Insomnia and Anxiety: Are They Related?
Yes. And it's very common for one condition to trigger the other. Let's understand how this relationship works.
Mental health issues like insomnia and anxiety result from a range of factors that have become unbalanced, and these disorders have never been as prevalent in the general population as they are today.
A study conducted by Vigilantes do Sono across 21 companies, involving 42,000 Brazilians nationwide, found that people with sleep problems are 180% more likely to have anxiety. Additionally, in a program carried out with the Fleury Group, companies observed that simply by improving sleep, they were able to reduce anxiety and depression rates among their employees by more than 50%.
But to understand this bidirectional relationship, we need to understand each of these disorders individually.
Anxiety
Contrary to what many believe, anxiety isn't entirely negative. It's a natural process in our body that helped us greatly back in the caveman days to deal with dangers that threatened our lives at that time. It's connected to our survival instinct and is responsible for preparing the body to fight or flee from a situation. To do this, muscles tense up, the heart beats faster, and hormones flood our brain.
As humans evolved, our concerns changed. We no longer need to hunt for food, for example—we can simply go to the supermarket or order delivery. Nevertheless, this mechanism remains important in our lives. It's what drives the concern to prepare for important events, like the arrival of a child, for instance.
The problem arises when this worry becomes a constant in a person's life and makes them afraid to leave the house or think something bad is about to happen at any moment, causing excessive suffering and disrupting their routine.
Generalized anxiety is considered the ailment of the century, currently affecting around 18.6 million Brazilians. It can be paralyzing for many people, making interventions necessary to regain control of their own lives.
Insomnia
When it comes to insomnia, excessive worry can also occur, but with greater intensity at bedtime. A person may have difficulty falling asleep, wake up frequently during the night, or wake up earlier than intended due to concerns about daily problems.
However, insomnia isn't just about excessive worry or stress. There are different factors that can trigger poor quality sleep, especially medical conditions that cause shortness of breath, such as sleep apnea, pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, among others.
It's important to pay attention to symptoms and seek professional help if you notice they intensify over time or simply persist, becoming part of your routine.
The most common symptoms of insomnia are:
- Daytime fatigue and/or low energy for everyday activities
- Lack of attention, concentration, and/or memory
- Mood changes (increased irritability, for example)
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Nighttime awakenings
- Waking up earlier than expected
Insomnia can also be characterized in different ways. Check out our article on types of insomnia to learn more.
When Should I Seek Help?
Whether you suspect you have anxiety or insomnia, you should seek help when symptoms begin to interfere with your life, causing harm to your personal and/or professional relationships.
Remember that feeling well is normal, and you can, and should, seek help whenever you feel the need.
Here at Vigilantes do Sono, we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia, which includes important techniques that directly address excessive worry—as we've seen, this is also common in anxiety. If you'd like to learn about our program, click the button below.
