Normal sleep is a restorative state. However, when sleep is disrupted or inadequate, it can lead to increased fatigue, anxiety, and irritability.
Stop The Cycle! – Talk today to your medical professional about your sleep!
Many people have experienced a restless night’s sleep. An occasional night of tossing and turning for a few hours is an experience we can all relate to. Unfortunately for some people a good night’s sleep is more the expectation than the rule, and a restless night’s sleep becomes so common that it becomes the expected outcome. Those individuals who experience an occasional restless night often point to stress and anxiety as being the cause. They report that they simply can’t stop their thoughts from racing in order to get quiet enough to fall asleep. Life happens and an occasional restless night’s sleep is normal, however according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) more than 40 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders.
Common sleep disorders include sleep apnea (loud snoring caused by an obstructed airway), sleepwalking, and narcolepsy (falling asleep spontaneously). Restless leg syndrome and bruxism (grinding of the teeth while sleeping) are conditions that also may contribute to sleep disorders.
New research suggests sleep deprivation can cause an anxiety disorder, and that some form of sleep disruption is present in nearly all psychiatric disorders.
If you’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression, you may be having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. One of the common signs of depression is insomnia or an inability to fall and stay asleep. Having a sleep disorder does not cause depression, but lack of sleep does play a role. Lack of sleep caused by another medical illness or by personal problems can make depression worse. An inability to sleep that lasts over a long period of time is also an important clue that someone may be depressed.
Sources include: WebMD webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-sleep-disorder
National Sleep Foundation sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/depression-and-sleep
Anxiety And Depression Association of America adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/sleep-disorders