Dr Gary Danko

You’re completely worn out. Your day has taken everything you had.

All you want is sleep.

And yet, the moment bedtime arrives, something inside you switches on instead of off. Your body feels alert, restless, even tense — as if an engine is revving with nowhere to go. You may feel shaky, internally buzzy, or unable to settle, despite being deeply exhausted.

This “wired but tired at night” feeling can be confusing and frightening. Many people quietly wonder if something is wrong with their body, or if they’ve somehow lost the ability to rest.

Here’s the reassurance most people never hear: your body isn’t broken. Being wired but tired is not a failure of sleep — it’s a nervous system mismatch, and it’s far more common than you might think.

This article will explain what’s actually happening in clear, grounded language. No fear. No diagnoses. Just an understanding of why your body behaves this way — and how it can gently relearn how to rest.

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You’re exhausted. Your eyes are heavy. You’ve been looking forward to bed all day.

And yet, the moment you lie down, something in your body refuses to cooperate.

Your muscles stay tight. Your chest feels alert. There’s a subtle buzzing, restlessness, or inner readiness that makes it impossible to drift off. You may not even be anxious in the usual sense — but your body simply won’t let go.

Many people describe this experience with frustration and fear: “Why won’t my body let me sleep?”

It can feel personal. Like your body is broken. Like you’ve lost the ability to rest naturally.

But here’s the most important thing to know right away: your body is not broken. When the body won’t let you sleep, it’s almost always responding to a learned nervous system pattern — not failing you.

This article will help you understand what’s happening in plain language, without fear-based explanations or medical labels. The goal is not to “fix” you, but to help your system remember how to stand down.

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If you’re exhausted but wired when night arrives, you’re not imagining it.

You lie down expecting sleep, yet your body feels alert. Your mind may loop, your muscles stay tense, or a sudden surge of wakefulness hits just as you start to drift off. You might even wake between 2 and 4 a.m. with your system fully “on,” wondering why rest feels so far away.

When this happens repeatedly, many people assume something is broken — their sleep, their hormones, or their ability to relax.

In reality, high cortisol at night is often less about a “sleep problem” and more about a nervous system pattern. Cortisol isn’t the enemy. It’s a messenger. And when it shows up at the wrong time, it usually means your body hasn’t gotten a clear enough signal that night is safe.

This article is not medical advice and won’t try to diagnose you. It will give you calm, practical understanding — the kind that helps your body exhale a little, because understanding is often the first step toward regulation.

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You finally lie down. The day is over. Your body is exhausted, and sleep feels close.

Then suddenly—your heart jumps, your chest feels charged, your body floods with energy. An adrenaline surge when trying to sleep can feel shocking, confusing, and frightening, especially when you were just drifting off moments before.

Many people worry this means something is wrong with their heart, their hormones, or their ability to sleep. In reality, this experience is far more common—and far less dangerous—than it feels.

What you’re experiencing isn’t a failure of sleep. It’s a nervous system that hasn’t fully learned how to stand down yet.

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The house is quiet. The lights are off. You finally lie down and let your body sink into the bed.

And just as sleep starts to arrive, your body begins to shake. Not violently—more like a subtle trembling, an internal vibration, or a gentle but unsettling quiver that seems to come from nowhere.

It can feel like an engine idling after a long drive, still humming even though you’ve turned the key.

If this happens to you, it’s important to hear this clearly: This doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.

Shaking at night when trying to sleep is a common nervous system response. It’s not dangerous. And it’s not a sign that your body is failing you.

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You’re finally in bed. The lights are off. Your body is exhausted.

And just as sleep starts to arrive, a sudden surge hits—your heart speeds up, your body feels alert, and adrenaline floods your system as if an alarm went off.

It can feel like a guard dog that suddenly jumps to attention the moment the house goes quiet.

If this happens to you, hear this clearly: this does not mean anything is wrong with you.

An adrenaline rush at bedtime is not a sign of danger, illness, or failure. It’s a learned nervous system response—and learned responses can change.

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It’s late. The lights are off. Your body is exhausted. And yet, instead of drifting into sleep, something inside you stays on duty.

Your mind may feel ready for rest, but your body feels alert—almost as if a guard dog has decided this is the exact moment to patrol the house. Not because there’s danger, but because it hasn’t learned that night is truly safe.

If this is your experience, it’s important to hear this first: nothing is wrong with you. This isn’t a failure of willpower, discipline, or “doing sleep wrong.” It’s a nervous system pattern—and patterns can change.

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You’re drifting toward sleep. Your body feels tired. Your thoughts are slowing. And then—suddenly—there’s a rush. Your chest feels alert. Your body snaps awake. It can feel like a system slamming the brakes just as it was about to coast.

If you’ve experienced an adrenaline surge at night when trying to sleep, you’re not imagining it—and you’re not alone. Many people feel confused by how quickly the body can shift from calm to charged in the quiet moments before sleep.

This experience is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a sign that your nervous system is still responding to learned patterns of alertness, even when rest is available.

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You finally lie down. The lights are off. Your body is tired. And then—almost as soon as you start to drift—your heart becomes impossible to ignore. It feels fast. Loud. Unsettling. Like an engine revving when it should be idling.

If you’ve experienced heart racing at night when trying to sleep, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. This experience is surprisingly common, especially for people whose nervous systems have learned to stay alert long after the day has ended.

What you’re feeling is real. And it’s not a sign that something is “wrong” with your heart. It’s a sign that your body is still responding to internal signals of alertness—even when your conscious mind is ready to rest.

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You’re just starting to drift.

Your body feels heavy, your thoughts blur, and there’s that brief moment where you’re no longer fully awake — and then suddenly, your body jolts. A sharp twitch, a gasp, a surge of alertness. You’re wide awake again, heart beating faster, wondering what just happened.

For many people, this moment feels startling and confusing — like a system checking itself at the last second. It can interrupt sleep night after night and leave you feeling tense or wary of drifting off again.

If your body jolts awake when falling asleep, you’re not alone. This experience is common, especially in people whose nervous systems have learned to stay alert. And while it can feel alarming, it’s usually a sign of how the body transitions into sleep — not a sign that something is wrong.

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