Global Courant
Have you ever noticed that a common friend or characteristic of anxiety is bouts of sleepless nights or insomnia? Sleep deprivation, or insomnia, is a common companion to anxiety attacks. Some may think that it is the anxiety that causes the lack of sleep, and the insomnia is just a symptom of another larger physiological or psychological problem. In all honesty, however, it could be quite the opposite. Researchers are discovering how lack of sleep or insomnia may be one of the leading causes of a case of anxiety.
Some may wonder how sleep deprivation can cause an emotional disorder. Well, let’s start with the basics. There are 5 sleep stages in the sleep cycle. They are stages 1-4, which make up the non-REM (NREM) sleep stage, and stage 5, which is the REM stage. While sleeping, the body has to go through all five stages of the sleep cycle a few times a night. While the function of sleep is unknown, multiple studies have been done to show that each stage provides a specific health benefit to the body. When studying the benefits of stage 5 REM sleep in particular, many know this as the dreaming stage. This stage is helpful for clearing the mind of stressful events of the day, which is the body’s natural way of dealing with anxiety or other forms of stress. In addition to dreaming, the REM stage is also responsible for stabilizing one’s emotional health. When we don’t get enough REM sleep, the brain’s emotional centers are out of balance and we tend to act more “hyperactive” than usual. REM sleep is essential for balancing our daily moods and responses to stressful conditions. One of the many causes of anxiety is the lack of a full night’s sleep or an abrupt interruption of REM sleep.
Many factors can be attributed to blocking REM sleep. One of the most common is the use of alcohol and caffeine, which in themselves can cause feelings of anxiety and other emotional or psychological disturbances. Alcohol and caffeine can interfere with the action of several chemical hormones that regulate the sleep cycle. Some people use alcohol as a way to relax and induce sleep, but excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt your sleep patterns and interfere with REM sleep. Caffeine, on the other hand, can interfere with REM sleep by keeping you awake. The lack of sleep from both alcohol and caffeine causes anxiety.
Sudden and abrupt changes in one’s sleep cycle can also cause emotional distress. Insomnia and other sleep disorders can greatly alter the activity of hormones and alter different pathways of the brain. These changes in brain activity can disrupt the sleep cycle. Another factor that interrupts REM sleep and causes anxiety is elevated levels of cortisol in the brain. Research has shown that higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, not only disrupt the sleep cycle, but also contribute to emotional problems, such as anxiety and other depressive disorders. Exercise just before bed and improper diets can increase cortisol levels in the brain, making it difficult to fall asleep at night. As a result, a case of anxiety or depression is the end result.
Prescription sleep medication, given as a remedy for insomnia , can also cause feelings of anxiety. Studies have been done to show that many of the very popular sleeping pills can have side effects of anxiety and mild depression. Statistics show that about 90% of anxiety and depression sufferers suffer from cases of chronic insomnia. Most people believe that the anxiety or depression is causing the insomnia, when in reality the lack of a completed sleep cycle may be a major reason for the anxiety or an exacerbation of the pre-existing condition. With all this in mind, we should make an effort to eliminate all kinds of stress and try to maintain a healthy amount of sleep, to stay free from anxiety or other depressive disorders.
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