Anxiety Insomnia

Anxiety A Masjor Cause of Insomnia

by Dr. David W. Sparks

Let us begin this two-part article by citing some statistics provided by The Anxiety Disorders Association of America. The reason that it is so important to bring these statistics to your attention is that anxiety is a major cause of insomnia.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., with 40 million (18.1%) of the adult U.S. population (ages 18 and older) affected.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): GAD is characterized byexcessive, uncontrollable worry about everyday things, such ashealth, money, or career.  

GAD Statistics:

• Affects 6.8 million, 3.1%
• Women are twice as likely to be afflicted as men.
• Very likely to be co-morbid with other anxiety and depressive disorders
   
  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): In OCD, individuals are plagued by persistent, recurring thoughts (obsessions) that reflect exaggerated anxiety or fears and repetitive behaviors or rituals (compulsions) performed by the sufferer.

OCD Statistics:

• Affects 2.2 million, 1.0%
• Equally common among men and women
• One-third of afflicted adults had their first symptoms in childhood
• In 1990, OCD cost the U.S. 6% of the total $148 billion mental-health bill (NMHA). 

Panic Disorder (PD): People with panic disorder suffer severe attacks of terror – which may make them feel as though they are having a heart attack or are going crazy – for no apparent reason. PD Statistics:

• Affects 6 million, 2.7%
• Women are twice as likely to be afflicted as men.
• Has a very high co-morbidity rate with major depression

Understanding that these statistics are staggering in terms of how many people are afflicted, we will describe in Part 1 some of the anxieties that are typical of those who suffer from insomnia. In Part 2 we will discuss some techniques for dealing with anxiety related insomnia.

This is probably not going to come as a great surprise or shock, but did you know that 70% of those who suffer from anxiety, also suffer from depression. Anxiety disorders, and as we just pointed out, are the most common form of mental illness among adults, according to a report by the U.S. Surgeon General. If you're anxious or stressed about something or, for that matter, lots of things on a continuous basis, it's bound to depress you.

And here’s the tie-in to sleep.  80% of those who are depressed have serious insomnia. And, if you're both depressed and have anxiety, 90% of you aren't sleeping well. We have to figure something out here and the best way to do that is to learn about what anxiety is, what it's doing to you, and what you can do about it.

Feeling worried or nervous is a normal part of everyday life. We worry about being stuck in traffic. "Will I get there in time"?  We can be anxious when a loved one isn't home on time.  I know when that happens to me, my mind races with the worst scenario that might have happened.

And what about being anxious or stressed when you serve that meal to your new in-laws? Will they like it or will they think, "What in the world is this and what third world recipe book did it come from"?  Again, day-to-day anxieties are normal if, and this is a big if, there's a rational reason for them and they don't happen too frequently.

A certain level of anxiety can be beneficial. It can get you up for a challenge such as talking in front of a group, making a presentation or having a meeting with your boss. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. In general, it helps you cope.

A lot of the time, however, we're anxious about things we have no control over. Anxiety that becomes overwhelming and interferes with daily life is not normal.  Remember, anxiety doesn't stop when you crawl into bed.  For most of us, it gets worse and we end up tossing and turning with INSOMNIA.

So what do you do when you're consumed by anxiety? Serious anxiety disorders require professional treatment by an accredited psychologist or psychiatrist.

A lot is known about the treatment for anxiety, and success rates are usually high. In fact, the most common psychological complaint presented to therapists around the country is anxiety. Anxiety disorders are also the most treatable. Studies at the National Institute of Mental Health estimate that more than 90% of people with an anxiety disorder will make a good recovery.

Our intention right now is just to headline a few approaches to daily anxiety that make some sense to us, but, more importantly, to highlight the notion that you must take on your anxieties and conquer them if you expect to reach our ultimate goal of a healthy, happy life in which we are able to sleep well every night.

There are millions of us who suffer stress and anxiety on alevel that we can deal with ourselves. Let's take the case ofJennifer Corcoran who's a high-powered software developer, andOH! by the way, also has three children and a husband.  Soshe gets up in the morning, gets all the breakfasts andeverybody off to their respective destinations, then rushes offto work where she's trying to come up with a solution for amajor industrial client who is having trouble keeping hackersfrom invading their data base. After another high-strung daybetween client and keyboard, she returns home to the refrainsof, "What's for dinner Mommy (or Dear, depending on who'sasking) and rushes around putting food on the table.

What, she doesn’t have a cook or a nanny?

Our friend Jennifer gets pretty stressed out, despite her lofty computer science degree.  Every few months, in fact, she gets away with friends to an expensive spa for herbal therapy, massages, a day at the beach mixed with a little shopping.

That sounds like a good approach, but it’s WRONG.  A growing body of research tells us that millions of Americans are choosing the wrong approach to stress and anxiety management. They stress out day in and day out and then get away for a weekend.  They try to unwind and de-stress, as if a magical weekend can detoxify the body of months of built–up stress.

Such an approach as that just  described can actually be toxic, wearing down the immune system and increasing the chances of everything from colds to cancer.  It’s like eating junk food all week and then fasting for a day to make up for the abuse.  It’s not as simple as that.

A lot of us can't help worrying about important events in our lives and it can have a major, negative impact on our quality of life. In Part 2 we will discuss a variety of sound techniques for beating stress and anxiety the right way!

In a few weeks we will be opening up a premium section in our web site entitled Actions Steps for Better Sleep and A Healthier Life. These steps incorporate some simple behavioral modification techniques to help solve your problems with insomnia along with some positive steps that you can take toward improving your wellness. We have some wonderful suggestions for diet and exercise. Think of this program as an "easy boot camp where you learn to go to war against insomnia". By the way, you can get this program for free with your purchase of one of my audiobooks entitled "Better Sleep in 7 Days".

Make sure you sign up in the Action Steps section and I will send you a sample of both the first day of Actions Steps for Better Sleep and A Healthier Life and Day 1 of The Better Sleep in 7 Days audiobook. We value your privacy and will not pass along your email address to anyone.

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