Sleep Anxiety Disorders

Sleep anxiety disorders can be the main causes of insomnia in our hectic modern lifestyles. Anxiety disorders and their relatives, stress and worry cause an excess of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline to be pumped into our bloodstream, increasing our heartbeat and mentally preparing us for an 'emergency'. This makes it almost impossible to relax and fall asleep naturally.

Anxiety disorders and sleep

Have you ever felt yourself on the edge of falling asleep when you're suddenly jolted awake with a uncomfortable feeling in your stomach?

That's what anxiety will do to you if it builds up to a high level. Your subconscious mind has the idea that it's not safe to go to sleep and it will jolt you awake if catches you nodding off. Although this seems destructive, your subconscious mind is designed to protect you if it perceives you are in 'danger'.

So how do we rid ourselves of anxiety in order to enjoy better sleep? First what is causing your anxiety? Is it something that has happened or something you are afraid will happen?

If your anxiety has a definite cause there are several ways you can deal with it.

Figure out what is the worst thing that could happen. Sometimes it isn't as bad as you may have feared. If you can cope with the worst case scenario, remind yourself that it probably won't happen anyway!

Practice conscious relaxation. Take deep breaths and exhale slowly. This will counteract the speeding heartbeat and fast shallow breathing typically associated with anxiety.

Write down your worries before going to sleep. This has the effect of 'closure'. You're sending a message to your brain that it's okay to relax because you will deal with the problems tomorrow.

Sometimes anxiety seems to have no cause at all. It may just be a nebulous uncomfortable feeling you can't quite put your finger on. At these times, it's best to distract your self by directing your mind away from negative thought and focus on something positive.

If the anxious feelings persist, You may need a way to diffuse them. I find EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) the best way to control any kind of negative mindset or unwanted behaviour. EFT can calm your anxiety disorders very fast. To learn how, download a free manual.

There are various medications for sleep disorders available, but if you have a sleep anxiety disorder it's best to deal directly with the anxiety, or you may become addicted to a sleep medication which means you may have to take more of it to get the same effect. This can be very dangerous for both you physical and mental health and is best avoided.

Anxiety and sleep disorders can be overcome. First tackle the anxiety then the sleep disorders will disappear by themselves.

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