If you’ve recently had a baby, you’ve probably heard:“Sleep when the baby sleeps.” And if that advice has ever made you want to laugh, cry, or throw your phone across the room, you are not alone.

Postpartum anxiety is very common in early parenthood, even though it doesn’t always get talked about as much as postpartum depression. It can show up in ways that are subtle, constant, or hard to name at first. Sometimes it’s racing thoughts at night when you finally have a chance to rest. Sometimes it’s a steady background feeling of worry or unease. Sometimes it’s feeling on edge, like you can’t fully settle, even when things are calm.