Insomnia & sleep disorders

Co-Existence Of Anxiety And Insomnia

January 3rd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

There are a number of physical problems for insomnia like digestive problems, heart problems, fibromyalgia, and so on. However, certain psychological problems too cause insomnia quite frequently. An important one of these is anxiety. Anxiety and insomnia have been found as causally related in people who remain excessively worried about some problem or coming event. While sleeplessness on account of mild anxiety for a couple of nights is normal in many cases, prolonged sleeplessness accompanied by constant worrying is clearly a case related to the causal relation between anxiety and insomnia.

Symptoms Of Insomnia Caused By Anxiety

A screening test, called Anxiety Screen, is conducted to determine if the patients’ insomnia is an effect of anxiety. Symptoms looked for include: restlessness, difficulty in concentrating, muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, and excessive sleep disturbance. If any three symptoms of these occur, along with constant worrying, for six months or longer, the insomnia is believed to be caused by anxiety.

Nature And Prevalence Of Anxiety

Anxiety is not a single disorder but a group of psychological disorders called Anxiety Disorders. These include generalized anxiety, panic and phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In America, about 20 million people suffer from some form of anxiety each year. These include people of all ages. More commonly, anxiety is experienced by senior citizens, ages 65 or above.

Treatments For Anxiety And Insomnia

Different approaches treat anxiety and related insomnia differently. These include psychological counseling, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, nutritional treatment, herbal formulas, and alternative treatments like acupuncture.

Psychological Treatment

Psychological counseling or therapy attempts to better equip the patient for meeting day to day challenges without appeal to ongoing drugs or medication. It takes quite some time, depending on individual case of insomnia caused by anxiety. But there are no such side effects as those caused by drugs or alternative treatment methods.

Reboxetine

Reboxetine is a drug used for treating anxiety-related insomnia in some patients. Its common brand name is Edronax. Besides insomnia and anxiety, it has been reported to relieve depression and improve social adaptation. However, Reboxetine is not usually given to patients with a history of convulsions since it might cause seizures in them.

Nutritional Treatment For Anxiety And Insomnia

Nutritionists reveal that anxiety and insomnia can also result from the imbalance of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Nutritional supplements containing these minerals are thus recommended for patients of insomnia and anxiety. Vitamin D and K are also needed in proper amounts to help in the metabolism of these minerals.