Does insomnia increase anxiety?
Yes. Chronic insomnia is associated with about twice the risk of developing an anxiety disorder. The mechanism involves both physiological stress (cortisol dysregulation) and cognitive rumination during wakeful nights.
Risk data
Meta-analyses of longitudinal studies show insomnia roughly doubles the risk of incident anxiety disorders. The effect persists after controlling for depression.
The mechanism
Insomnia drives chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (cortisol). Nighttime rumination creates a feedback loop: worry about sleep prevents sleep, which then validates the worry.
Breaking the cycle
CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment and has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms as well as sleep symptoms.
Sources
- Riemann et al., Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2011. Sleep disturbances and depression: risk relationships for subsequent depression
Tired of hitting snooze?
ByeBed replaces the snooze button with a mission. Math, push-ups, photo. The alarm only stops when you complete it. Free to try.
Download ByeBed on the App Store