A person may encounter a range of sleep-related problems, all of which can be quite annoying. For instance, you might toss and turn through a restless night’s sleep or it might take you hours to fall asleep. Anxiety is one of the many possible reasons of sleep problems such as these. If you’ve been experiencing anxiety-related insomnia, continue reading to discover how the two may be related and to acquire coping mechanisms for sleep anxiety.
Anxiety disorder symptoms
Even though they are usually curable, anxiety disorders can nevertheless be extremely upsetting and even incapacitating mental health issues. Approximately 5.7% of adult Americans suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Typical signs and symptoms include of:
Excessive and ongoing worry
Having difficulty managing anxiety
Having trouble falling asleep
Aches in the muscles
shaky
emesis
Intolerance
Weary
Easily frightened
Having trouble unwinding
Attacks of panic
Panic disorder and social anxiety disorder are two more specific diagnoses that fall within the general category of anxiety disorders. Anxiety and sleep patterns can affect one another, possibly leading to sleep disorders that further impair sleep, even if “sleep anxiety” cannot be defined. Sometimes nocturnal panic attacks start as an intense, unexpected fear attack in the middle of the night.
Why it may be crucial to deal with sleep problems
Having trouble falling asleep might have detrimental implications that manifest the following day. A 2000 study found that even 17 to 19 hours of sleep deprivation can have an equivalent negative impact on cognitive function as 0.05% blood alcohol. Regularly getting too little or too little sleep over time might raise your chance of developing major health issues like depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke. For these reasons, it may be necessary to address a potential sleep issue early on.
The relationship between anxiety disorders and sleep issues
According to research, “nearly all psychiatric disorders present with some form of sleep disruption.” Furthermore, people who have insomnia are more prone to become anxious, and people who already have anxiety are less likely to have a good night’s sleep. Put another way, there is a reciprocal relationship between anxiety disorders and sleep deprivation, as one can cause or worsen the other. Anxiety can affect your sleep badly in a number of ways. One typical one is having trouble relaxing and falling asleep because your mind is always racing with worried and nervous thoughts. Another is that some anxiety symptoms can make it more difficult for your body and mind to unwind and fall asleep, which can be restorative. Anxiety can have both physical and emotional effects, resulting in restlessness and irritability as well as nausea or gastrointestinal problems.
How to get to sleep while you’re nervous
Anxiety-related sleep disturbances can exacerbate existing stress levels and could set off a vicious cycle in which getting enough sleep becomes progressively difficult. The next time you’re having trouble falling asleep, think about using these anxiety-reduction suggestions.
Prior to falling asleep, write in a journal.
Before going to bed, jotting down your worries in a journal can help you relax and fall asleep more quickly if you suffer from anxiety. It can provide you with the chance to reflect on the day’s events and make plans for the next, ensuring that you’re ready for a peaceful night’s sleep when your head strikes the pillow. The effectiveness of writing for anxiety has been demonstrated by research; one study found that participants who consistently journaled for 12 weeks had “decreased mental distress and increased well-being relative to baseline” in addition to greater resilience.
Does anxiety have an impact on your health?
Seek online therapy assistance Stay away from alcohol and caffeine in the evening. Caffeine is commonly consumed in the morning to help people feel more alert, particularly if they are sleep deprived. But because coffee can exacerbate the wired, jittery feeling that many people with sleep anxiety might have, consuming it too late in the day can make it more difficult to fall asleep that night. Additionally, alcohol may be detrimental to sleep. It can sometimes make you fall asleep more quickly, but it can also keep you from going into the deepest REM periods, which are necessary for restful sleep. You can improve your ability to fall and remain asleep by maintaining proper sleep hygiene.
With a weighted blanket
Your body triggers the fight-or-flight reaction when you are anxious. Because your autonomic nervous system is primed to respond to a threat, falling asleep might be challenging. For this reason, some people find it helpful to sleep with a weighted blanket. By assisting in returning your breathing and heart rate to normal, it can help put your autonomic nervous system into “rest” mode and induce a feeling of peace.
Get moving during the day.
Numerous scientific studies indicate that physical activity can be beneficial in reducing anxiety symptoms. It can improve your mood, provide you a way to let out extra nervous energy, and reduce muscle tightness. According to one study, exercise can also help those who are anxious because it improves blood flow to the brain, which lessens the psychological reaction to stress. Practice mindfulness Anxious people frequently find themselves dwelling on the past or the future. Instead, practicing mindfulness meditation teaches you to live in the present, which can lessen anxiety. Particularly deep breathing has been demonstrated to dramatically reduce both young and older persons’ perceived anxiety.
