Sleep experts warn against the habit of clock watching at night

The habit of checking the time immediately upon waking during the night, known as ‘clock watching,’ can negatively impact sleep quality and overall health. This behavior is often driven by a subconscious desire to calculate how much sleep remains, stemming from a fear of accumulating sleep debt.

According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, individuals who frequently check the time during the night report higher levels of anxiety regarding their ability to fall back asleep. Researchers suggest that monitoring the clock can trigger pre-sleep anxiety, which contributes to maintaining insomnia by fueling stress and creating a distorted perception of sleep duration.