They also note that poor sleep habits have been linked to problems like depression and anxiety. Sleep deprivation can elevate the risk for anxiety disorders. Insomnia can also worsen the symptoms of anxiety disorders or prevent recovery. Anxiety can also contribute to disrupted sleep, often in the form of insomnia or nightmares.

Researchers have reported that sleep seems to directly impact mental health. Mental health is connected to sleep quality because adequate sleep is needed to help you :.

If you think that you might have insomnia , talk with your doctor. Along with a physical exam, your doctor might recommend that you keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks. If your doctor thinks that a sleep disorder such as insomnia is a probability, they might recommend that you see a sleep specialist.

A sleep specialist might suggest a polysomnogram PSG , also referred to as a sleep study. During the sleep study, various physical activities you go through during sleep are electronically monitored and then interpreted.

Although there are over-the-counter sleep aids and prescription medications for insomnia , many doctors will start treating insomnia with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia CBT-I. CBT-I is used to help you understand, recognize, and change your attitudes that impact your ability to sleep and stay asleep.

There are several strategies for helping you avoid behaviors that get in the way of good sleep. You can develop good sleep habits by practicing some of the following:. Your doctor may suggest other strategies tailored to your sleep environment and lifestyle that will help you learn and develop habits that will promote healthy sleep.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , anxiety causes sleep problems, and sleep deprivation can cause an anxiety disorder. A thorough diagnosis will help direct your treatment. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. Menopause can initiate hormone changes and hot flashes that could affect your sleep. Learn more about ways to manage insomnia during menopause. Symptoms related to menopause may cause sleep problems. Discover the reasons why. Also explore strategies for better sleep, like hormone therapy.

A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Doctors have long recognized sleep problems to be a symptom of anxiety disorders.

Insomnia is also an independent risk factor for the development of anxiety. People with anxiety commonly present with insomnia symptoms, sleep apnea , poor sleep quality, and excessive sleepiness while awake.

Excessive worry can keep people up and interfere with their sleep. Healthcare professionals will usually recommend lifestyle changes and behavioral therapies as the first course of action for people experiencing anxiety and insomnia.

Learn more about treatments for anxiety. They may decide to treat the two conditions separately or simultaneously. There are different types of medication doctors may prescribe for anxiety and insomnia. These include:. Learn more about medications for chronic insomnia. Doxepin Silenor is a tricyclic antidepressant TCA.

Doctors use it to treat depression and anxiety, but it can also treat insomnia. It works by blocking histamine receptors in the brain. This helps a person stay asleep.

Unlike other sleep medicines, this drug is not addictive and does not cause dependence. It is available in capsule and liquid forms. The recommended doxepin dosage for adults is 6 milligrams mg , taken once daily at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

Older people or those with certain medical conditions may begin at 3 mg if a doctor deems it necessary. Side effects may include increased sleepiness and confusion in older people. It may also lead to increased suicidal thoughts , worsening depression, and behavioral changes. Learn more about the warning signs of suicide.

Eszopiclone Lunesta is a sedative-hypnotic that can help a person fall asleep and wake up less. It works by raising the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA in the brain.

A person typically begins taking 1 mg by mouth once daily before bedtime. A doctor may raise the dose to 3 mg. A person should not take it with or shortly after eating a high fat meal since this may prevent the drug from working well.

Drinking grapefruit juice with this medicine may increase its effect, while drinking alcohol may worsen its side effects. Ramelteon Rozerem is a melatonin receptor agonist. Healthcare professionals recommend it for people who have difficulty initiating sleep.

It is not habit-forming and shows no potential for abuse, so some doctors prescribe it for long-term use. Zolpidem Ambien is another sedative-hypnotic that can help a person get to sleep and stay asleep longer.

Because it is fast-acting, a person must take it immediately before bed, once daily. Zolpidem comes in tablet, sublingual, and oral spray forms. Like other sleep medications, a person should not take it unless they have at least 7—8 hours to stay in bed. Estazolam ProSom is a benzodiazepine and works by slowing brain activity to induce sleep.

Doctors typically use this drug for short-term treatment due to its tendency to cause dependence and addiction. Benzodiazepines reduce anxiety at lower doses and promote sleep at higher doses. These drugs are addictive, and a person should not take them beyond 3—4 weeks.

Abruptly stopping the drug after this amount of time may lead to withdrawal symptoms. Learn more about benzodiazepine withdrawal.

Zaleplon Sonata is another non-benzodiazepine drug that can help people fall asleep. It works on the GABA receptors in the brain to make a person sleepy and drowsy.

This drug does not help people who wake up too early or several times. Zaleplon Sonata is available in 5 and 10 mg oral capsules. Suvorexant Belsomra is a newer non-benzodiazepine that works by blocking the action of orexin, a chemical in the brain that keeps a person awake.

However, this drug has the potential for abuse and may lead to addiction. Belsomra is available in 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg. This drug works fast and people should take it within 30 minutes of going to bed. The most common side effect of suvorexant Belsomra is next-day drowsiness.

It can also cause temporary muscle weakness of the legs, sleep paralysis , and complex sleep behaviors. Belsomra can also worsen depression and suicidal thoughts.

Lemorexant Dayvigo is another sedative-hypnotic that works similarly to Belsomra. This drug is available in 5 and 10 mg tablets that a person should take daily, immediately before bed. Learn more about Dayvigo here. Trazodone Desyrel is a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI doctors use to treat depression.

However, doctors use it off-label to treat anxiety and insomnia. It works by restoring the levels of serotonin in the brain. A person can take it with a light snack or meal two or more times a day. This drug may cause lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting when a person moves quickly from a lying position orthostatic hypotension.

People should also avoid drinking alcohol and eating grapefruit while taking this drug. While not all of these drugs have withdrawal symptoms, doctors generally recommend slowly decreasing the use of these medications.

Sleeping medications increase or alter how the brain interacts with chemicals like GABA and serotonin. Stopping these medications suddenly may lead to a drop in these chemicals.

One of the most common conditions linked to sleep anxiety is insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it hard for you to fall or stay asleep or get good-quality sleep.

In the short term, insomnia can be caused by schedule changes or by stress from big life events like a new job or a move to a different location.

In the long term, insomnia could be caused by factors like medical conditions or medications. Having insomnia can make you worry about the sleep you're getting. And as insomnia continues, it's possible for your anxiety about your sleep to worsen.

Besides insomnia, other sleep disorders can affect your sleep too. Regardless of which disorder is causing you to not get enough sleep, you can experience an increase in levels of certain stress markers, like the hormone cortisol. These increased levels lead you to have further trouble falling or staying asleep.

That means sleep disorders and sleep anxiety can be a cyclical relationship, with lack of sleep making anxiety worse and your sleep anxiety preventing you from getting the sleep you need.

Sleeping issues are common for people with certain mental health conditions, like generalized anxiety disorder , depression, or post traumatic stress disorder PTSD.

Getting poor-quality sleep can intensify brain reactions that are associated with anxiety, opening the door for sleep anxiety. Others might have anxiety about sleep because they fear of what sleep can bring.

People with PTSD who try to block traumatic memories during the day may worry about what their dreams at night can bring in terms of nightmares and flashbacks.

Someone with PTSD might also be on alert while sleeping or falling asleep and unable to relax for a deep sleep. Anyone can experience sleep anxiety. Besides a history of sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, or both, there are other factors that may make it more likely that you'll feel the pressure to get the sleep you need while the clock ticks by.

People with sleep anxiety might anticipate that they'll have trouble sleeping, leading to more anxiety and sleep loss. This cycle can be triggered by factors such as:. Age might also play a factor in whether you experience sleep anxiety.

Sleep patterns shift with age, and older adults often find themselves waking up more frequently throughout the nighttime or having a more difficult time falling asleep.

As we age, less time is spent in the deep sleep phase due to factors like anxiety, discomfort, pain, or a need to go to the bathroom, which could trigger a sleep anxiety spiral. It's not uncommon to experience a night of not-so-great, anxious sleep once in a while—or even frequently over a short period of time if you're in a time of stress.

But if you're finding yourself experiencing sleep anxiety for a month or longer, this may be a chronic long-lasting issue that requires medical treatment. In general, it's probably a good idea to check with a healthcare provider if:.

Sleep anxiety isn't an official medical condition. Rather, a healthcare provider can diagnose anxiety, a sleep disorder, or both by reviewing your medical history, performing a physical exam, and asking questions about your sleeping patterns and anxiety-related symptoms.

Because some medications and supplements can add to both sleep issues and anxiety symptoms, you should also expect to answer questions about anything you're currently taking.

This can help rule out certain causes. A sleep study, which is known as a polysomnogram, may also be ordered. This test monitors data from your brain waves, eye movements, blood pressure, breathing rate, and heart rate during a full night's sleep.

The sleep study won't confirm that you have sleep anxiety. Rather, it can help diagnose obstructive sleep apnea or a movement condition, both of which can impact your sleep quality and, in turn, may lead to sleep anxiety.

Diagnosing the condition behind your sleep anxiety can help address the sleep quality and, hopefully, sleep anxiety. Regardless of what's causing you sleep anxiety, experts generally recommend regular sleep and lifestyle habits to help you cope.

Some of these habits include:. Beyond improving your sleep and lifestyle habits, your treatment may include therapy, medication, or a combination of both. The cause and severity of your sleep anxiety can dictate your treatment plan.

Cognitive behavior therapy CBT is a form of therapy that can help reduce sleep anxiety. It involves sessions with a mental healthcare provider to identify and modify the behaviors and thought patterns that prompt sleep anxiety. With CBT, behavioral changes might include going to bed and waking up at the same times every day , getting out of bed when anxiety is preventing you from falling asleep, and only spending time in your bed when you're sleeping or having sex.

CBT will also help you think about sleep differently. You might be encouraged to address things like unrealistic expectations for how many hours of sleep you should get and misguided beliefs about how sleeplessness will affect you.

Medications—whether over-the-counter OTC or prescription—might help calm your sleep anxiety, as well. Some of the OTC medications contain the allergy medicine ingredient antihistamine, which may not be recommended for long periods of time since it can become less effective over time.

And some of the prescription medications can be habit-forming, so you and your healthcare provider will want to keep a close eye on the drug's effect on you over the course of your treatment.

Primary care doctors can diagnose and treat hundreds of conditions, and they can refer you to our mental and behavioral health or sleep medicine services, if needed. Try not to become frustrated with yourself or the situation, as that can make your anxiety worse.

Instead, try some of the sleeping tips below. Relaxation techniques can help accumulated sleep pressure overcome the alerting signal, and calm us enough to fall asleep.

These techniques include:. The calm and quiet of a dark bedroom can create a mind that is anything but. All the thoughts that were pushed aside during the events of the day have a chance to resurface. Keep a notebook or notepad near your bed to start a nightly journaling practice.

When you put all those racing thoughts onto paper, you empty them from your mind and sleep may come easier.

An expanding body of research suggests that direct exposure to nature can have a range of health benefits. Exposure to sunlight, especially right after you wake up, can help you stay alert throughout the day, and help you fall asleep once the sun goes down.

Getting outside is also a good time to go for a walk, take a bike ride, or play with your kids. To set yourself up for sleep success, make sure your room is dark, cool and quiet before you go to bed.

If your room is too quiet, or you need to drown out other noises, you can try using a fan or a white noise machine. You may also want to tidy up your sleep space each night and get a few things ready for the next day. Laying out your planned outfit, clearing off your desk and uncluttering your nightstand are all things that can help you be more organized, both physically and mentally.

However, you can make your sleeplessness worse by staying in bed and forcing sleep to come. Then, get back into bed as soon as you start to feel tired. Avoid eating, working or watching shows while in bed. It may also affect your sex drive, memory, and judgment.

Lack of sleep can lead to increased chances of anxiety, but anxiety can also cause a lack of sleep. Unfortunately, the two can intertwine quite a bit, causing one to exacerbate the other.

Furthermore, anticipatory anxiety and specific anxiety about sleep can lead to sleep disturbance and insomnia, which then creates a feedback loop that can make both conditions worsen. Insomnia can also make you more irritable and more worried, as your brain is not getting all the sleep it needs in order to function at normal levels.

Many people may stress about not getting enough sleep to function, but the stress alone of trying to sleep can cause people to sit awake for hours.

Additionally, other fears such as recurring nightmares, fear of sleep apnea not breathing while being asleep , and more can all lead to disturbed sleep. For those people that are diagnosed with a legitimate anxiety disorder, the condition is unlikely to go away.

Some people may be able to better control their anxiety disorder with the help and guidance of a therapist or psychologist, and medications may help further control the condition.

For those that do not suffer from an anxiety disorder, but only have occasional or intermittent anxiety from time-to-time, this is normal and healthy behavior for many people. Temporary anxiety is likely to diminish over time, and if it is related to a specific place or person, removing yourself from those situations may help the anxiety go away after some time.

Anxiety disorders should only be diagnosed by a licensed therapist or medical professional, and these professionals can also help you find treatment regimens as well as, potentially, medications to control the condition.

You should not try to self-medicate for anxiety disorders, and should only medicate per the medical advice and supervision of a psychiatrist. One of the most common and effective treatments for anxiety disorders is continued and guided therapy with a professional counselor or therapist.

The branch of therapy known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT can be effective for many people, as it helps patients suffering from anxiety disorders create new, positive thought pathways that can help when in anxious situations. There are three different types of CBT, each with an individualized approach in treatment, including interpersonal therapy, thought records, and modern exposure therapy.

Another form of therapy is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , also known as ACT. This form of therapy is more focused on mindfulness training and taking action based on personal values, and is unique in that it is not focused on symptom reduction.

Another useful tactic to combat anxiety is the act of mindfulness when faced with certain situations. Instead of thinking negatively about the situation, you may start to feel calmer instead, accepting the situation as an unfortunate one, but not one that will set you back. It is important to keep in mind that mindfulness can take years to develop.

It can be tricky to start, and it may help to have the guidance of a trained healthcare professional, but mindfulness can provide a new perspective that allows you to re-evaluate your anxieties and develop healthy coping mechanism to rethink situations in which they arise.

For sleep, mindfulness can help your body naturally fall into unconsciousness as you focus solely on your breath. Below are some tips to try in order to improve your chances of falling asleep naturally. Often, one of the most ineffective ways to fall asleep is to try to force yourself to lay down.

This will only result in you tossing and turning for hours, unable to fall asleep. Instead, try avoiding the bedroom until you naturally feel sleepy. If this means spending the whole night awake, not getting any sleep, then try saving this technique for the weekend so you can catch some sleep when your body naturally wants to sleep.

Many people have a different circadian rhythm — the natural clock in our head that helps us fall asleep — and it could be that your rhythm simply occurs at an abnormal hour of the morning. Once you do start feeling sleepy, allow yourself to go to bed and focus on your breathing instead of any other anxieties.

Sleep logs can be useful to help you catalog when you fall asleep and how much sleep you were able to get. You can also take note of all the activities you do before you fall asleep, and this may help you notice a pattern. The National Sleep Foundation has a useful sleep log you can try to get yourself started.

You can also create your own in a personal journal. Creating a routine can be an effective way to combat sleep anxiety and insomnia. By getting up at the same time every day, your body will naturally start to adjust your internal clock or circadian rhythm.

However, creating a nighttime routine can also have similar effects. Winnie Yu for WebMD suggests creating a nightly routine can help relax your body as it starts to anticipate and expect sleep as you follow through each step.

It can also help relieve anxiety, as you know what to expect each night and each morning. Another helpful trick is to make your bedroom a place for nothing but sleep. Regardless, redecorating your bedroom for a more comfortable and quiet environment can do wonders for your sleep health.

Consider decluttering the room and regularly changing the bedding or adding a rug to make the space more appealing and comfortable.

Instead, get up after 15 minutes and work on some small projects until your body naturally feels sleepy. Keeping your room dark and cool can also have major effects on your ability to fall asleep. Avoid putting a space heater in your room unless you really need it so as to keep the room cooler than the rest of your house.