Can Anxiety Cause Sleep Apnea and Vice Versa?

People suffering from sleep apnea often believe it is related to anxiety. When your brain is overwhelmed with information, it is likely to cause interrupted sleep or sleepless nights. While the two conditions may be related in one way or another, these neuro issues cannot be ignored.

If you have been suffering from either or both of these conditions, seeing your doctor at Scott Young DDS who specializes in sleep apnea in The Woodlands will be important. Doing so will help you see the relationship between the two.

Are sleep apnea and anxiety disorder related?

For starters, it is daunting to relate the two. Sleep apnea is a condition that interrupts your regular breathing pattern. It may sometimes cause you to start snoring due to unbalanced airflow, impairing other body processes. But when it comes to central sleep apnea, an anxiety disorder may influence your body’s response to physiological health issues.

Anxiety, on the other hand, occurs when your body is under distress. Any emotion characterized by feelings of worry, tension, and physical alterations, such as blood pressure, may also lead to insomnia or sleep apnea.

In some cases, sleep apnea may not cause anxiety. Instead, it may be a symptom of an apnea episode. At this point, the brain is overwhelmed with signals, causing it to choose either “fight or flight” responses. The “panic” signal disrupts your sleep until regular breathing resumes. When that happens, having a peaceful sleep may not be possible since the sleep apnea anxiety attacks have already been triggered.

People with sleep apnea may also experience bouts of anxiety attacks in another way. The condition may lead to “sleep debt,” which makes it daunting for your brain to cope with stress. The more you experience interrupted sleep, the stronger the impact is on your thinking ability and mood. When the condition worsens, your brain activity will be altered, causing your thinking pattern and mood to change. In the end, the heart and blood pressure become affected, leading to other physiological issues.

How does the body react to sleep apnea and anxiety disorders?

When you have sleep apnea and anxiety disorders, your body may start showing symptoms of restlessness, perspiring, fatigue, loss of concentration, rapid breathing, and chest pain. If you have a history of anxiety, your body may start showing signs of sleep apnea. That not only proves that sleep apnea can cause anxiety, but it can also increase your chances of getting anxiety if you were previously diagnosed with it.

When to seek help from a sleep apnea specialist

Interrupted sleep due to breathing difficulties, combined with anxiety, can be disastrous when you fail to seek medical help. It takes more than anxiety-alleviating medications to help you sleep throughout the night. Doing so is not only toxic, but it can also aggravate other physiological conditions. You need someone that can diagnose your condition and prescribe the best treatment plan for you.  To learn more about the relationship between anxiety and sleep apnea, consult your specialist today.