The link between insomnia and anxiety disorders-

Insomnia definition-

• Habitual sleeplessness; inability to sleep.

Symptoms of insomnia-

• High levels of anxiety as bedtime approaches. • Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, irritability,

difficulty concentrating, and an impaired ability to perform normal activities.

• Inability to sleep, despite being tired. • Not feeling refreshed/ satisfied after sleep.

Causes, Conditions, or Situations Leading to Insomnia:

• 50% of cases have no identifiable cause. • Medication including; decongestants, bronchodilators, and beta-blockers. • Excessive computer work.• Hormonal changes during menstrual cycle with insomnia occurring during menstruation and

sleep improving mid-cycle around ovulation.• Lifestyle choices such as consuming coffee, alcohol, cola drinks, recreational drugs, smoking,

heavy meals, and drinking large quantities of fluids.• Underlying medical conditions such as chronic sleep-induced respiratory problems, nocturnal

myoclonus which causes painful cramping of the legs, gastroesophageal reflux causing heartburn, chronic pain syndromes, heart disease, arthritis and ADD etc.

• Shift work, travel across time zones, and loss of vision as circadian rhythms are partially regulated by the release of melatonin from the brain in response to sunlight.

• Stress from family, school, work, events • Type of bedding may affect sleep and may improve with changing to a firmer or softer

mattress, lighter or heavier blankets, a device to support bedding at the foot of the bed, different pillow, etc.

• Underlying psychological, psychiatric, and neurological conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.

Jiang et al (2003)-

• The study uses media students, with findings that life events experienced by insomniacs and the control group were similar, although the insomniacs had a poorer tolerance of stressors.

• This link between insomnia and clinical depression means early morning wakening is a typical symptom. Also, in depressed patients sleep patterns nearly always change. Typically, an increase in REM sleep entered more quickly than normal, with a higher frequency of rapid eye movements.

Jansson-Frӧjmark and Lindbolm (2008)-

• 3000 participants were involved in a survey on anxiety, depression and insomnia. There was a strong relationship between anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Asking about insomnia on the first survey meant psychologists predicted new cases of depression and anxiety in the follow up survey.

The use of correlational research/ causation issues-

• But, this is correlational research and it’s not clear if depression causes or is a result of insomnia as both are possible. Both anxiety and depression can cause insomnia.

• This is called a bi-directional relationship. As insomnia can lead to anxiety and depression, but these disorders can lead to insomnia.

The DSM (Diathesis Stress Model)-

• The DSM suggests that vulnerability is not enough for a disorder to develop, as environmental stressors are needed to trigger the disorder.

• As chronic insomnia is highly complex and unlikely to be explained by one single factor. The large number of factors make it very difficult to conduct meaningful research because studies find only small effects.

• There are so many different causes for insomnia such as; stress, depression, poor hygiene, age and gender. Meaning, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions from the research.

How much of a problem is it?

Treatment-