How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night with intense anxiety? If it happens to you often enough, you’ll know that it’s hard to get back to sleep easily.

Sleep and stress are linked. This is because anxiety can keep you awake and cause trouble sleeping. But insomnia can also increase your anxiety. In both cases, the best thing to do is to deal with the problem in the first place.

Why do you wake up in the middle of the night from your anxiety?

Everyday life, the difficulties you may face in your professional life, the rhythms of the season, and generally the stressful events that constantly appear make your mind more active. That is, stress causes an increased mental and emotional state called hyperarousal.

Stress during the day affects sleep during the night. Usually when you wake up in the morning, your brain releases more noradrenaline (also called norepinephrine). Sleep loss during the night can cause an abnormal increase in noradrenaline levels.

Thus, you may suddenly wake up with a strong feeling of anxiety at night, which will not allow you to fall asleep easily again.

Several mental disorders related to anxiety or stress can cause or worsen sleep difficulties. These can be:

· Generalized anxiety disorder: This condition involves a constant feeling of dread or anxiety that can last for months or longer. Symptoms include restlessness, agitation, difficulty concentrating, and excessive or irrational worry.

· Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): People who have experienced a traumatic event, such as a loss, an accident, a traumatic event, are likely to develop this anxiety disorder. Symptoms include flashbacks, fearful thoughts or avoidance of the traumatic event, along with disturbed sleep and nightmares.

· Nocturnal panic attacks: People with panic disorder experience frequent panic attacks—sudden periods of intense panic with symptoms such as increased heart rate, chest pains, tremors, and a feeling of being out of control. These panic attacks can also happen during the night.

The vicious cycle of stress and sleep

Since stress and sleep are so closely linked, a vicious cycle can occur. Waking up anxious and worried can make it hard to get back to sleep. This inability to relax your mind causes even more anxiety as you wonder if you will ever get to rest.

What symptoms do you experience when you wake up in the night?

The symptoms you will experience when you wake up from your anxiety in the night are similar to the symptoms of a panic attack. These can be:

Unwanted worries (intrusive thoughts)

Feelings of fear and loss of control

Increased, rapid heartbeat

Sweat

Chills or hot flashes

Shortness of breath, chest pain or difficulty breathing

Nausea or abdominal pain

Dizziness, feeling faint

Numbness or tingling in the body

Even if you don’t have a panic attack, you may experience anxiety symptoms, such as persistent worry or muscle tension, that keep you up at night. However, there are some techniques that can help you calm down and get back to sleep.

Don’t look at the clock

Make sure before you go to sleep that you don’t have a digital clock next to you that you could face when you wake up. If you look at the time when you wake up in the middle of the night, your mind will calculate how much time is left until you get up, making you even more anxious about whether you can rest.

Keep yourself away from screens

If you’re trying to get back to sleep, try not to give in to your cell phone or TV. These will only bring you additional tension, which you do not need.

Do something to relax

If you can’t go back to sleep and 15 minutes have passed, go to another room for a while. Sit in a comfortable chair and read a book or do some breathing exercises. After you relax, try going back to sleep.

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