Anxiety and Insomnia

By Gordon Dalwood

Are you desperate to get a good night's sleep but finding it impossible? Do you find yourself tossing and turning all night and when you do drift off, you wake up soon afterwards again? Is this something you've been experience for a few months, or do you experience these bouts every once in a while? Perhaps you've been having these bouts for year already but because they tend to come and go, you've always just battle your way through them. Well, if any of this sounds familiar, then I'm afraid that anxiety may very well be the cause of the insomnia.

How can this be possible? Well, if you are worrying about your job, finances, or personal life to the point a good night's sleep is impossible, then you may be suffering from an anxiety induced sleep disturbance. And, no, this is not a minor problem. If you are unable to get a decent night's rest, there can be many ripple effects that you must contend with in the rest of your life.

Imagine not having a decent night's sleep in over two weeks. Would you think you would be effective on the job? More than likely, such problems could completely undermine your standing at work. Your home life could also be seriously affected as well. Excess tension and irritability can undermine your relationships with friends and family. That is why it is important to deal with the situation with the obvious intention of reversing its impact.

One question often asked even though we know anxiety can cause sleeplessness is why does this happen? Basically the hyperactivity and restlessness you have are the reason these occur together. The mind races through so many thoughts that it makes it impossible to relax long enough to sleep. This is what ends up causing sleeplessness which must be dealt with by anxiety sufferers.

There are numerous ways to reduce anxiety in order to eliminate insomnia. In particular, one of the most beneficial things to do is to avoid consuming any substance that will contribute to your anxiety. For example, you should avoid caffeine and other stimulants if you are having trouble sleeping. Bear in mind, it's been proven time and time again that these substances are known to increase and contribute to anxiety.

Getting regular exercise is also very important. Anxiety is interconnected with excess and built up tension. Through exercising, you can reduce such tension by utilizing it in your athletic performance. In short, you can burn up anxiety in the same way you can burn calories.

Engaging in deep breathing exercises is also helpful. Gaining control of your breathing will contribute greatly to reducing anxiety. This is because deep breathing will slow your respiration and your heart rate. This, in turn, will have a calming effect. That will eventually help restore your normal sleeping patterns.

A very serious problem, anxiety is bad enough by itself. But when you add sleeplessness the problems are even more serious. But there are ways, thank goodness, that you can lessen these symptoms. This allows hope that you will once again take control of your life. - 30309

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