Sleep Apnea and Anxiety

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Many people ask themselves if there is any link between sleep apnea and anxiety, for example:

• Is it possible for sleep apnea to cause depression and anxiety?


• I have suffered from generalized anxiety disorder for many years, and now I began to think that i have sleep apnea, because of the symptoms like: feeling tired during the day and can't concentrate properly as i can't sleep at night thinking and worrying about death. Is it my worry, or I have sleep apnea?

About Anxiety in Sleep Disorders

Anxiety is one of the most common mental problem associated with sleep disorders. It's not unusual that if you have anxiety disorder, then this will be the cause of your sleep disturbances, like insomnia.

The most common anxiety disorders that can cause sleep disturbance are:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) - with symptoms of anxiety that are driven by worry, which last for at least 5-6 month.

In this type of anxiety disorder, there are symptoms related to sleep apnea, such as fatigue, restlessness, irritability, poor concentration...but doesn't mean that you have a link between sleep apnea and anxiety.



• Panic disorder - with somatic symptoms such as chest pain, heart palpitations, tachycardia, the impression that they are going to die.

Now, this type of anxiety is familiar to me. A person with panic attacks is more likely to involve sleep apnea in his problems. And I will tell you why.

Panic attacks may occur not only during the daytime, but during sleep, as well. It's understandable why a patient with panic attack ask himself if there is a link between sleep apnea and anxiety. The symptoms are almost the same:


• severely impaired sleep


• frequent awakenings


• decreased sleep efficiency


• increased movement time


• fear of going to bed


• insomnia

Well, maybe you don't have these problems with your anxiety disorder. However, insomnia, increased wake time after sleep onset and decreased sleep efficiency are the most common symptoms in patients with anxiety.

Scientists have discovered that anxiety and sleep apnea have something in common. Sleep apnea events have been shown to be increased in patients with panic or anxiety disorder. The interesting part is that all the symptoms of sleep apnea may possibly provoke the nocturnal panic attacks.

Bottom line...if you have sleep apnea and you don't even know you have it, it's possible to develop in time panic attacks or anxiety during sleep.

That's why is so important to evaluate your symptoms in a sleep lab, with polysomnography (PSG). So do not neglect the advice to take the sleep study, if you wonder if you have anxiety and sleep apnea.

If you are really interested in anxiety and techniques to stop panic attacks, you can learn more from here.

People who read about Sleep Apnea and Anxiety also read about:

• Sleep apnea death


• Alternative cures for sleep apnea

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