Anxiety can sometimes makesleepapneaworseand vice versa.
Sleep apnea is a common medical condition that causes your breathing to stop intermittently during sleep.
An estimated 38,000 people die each year from heart disease complicated by sleep apnea.
tommaso79 / Getty Images
tommaso79 / Getty Images
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by worrying thoughts and tension.
It can also involve physical changes, such as an increased heart rate or high blood pressure.
How Anxiety Affects Sleep
Sleep problems and anxiety can be intricatelyconnected.
People with chronic insomnia are also at a higher risk of developing sleep-related disorders, such as sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Anxiety?
Some people with sleep disorders, anxiety, or both eventually develop sleep anxiety.
Sleep anxiety refers to distress about falling or staying asleep.
This is a form of anticipatory anxiety, which involves a sense of dread and preoccupation.
Anxiety can also trigger and worsen sleep apnea by making it harder to fall asleep at night.
Some research suggests that sleep apnea and anxiety are often co-occurring conditions.
One 2014 study revealed that people with OSA were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety.
Severe OSA was linked to an even higher likelihood of anxiety symptoms.
People with sleep apnea were also likelier to have bothanxiety and depressionthan just one or the other.
This was especially true among female patients.
Comorbidity of Anxiety and Depression
Many people have both anxiety and depression.
If you have both sleep apnea and anxiety, its important to seek treatment for both conditions.
With the right sleep apnea treatment, both sleep apnea and sleep anxiety can improve.
Many people with sleep apnea also have anxiety, which can make their symptoms worse.
In turn, many people with anxiety have trouble falling and staying asleep.
This usually requires a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) gadget at night.
Treatment for anxiety can include talk therapy, medication, andrelaxation techniques.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sleep apnea is a chronic condition, which means its not curable.
However, it can be managed with proper diagnosis and treatment.
Sleep apnea often sounds like a pause in breathing followed by a gasping, snorting, or choking sound.
Other people notice that they wake up intermittently with a choking or gasping sensation.
It’s easily digestible, which can also make it better for sleep.
Practicing healthy sleep habits can improve symptoms of sleep-related anxiety.
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