Sleep rejuvenates your body. It is how you mend and prepare for the next day. Different people require varying amounts of sleep, ranging from four to 10 hours a day, depending on age and biological factors. Many factors can interfere with your efforts to get a good night's sleep, and one of these is anxiety.
Anxiety Related to Sleep
Anxiety related to sleep includes the inability to get enough sleep, as well as the inability to fall asleep. Current research suggests that chronic insomnia and sleep deprivation both can aid in the development of anxiety disorders, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.
The ADDA also reports that three quarters of adults whose sleep is affected by stress or anxiety say their sleep problems have also increased their stress and anxiety, and 54 percent say stress or anxiety increased their anxiety about falling asleep at night. Thus, many people deal with anxiety related to sleep, and unless it is treated, it can become a perpetual cycle. According to the ADAA, the argument is still ongoing regarding whether anxiety causes sleep disorders or sleep disorders cause anxiety.
Symptoms
Symptoms related to sleep anxiety include the inability to fall asleep, taking short naps during the day, fatigue, tension headaches, ongoing worries related to sleep, not feeling rested after a night's sleep, irritability, depression and avoiding or making excuses not to go to bed.
Causes
Anxiety is a cause of sleep problems because when you experience anxiety, your mind is continuously working and worrying, making it impossible to fall asleep. Also, knowing you have trouble sleeping and that you need to sleep can increase anxiety associated with sleep. Working in jobs such as nursing, in which you are frequently changing shifts, can increase your anxiety about sleep. Also, children who experience night traumas may be anxious about sleep and try to avoid it entirely.
Complications
Lack of sleep can lead to problems at school and work, increase injury risk, and impact your health, as suggested by the ADAA. According to the Mayo Clinic, when you don't get enough sleep, you increase your risks for obesity, poor immune function, mental health problems such as depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
Tips and Strategies
Begin routinely getting ready for bed an hour prior to going to bed--wash your face, brush your teeth. This will help your mind prepare to fall asleep. Exercise regularly because exercise is a great way to naturally reduce anxiety. Help Guide website reports that aerobic exercise causes a release in stress-relieving hormones, inducing a reduction in anxiety. To combat sleep anxiety, exercise should not occur close to bedtime. Keep the room where you sleep cool, dark and quiet. Avoid doing other activities in bed, such as watching TV or doing homework. Avoid the intake of stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. Use meditation exercises, such as deep breathing or counting, to help you relax and empty your mind before falling asleep.
