Anxiety Insomnia and the Catch 22

Posted on April 15, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized

I have been there.  Lying in bed with my eyes forced shut trying to fall asleep. My mind is on another mission though.  It keeps racing worried about this and that, the outcome, what can be done to prevent it?  This sometimes turns into feelings of strong anxiety that can go on for days only letting me sleep two to four hours a night.  On occasion this gets combined with a mild case of wrestles leg syndrome.  Sounds ugly, but if you compare it with what many people go through it’s a walk in the park.

So am I getting insomnia because I am anxious or am I anxious because I have insomnia?  That is a very good question.  Dr. Dag Neckelmann, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway found in a study that chronic insomnia can cause altered emotional states like anxiety and depression.  But to confuse things, he also found a high correlation between anxiety patients and the onset of insomnia so his study was not conclusive in determining the causal relationship between them.

What we do agree on is that anxiety insomnia is a vicious cycle that must be broken or it can spiral out of control.  Sometimes the condition resolves itself as the cause of anxiety is removed.  Sometimes we need something extra to kick us in the right direction.
If your insomnia lasts for more than a week then it’s time to take some serious action.  There are several methods for self managing insomnia caused by anxiety; one of the most common is relaxation therapy.  There are other ways that focus on reconditioning your body to sleep patterns.  I suggest only moving towards those methods under the supervision of a professional because they entail odd stuff like sleep deprivation, bright lights and start stop patterns.

No matter what direction you decide to take, give it the attention it deserves.  Sleep is roughly half of your life.

For more articles and commentary about relief from anxiety and panic visit EndingPanicAttacks.com

» Filed Under Uncategorized

Leave a Reply