Jennifer Aniston Shares Her Struggles With Insomnia, Sleepwalking

Insomnia, sleepwalking, and sleep anxiety are unfortunately very common issues that millions of people, even celebrities, suffer from. Actress Jennifer Aniston gets honest about her decades-long struggle with these issues and how they have affected her life. 

During a recent interview, Aniston talked about how her increased worry about sleep made it more difficult to fall asleep, how she was eventually forced to seek medical help, and the campaign she joined for sleep issues awareness. Read on to find out what she said.

In a People Exclusive piece, Aniston spoke about how she has dealt with severe sleep issues for decades of her life. She revealed that she struggled with insomnia, sleepwalking, and sleep anxiety and that these issues made her dread each night, where she ended up “counting the cracks in the walls.”

She said, “I think it started somewhere in my 30s or even earlier, but you just don’t start to notice the effects of a lack of sleep when we’re younger because we’re so invincible. It began as something that I would just accept and then all of a sudden, you realize the effects of your lack of sleep and how it affects your day and your work and your mind function and your physique.”

The 53-year-old star actress said every time she tried to sleep, she would end up watching the clock, which was always “a big no-no” because it only made her focus on the time that had passed and how much sleep she was missing. She said, “And the more I worry about it, the harder it is to fall asleep.”

The “Horrible Bosses” actress also revealed that she even started sleepwalking but that it has thankfully stopped so far. She said, “I have been known to do that. I’ve been woken up by house alarms going off that I’ve set off.”

“And I don’t think I do that anymore — that was when I was super sleep-deprived,” she said. Aniston also added that “at least there’s that silver lining” to her sleeping problems and said, “The body is saying, ‘Now don’t go out and set the alarm off again, okay?’ 

Despite what she was suffering at the hands of her sleep problems, the Friends star kept putting off medical help, believing that her insomnia and various sleep issues weren’t a priority or that big a problem.

After more years passed and her sleep problems worsened, Aniston eventually realized that she needed a solution to her insomnia as “it became something that I really was struggling with,” she says. 

“It used to be the last thing on the list, but you can’t really abide by the three pillars of health — which are diet, exercise and sleep — if you can’t really exercise and you can’t really eat right if you haven’t slept well because your body clock is so completely thrown off,” she continued.

Aniston eventually sought medical intervention and received treatment that changed her life. Now, she says that it is something she “absolutely recommends people do,” and to help, she joined a new campaign, Seize the Night and Day, which offers news and advice for people dealing with sleep problems.

Aniston also created a nighttime ritual to compliment her medical treatment, which she says has also made a huge difference. The “Murder Mystery” actress revealed that she gives herself time to wind down, does yoga, and puts her phone in another room.

She also tries to “make bedtime the same every night, which is challenging for us actors, because if we’re on a movie, the schedule is all over the place.” However, the one thing she won’t change about her former sleeping habits is allowing her three dogs to sleep in her bed with her.

She said, “It’s just too cozy when they cuddle! It’s worth it. Especially since Chesterfield is not a puppy anymore. Now he’s just a sweet, deep sleeper. I actually envy his sleep sometimes.”