In order to fall asleep, a person must be relaxed. That seems a rather obvious statement, no? But what is not so obvious is the link between anxiety and insomnia. Well, at least not until recently.
A series of studies have determined that anxiety disorders can lead to the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. And while these hormones are essential in certain situations, especially in athletic events, they are not conducive to relaxation or sleep.
What exactly is an anxiety disorder? The term is an extremely broad one that is often characterized by feelings of discomfort, nervousness or even fear in certain, specific situations. For instance, one of the most common anxiety disorders is social anxiety, which obviously manifests itself in social situations.
How does this effect sleep? A person suffering from an anxiety disorder can become fixated or worried about nearly anything. Perhaps he has not performed well at work and he fears that he might lose his job. Or maybe he is concerned about the crime rate in the city or about terrorism. The fixations are as numerous as they are arbitrary.
But sleep, sleep is real. And when a person who suffers from these disorders does not get enough shut eye, his worse fears may eventually come to pass. More often than not, he will lose his job because lack of sleep leads to mental errors and mistakes. It also encourages general irritability and grouchiness.
The most common treatment for people who suffer from anxiety disorders and are experiencing bouts of insomnia are antidepressants. Another class of medication known as benzodiazepine is also quite popular as it was specifically designed to treat common anxiety disorders.