daily activities,” she added.The onset of sunset anxiety could be related to the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal clock that regulates many functions, according to experts.

The circadian rhythm is influenced by the production of melatonin, Persaud said.     “We know there can be hormona...