|
Anxiety Insomnia. How to diagnose anxiety insomnia and sleeplessness that is caused by excess anxiety.
Anxiety Insomnia Insomnia can be caused by psychiatric factors such as anxiety, excitability, panic attacks and persistent fear. One of the most common factors causing insomnia is anxiety. Many of us have laid awake for hours worrying (or being excessively excited) about some problem or upcoming event. It is normal to toss and turn for a night or two, however when this becomes chronic and becomes a problem, we should look for help. Panic Attacks and Persistent Fears can also cause Insomnia. Diagnosing Anxiety and Insomnia Polygraphic recordings of anxious people have shown an increased sleep latency, reduced sleep time, a reduced total sleep time, and an increased duration of wakefulness during sleep (1). A screen is conducted called an "Anxiety Screen" to determine if anxiety is affecting your sleep and causing insomnia. If you have Excessive Worrying AND 3 of 6 for greater than 6 months: - Restlessness
- Easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
Types of anxiety that cause Insomnia: Panic Disorders causing Insomnia An attack of a panic disorder causes a person to suffer from feelings of terror that strike suddenly without warning. At night, panic attacks can be devastating. Heart poundings that make you think that you are suffering a heart attack. Difficulty breathing and having trouble relaxing can cause you to not be able to go to sleep. Post traumatic Stress Syndrome and Insomnia A feeling of anxiety and fear which follows a traumatic event including accidents, rape, acts of terrorism, or other events that are scary. Anxiety and fear thinking about the event that caused the condition often comes back at night leaving you having trouble sleeping. Obsessive-Compulsive disorder and Insomnia When you are obsessed by thoughts and rituals which you can't control even though you know they're senseless you may have obsessive compulsive disorder. This may cause you to think excessively about things and cause you to have problems sleeping or going to sleep. Treatments for Anxiety and Insomnia What may work Counselling and therapy may help you to identify and manage the sources of anxiety in your day-to-day life. When anxiety is due to stress, Panax ginseng may prove to be helpful. Preliminary reports have shown that accupuncture may help with anxiety and insomnia, however one study only looked at 18 participants which is a very small number (2). Reboxetine and Insomnia Patients received reboxetine at a dosage of 8 to 10 mg per day. The effects on specific symptoms of agitation, anxiety, and insomnia were compared between reboxetine-and placebo-treated patients. Compared with placebo, the proportion of patients with improvement onanxiety and insomnia factors from baseline was significantly better with reboxetine at most assessment intervals. What doesn't work? Kava and Valerian are the leading dietary supplements used in the self-management of anxiety and insomnia respectively. However, limited evidence exists to support their effectiveness for these symptoms. Research done from internet participants showed that neither kava nor valerian relieved anxiety or insomnia more than placebo (4). References 1. Bourdet C, Goldenberg F. Insomnia in anxiety: sleep EEG changes. J Psychosom Res. 1994;38 Suppl 1:93-104. 2. Spence DW, Kayumov L, Chen A, Lowe A, Jain U, Katzman MA, Shen J, Perelman B, Shapiro CM.Acupuncture increases nocturnal melatonin secretion and reduces insomnia and anxiety: a preliminary report.J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2004 Winter;16(1):19-28. 3. Stahl SM, Mendels J, Schwartz GE. Effects of reboxetine on anxiety, agitation, and insomnia: results of a pooled evaluation of randomized clinical trials. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2002 Aug;22(4):388-92. 4. Jacobs BP, Bent S, Tice JA, Blackwell T, Cummings SR. An internet-based randomized, placebo-controlled trial of kava and valerian for anxiety and insomnia. Medicine (Baltimore). 2005 Jul;84(4):197-207.
Related Items:
|
Insomnia 
