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Anxiety is a normal human emotion characterized by feelings of nervousness and worry. You may find yourself experiencing anxiety during stressful situations, such as a first date or job interview.
Sometimes, though,anxietymay linger around for longer than usual. When this happens, it can interfere with your daily — and nightly — life.
One of the most common times when people experience anxiety is at night. Manyclinical trialshave found that sleep deprivation can be a trigger for anxiety. Historically,researchalso suggests anxiety disorders are associated with reduced sleep quality.
Treating your nighttime anxiety and addressing your sleep issues are important steps in improving your quality of life.
There are manysymptoms of anxiety. Everyone experiences anxiety differently. Symptoms can happen anytime of the day, morning, or night. Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or worry
- trouble concentrating
- trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- gastrointestinal problems
Another symptom a person with anxiety may also experience is apanic attack. A panic attack is an episode of extreme and intense fear, often accompanied by physical manifestations. The common symptoms of a panic attack include:
- a sense of impending doom
- increased heart rate and chest pains
- shortness of breath and throat tightness
- sweating, chills, and hot flashes
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- a feeling of detachment, or like nothing is real
In some cases, you may even wake up from a nocturnal panic attack. Nocturnal (nighttime) panic attacks have the same signs and symptoms of regular panic attacks, only they occur while you’re asleep.
如果您遇到夜间惊恐发作，那么很难冷静下来并睡着了。
Sleep issues and anxiety seem to accompany one another. Lack of sleep can be an anxiety trigger, while anxiety can also lead to a lack of sleep.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over50 percentof adults say their anxiety levels affect their ability to get to sleep at night.
There’s very little scientific research on nighttime anxiety. Still, there are many reasons why your anxiety may be worse at night.
You may feel that your mind is racing, and you can’t stop your thoughts. You may be focused on the worries of the day or anticipating things on your to-do list for the next day.
This perceived “stress” can cause the body to experience anadrenaline rush, which makes it incredibly difficult to get to sleep.
Anxiety and sleep research
然而,大量的研究如何担心ty can affect sleep and vice versa.
According to the ADAA,researchshows that sleep disorders occur in almost all psychiatric disorders.
In a small
The researchers believe that targeting sleep problems during anxiety treatment might be beneficial for those who have trouble sleeping.
重要的是要记住，为您的焦虑找到正确的治疗方法可能需要时间。因此，您和您的医生可能会选择使用各种不同的治疗选择。
Treat underlying conditions
There are some medical conditions that can cause symptoms of anxiety. They include:
If any of these conditions are causing your nighttime anxiety, your doctor will want to treat them first.
Psychotherapy
There are many forms of psychotherapy that can treat anxiety. One of the most well-established methods is认知行为疗法（CBT）. CBT is a form of psychotherapy that encourages changing your thought patterns to improve your behavior and mood.
According to the ADAA, it can take12 to 16 weeksto begin seeing results with CBT.
Medication
In many cases, treating anxiety requires a dual approach. Both psychotherapy and medication may be used in conjunction to produce the best results.
There are varioustypes of medicationsyour doctor may prescribe for your anxiety. They can discuss a medication’s pros and cons, availability, and more with you.
The most common drugs prescribed for acute anxiety attacks are benzodiazepines. The most common drugs prescribed for long-term cases of anxiety are antidepressants.
Alternative medicine
For some people, alternative medicine is another treatment option for anxiety.
The research on herbal and botanical medicine for anxiety is much more limited than traditional medicine. However, a
There’s strong evidence for the effectiveness of supplements containing passionflower, kava, L-lysine, and L-arginine.
Keep in mind that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate the quality or purity of supplements like they do for drugs. Talk to your doctor before trying supplements to make sure no interactions will occur.
寻找passionflower,kava,L-lysine, andL-argininesupplements online.
Here are some lifestyle tips that may help you relax and ease your anxiety at night:
Meditation
冥想是正念。Evidencesuggests that even one session of meditation can be beneficial in reducing your anxiety. Even more benefits may be seen long term.
Meditating right before you tuck in for the night can be a great way to turn down the nighttime anxiety.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress.Breathing deeplycan slow your heart rate and improve your blood pressure.
If you’re experiencing a panic attack at night, try deep breathing to ease the attack.
Grounding
Anxiety can cause episodes of dissociation. Grounding is one way to keep yourself present in the moment.
Grounding techniques include both cognitive and sensory awareness, such as touching an object or saying today’s date out loud. Doing this at night before bed can help bring you back to the present moment so you can sleep.
To-do list
如果您的焦虑触发者之一涉及担心您的日常活动，您可能会注意到您的焦虑会在晚上更多。创建当天或一周的待办事项清单可能有助于消除一些焦虑。
Healthy sleep habits
One of the most important ways to ease anxiety at night is throughhealthy sleep habits. Making sure you’re happy and comfortable in your own bedroom will help improve your quality of sleep.
There are many ways to establish good sleep habits to ensure you’re sleeping better and for longer:
Exercise daily
Exercisecan help improve both sleep quality and duration. If you experience nighttime anxiety, morning exercise may help you sleep longer at night, while afternoon workouts also have sleep benefits.
Strenuous exercise raises your body temperature and heart rate, so working out before bed can disrupt the falling asleep process. However regular exercise is better for sleep than not exercising at all, and finding a routine that works for you is the most important thing.
Besides, exercise isn’t only good for improving sleep. It can also help relieve your anxiety symptoms.
Develop a sleep schedule
Establishing a sleep schedule can help keep your circadian clock in check. When you keep your wake and sleep cycles around the same time each day, you may find it easier to fall asleep night.
Avoid stimulants before bed
Stimulantscan worsen anxiety symptoms. In addition, because stimulants increase body activity, taking them before bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Alcohol and caffeinecan both have a negative effect on sleep, so be sure to avoid these before you hit the hay.
Turn off electronics
When you finally crawl into bed, ditch the electronics. A
This is because artificial blue light from electronics is thought to suppress the sleep hormone melatonin, making it harder to fall (and stay) asleep.
Create comfort
Pillows and mattresses should be comfortable and supportive for your body and sleeping style. Your bedroom is your own, so making it a comfortable, safe space to sleep can make all the difference for your nighttime anxiety.
Constant anxiety that makes it difficult to sleep at night can affect your daily quality of life. Your work or school performance may worsen, and you may find it hard to complete your normal daily tasks.
如果焦虑和睡眠不足会以这种方式影响您的生活，那么与医生或心理健康专家寻求帮助非常重要。
For some people, nighttime anxiety can lead toinsomnia. Insomnia is defined as persistent trouble falling or staying asleep. Chronic insomnia can have negativehealth effects, including an increased risk of:
- health conditions, such as high blood pressure and a weakened immune system
- mental health conditions, such as depression
- accidents
Whether your doctor makes a diagnosis of anxiety, insomnia, or both, reaching out is the first step in the treatment process.
晚上您的焦虑可能更糟的原因有很多。日常压力，睡眠习惯不足以及其他健康状况会导致夜间增加焦虑和惊恐发作。
However, there are many treatments available that can help ease your anxiety and improve your quality of sleep. If you’re concerned that your nighttime anxiety and lack of sleep are affecting your life, it’s never too late to take advantage of themental health resourcesavailable to you.
这些啊nline resources can help you find a mental health professional near you: