Doomscrolling, Sleep, & Mood: The Feedback Loop You Didn’t Notice

If you've ever found yourself lying in bed, endlessly thumbing through a flood of bad news, you’re not alone. You’re also likely engaging in a behavior known as doomscrolling—the act of compulsively scrolling through negative news stories, social media posts, or distressing updates. While it may feel like you’re simply staying informed, this habit can wreak havoc on your sleep and emotional well-being. What’s worse: the damage often goes unnoticed, forming a quiet but powerful feedback loop that gradually erodes your mental and physical health.

According to Rafael Achacoso, MSN, PMHNP-BC, a Washington, D.C.–based psychiatric nurse practitioner who works extensively with young professionals and the LGBTQ+ community, doomscrolling is often overlooked in discussions about anxiety and depression. “People don’t always connect their digital habits with how they feel emotionally,” he says. “But screen behaviors, especially before bed, can be a major contributor to mental fatigue and emotional dysregulation.”

Let’s take a closer look at this cycle—and how to break free.

In this post, we’ll explore the relationship between doomscrolling, sleep, and mood, breaking down how these three elements interact—and why recognizing the cycle is key to breaking it.

What Is Doomscrolling?

Let’s start with the basics.

Doomscrolling became a mainstream term around 2020, fueled by the pandemic, political unrest, and nonstop access to social media and news. It describes the late-night rabbit holes of consuming distressing content—often about global crises, politics, or economic downturns—without a clear stopping point.

It taps into a part of our psychology known as negativity bias—the brain’s tendency to pay more attention to negative information because it may signal a threat. Evolutionarily, this was useful. But in the modern world, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, especially when doomscrolling becomes a nightly ritual.

How Doomscrolling Hijacks Your Sleep

Sleep is foundational to physical and mental health. But doomscrolling undercuts it in multiple ways:

  1. Increased Anxiety: Constant exposure to alarming content keeps your nervous system in a state of hyperarousal. That “fight or flight” response may have helped our ancestors escape predators—but today, it just means racing thoughts and insomnia.

  2. Delayed Sleep Onset: The more time you spend scrolling, the later you go to sleep. This not only shortens total sleep time but often leads to irregular sleep patterns.

  3. Blue Light Exposure: Screens emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin—the hormone that regulates sleep. Doomscrolling typically happens on phones, tablets, or laptops, compounding the problem.

  4. Mental Overstimulation: The emotional rollercoaster of bad news and heated comment sections overstimulates your brain, making it harder to wind down.

The result? Fragmented sleep or difficulty falling asleep at all. And the consequences spill into your waking life.

The Mood Connection: Why You Feel Worse in the Morning

When sleep suffers, mood follows. It’s a bidirectional relationship—bad mood leads to poor sleep, and poor sleep amplifies emotional reactivity.

Here’s how doomscrolling fits into that loop:

  • Sleep Deprivation → Emotional Instability: A poor night’s sleep makes the brain’s emotion-regulation centers less effective. The amygdala (which processes threats) becomes overactive, while the prefrontal cortex (which applies logic and control) becomes sluggish. This makes you more prone to anxiety, irritability, and sadness.

  • Negative Mood → More Doomscrolling: Waking up tired and emotionally frayed, you seek distraction or validation. What’s one of the easiest places to go? Social media or news feeds. But those are rarely uplifting—and the cycle begins again.

The Feedback Loop in Action

Let’s walk through what this cycle looks like:

  1. Evening: You climb into bed and start scrolling—catching up on the day's events, maybe a few political posts, a war update, and some heated debates. You intend to put the phone down at 10:30, but suddenly it’s midnight.

  2. Night: You try to sleep but feel anxious. Your mind replays what you just read. You finally doze off, but your sleep is light and interrupted.

  3. Morning: You wake up groggy and irritable. You don’t feel ready to face the day. You check your phone first thing, looking for a dopamine hit—but see more distressing news.

  4. Day: Your mood remains low. You’re more sensitive to stress and may isolate or procrastinate. That emotional discomfort drives you back to your phone for distraction.

  5. Repeat: Night falls, and once again you reach for your phone—restarting the loop.

This cycle isn’t just draining—it can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and even depression.

How to Break the Loop

The good news? This feedback loop is powerful but not unbreakable. Here are science-backed strategies to regain control:

1. Set a Doomscrolling Curfew

Choose a time (e.g., 9:00 PM) after which you stop consuming news or social media. Set an alarm or use screen time limits to hold yourself accountable.

2. Replace Scrolling with a Wind-Down Ritual

Instead of scrolling, create a bedtime routine that signals to your body it’s time to rest. Consider:

  • Reading a physical book

  • Gentle stretches or yoga

  • Listening to calming music or a podcast

  • Journaling to offload thoughts

3. Use Technology Wisely

If you rely on your phone as an alarm or sleep tracker, put it in “Do Not Disturb” mode and keep it out of reach. Use apps that limit nighttime screen time or block certain sites during specific hours.

4. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

Dark, quiet, and cool bedrooms support better sleep. Try blackout curtains, white noise machines, or a fan to reduce distractions.

5. Mind Your Morning Habits

The first hour of your day sets the tone. Avoid diving straight into the news. Instead:

  • Get sunlight exposure

  • Move your body

  • Eat a nourishing breakfast

  • Practice gratitude or mindfulness

These help stabilize your mood and reduce the craving for negative information.

6. Practice Media Mindfulness

Not all news is bad—but the algorithm often prioritizes the most shocking headlines. Curate your feeds, follow uplifting sources, and consciously limit your exposure to doom-heavy content.

Awareness Is Step One

The relationship between doomscrolling, sleep, and mood is subtle—but significant. What feels like a harmless habit can spiral into a cycle of anxiety, fatigue, and emotional volatility.

The goal isn’t to become ignorant or avoid all digital content. It’s to become aware of your patterns and how they affect your well-being. With a few intentional shifts, you can break the cycle—and finally get the rest and emotional clarity you deserve.

So tonight, before you reach for your phone in bed, ask yourself: Is this helping me rest or fueling the storm?

Your mind—and your mood—will thank you for the pause.


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