Anxiety Disorder Sleep

An anxiety disorder and sleep can be closely related to each other. Does having the former decrease the quantity and quality of the latter? Or is it possible that a lack of rest that leads to the nervous condition? There is no simple answer to this chicken and egg question. Medical doctors and scientist are closely studying this interaction between how an anxiety disorder and sleep affect each other.

It is not difficult to see why a person who is plagued with persistent and excessive worry and fear will be tossing and turning in bed at night. One common worry that keeps people up at night is that they are constantly thinking about how little rest they are going to get. They “trick” themselves and end up spending the entire night awake.

It is also possible that the reverse is true. When people don’t get enough rest at night, they are more likely to focus on their negative emotions and thoughts during their waking hours. Getting adequate rest is extremely important for humans to function properly. Lack of rest can lead to poor performance in the workplace or at school. A chronic lack of sleep may also put people at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and obesity. Some studies even suggest that driving while tired can be worse than driving drunk!

For these reasons it is important for a person to have a medical professional determine whether they have an anxiety disorder or sleep problem. Once a proper diagnosis is made, the proper treatment can be given to the patient. In the mean time, there are actions the individual can do himself in order to ameliorate the effects anxiety disorder and sleep trouble has on one’s life. Helpful strategies include: meditation, exercise and playing soft, relaxing music.