Can EMDR Make You Feel Worse the Next Day?

Can EMDR Make You Feel Worse the Next Day?

Short Answer: Some people may feel a little worse after EMDR, including occasionally the next day, but many people do not. If it happens, the change is usually mild and temporary. You might feel more tired than usual, notice an emotion more strongly, or find that thoughts or memories connected to the session are still on your mind. Research does not provide a reliable percentage showing how often this happens. Feeling different the next day also does not automatically mean that anything went wrong or that EMDR is making you worse.

Key Takeaways

• Some people notice temporary changes after EMDR, while many feel no different the next day.
• A next-day reaction is generally more likely to be mild than dramatic.
• You might notice tiredness, stronger emotions, thoughts about the session, or memories that feel more noticeable.
• EMDR guidance recognizes that thoughts, emotions, memories, and dreams can sometimes arise between sessions.
• Feeling worse for a short time does not tell you whether the session was effective.
• If you are still feeling unsettled, you can give yourself more time before doing another self-guided session.

What Does “Feeling Worse” the Next Day Mean?

“Feeling worse” can describe several different experiences.

You might wake up feeling a little more tired than usual. You may feel slightly more emotional, distracted, thoughtful, or sensitive to something connected with the memory you worked on.

A memory might also come back to mind more easily than it normally would.

These experiences are different from one person to another, and they do not happen after every session.

For many people, there is no noticeable next-day reaction at all. They complete an EMDR session, continue with their usual routine, sleep normally, and wake up feeling much the same as they did before.

For a smaller portion of people, something from the session may still feel noticeable the following morning.

That does not necessarily mean they are substantially worse. Often, the difference may be fairly subtle.

Is It Common to Feel Worse the Day After EMDR?

There is no good percentage showing how many people feel worse the next day.

EMDR research has generally focused much more on whether treatment reduces symptoms over time than on measuring every temporary reaction that happens during the hours or days after individual sessions.

A 2026 review of adverse-effect reporting in EMDR research found that only a small portion of the studies examined had systematically reported adverse effects. When effects were reported, they were generally mild and temporary, but the researchers concluded that the subject has not been studied consistently enough to give precise estimates.

So it would be inaccurate to tell people that they should expect to feel worse the next day.

Many do not.

A more accurate answer is that temporary next-day changes can happen for some people, but they are not a required or universal part of EMDR.

Why Might You Feel Different the Next Day?

There is not one proven explanation for every next-day reaction.

One possibility is that something connected with the memory you worked on is still on your mind.

Standard EMDR guidance recognizes that processing may continue between sessions. Thoughts, emotions, images, memories, dreams, or other connections may sometimes come to a person's attention after the formal session has ended.

For example, you might work on a difficult memory in the evening and then notice the following morning that you are still thinking about part of it.

You may also suddenly recognize a connection between that memory and something happening in your life now.

That does not necessarily mean your symptoms have become worse. The material may simply be more noticeable for a while.

It is also possible to feel a little tired after EMDR. If that tiredness lasts into the following morning, you may interpret the combination of lower energy and lingering thoughts as generally “feeling worse.”

Other everyday factors can also affect how you feel the next day. Your sleep, stress level, schedule, and what else is happening in your life may all play a role.

Something that happens after an EMDR session is not automatically caused by EMDR simply because of the timing.

Can EMDR Temporarily Increase Distress?

Yes, temporary increases in distress can occur for some people.

The EMDR Institute notes that psychotherapy, including EMDR, may sometimes involve a temporary increase in distress. It also notes that unresolved memories, emotions, physical sensations, dreams, or other material may emerge after a session as processing continues.

This does not mean most people have a difficult day after every EMDR session.

It also does not mean that increased distress is something you need to experience for EMDR to work.

For someone who does notice it, the change may be as simple as feeling a little more emotional when thinking about the memory or noticing that a related thought keeps returning.

The important point is to keep the reaction in proportion.

A temporary emotional shift after focusing on meaningful material is different from assuming that EMDR has made your overall condition worse.

Does Feeling Worse Mean the Session Was Too Intense?

Not necessarily.

There is no single after-session feeling that tells you exactly what happened during an EMDR session.

One person might feel calm afterward.

Another might feel a little tired.

Someone else may continue thinking about the memory later that evening or the following morning.

Another person might notice nothing unusual at all.

None of these reactions automatically tells you whether the session was useful.

It can be tempting to assume that feeling more emotional means you “processed a lot,” or that feeling completely normal means the session did not do anything.

Neither conclusion is reliable.

Your longer-term response to the memory or problem you are working on is more useful than how you happen to feel the following morning.

Can Memories or Emotions Feel More Noticeable the Next Day?

They can.

EMDR involves focusing on a particular memory along with thoughts, emotions, beliefs, images, or body sensations connected with it.

After giving something that much focused attention, you may notice it more readily for a while.

You might remember another detail.

A related situation might suddenly make more sense.

You may notice an emotion that you did not pay much attention to during the actual session.

EMDR guidance specifically prepares people for the possibility that thoughts, emotions, images, memories, dreams, and other associations may arise between sessions.

That does not mean every thought or emotion that appears the next day is part of EMDR processing.

People naturally remember things, change moods, have dreams, and make connections throughout everyday life.

The useful approach is usually to notice what comes up without assuming that every reaction needs an explanation.

Can Tiredness Make the Next Day Feel Harder?

Possibly.

Some people notice mild tiredness after EMDR. For most people who experience it, the feeling is relatively brief. A smaller number may still feel mildly tired later in the day or the following morning.

If you wake up slightly tired, you may naturally feel less energetic, less focused, or less patient than usual.

That can make the whole morning seem a little harder even if nothing dramatic has changed emotionally.

Tiredness is also influenced by many ordinary factors, so it is not always possible to know whether EMDR played a role.

One session might leave you wanting a little more rest, while another may leave you feeling calm, energized, or completely unchanged.

How Long Can a Next-Day Reaction Last?

There is no exact timetable.

Research has not established a standard number of hours that temporary EMDR after-effects are supposed to last.

If you do notice something the next day, it may fade fairly quickly as you continue with your normal routine.

A thought may come to mind and then pass.

An emotion may feel noticeable in the morning but settle later.

Mild tiredness may disappear as the day continues.

The important thing is that you do not need to expect a prolonged reaction just because you noticed something the following morning.

Your response can also differ from one session to another.

Does Feeling Worse Mean EMDR Is Making You Worse Overall?

Not necessarily.

A temporary reaction after one session and a longer-term pattern of getting worse are two different things.

If you wake up feeling slightly tired or emotional after working with a meaningful memory, that single morning does not tell you how you are progressing overall.

It is usually more helpful to look at broader patterns.

For example:

• Does the memory feel less distressing over time?
• Are certain triggers becoming easier to handle?
• Are your thoughts or beliefs about the experience changing?
• Do you recover more easily when something reminds you of it?

Those kinds of changes tell you more about your progress than one next-day reaction.

Likewise, having no reaction at all does not mean EMDR is not working.

What Can You Do If You Feel Worse the Next Day?

You usually do not need to do anything complicated.

First, give yourself a little time to see whether the feeling passes.

If a particular memory, emotion, dream, or thought seems connected to your session, you may choose to make a brief note of it. EMDR guidance sometimes recommends keeping track of things that arise between sessions because they may provide useful information later.

You do not need to analyze everything that comes up.

You also do not need to immediately do another EMDR session to try to make the feeling disappear.

If you still feel unsettled or distracted, waiting until you feel ready to focus again is a reasonable choice.

If you notice the same pattern after several sessions, you may also experiment with your pacing. A shorter session, a different time of day, or more space between sessions may feel more comfortable.

The goal is not to push through sessions as quickly as possible. It is to find a pace that allows you to stay focused and comfortable enough to engage with the process.

What If You Feel Completely Normal the Next Day?

That is also completely reasonable.

You do not have to feel tired, emotional, distracted, unusually calm, or noticeably different after EMDR.

Many people may simply continue with their day and notice little or no immediate after-effect.

There is no “correct” next-day reaction.

A strong reaction does not prove that the session was more effective, and feeling completely normal does not mean the session was ineffective.

If You're Using Virtual EMDR

With the Virtual EMDR self-guided online program, you decide when to begin your next session.

If you wake up the next day feeling settled and ready to continue, you can choose a schedule that works for you.

If you still feel tired, distracted, or emotionally preoccupied with something from the previous session, there is no need to rush. You can give yourself more time and return when you feel ready to focus again.

You can also adjust future sessions based on what you learn about your own response.

For example, you may find that shorter sessions feel better, that a particular time of day works well for you, or that you prefer leaving more time between sessions.

Your pace does not need to look exactly like anyone else's.

Conclusion

Some people may feel a little worse after EMDR, including occasionally the following day, but many people do not. When a next-day reaction does occur, it is generally more likely to be mild and temporary than dramatic.

You might feel slightly tired, notice an emotion more strongly, or find that a memory or thought from the session is still on your mind. EMDR guidance recognizes that this kind of material can sometimes arise between sessions, although not everything you feel the next day is necessarily caused by EMDR.

There is no particular reaction you need to have. If you feel fine, that is okay. If you feel a little unsettled, you can give yourself time before your next session and adjust your pace based on what works best for you.