But what’s worse is the feeling of worry about the fact you can’t sleep - and it can leave you cycling between never-ending insomnia and stress.
Sleep anxiety, also known as sleep dread, is the fear of not being able to fall or stay asleep, and can often come with other mental health struggles such as anxiety or depression, reports Metro UK.
Good sleep is not just a matter of "making the right choices". Photo / 123rf
While it’s not the same as the fear of sleep itself, somniphobia, several of the symptoms are similar - whether you experience anxiety or panic when bedtime approaches, you lie awake even when you’re exhausted, or you experience mood swings or irritability during the daytime.
Psychiatrist Alexander Obolsky tells Metro UK people can “get anxious because they think they’re not sleeping enough”. It’s like a type of performance anxiety, referred to by Harvard professor Daniel M. Wegner as “the ironic process of mental control”.
The less sleep we get, the more anxious we become, as our brains and bodies are deprived of the recharge they need to function properly.
Neuropsychiatrist and co-founder of The London Sleep Centre Dr Irshaad Ebrahim explains to Metro UK, “When our internal neurochemical systems are working normally, they regulate biological processes like sleep, appetite, mood and energy levels.”
A cup of coffee might provide you some pep, but it won’t fully make up for lost sleep. Photo / Getty Images
“Many people’s sleep issues are worsened through anticipatory stress, whereby we fear an outcome before the event has taken place. When this happens repeatedly, a cycle begins to form.
“The stress-sleep cycle is when feelings of stress stop you from achieving a sufficient night’s sleep, or when the thought of not achieving a good night’s sleep intensifies feelings of stress, thus exacerbating the cycle and making it harder to break.”
We all know we should be getting at least seven hours of sleep at night, but the quality as well as the quantity of our sleep is hugely important.
Sleep psychologist Dr Katherine Hall explains to Metro UK there are two types of sleep we need to get all the benefits of a good night’s rest: REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM.
“Non-REM sleep is the part of the sleep cycle that will be most difficult to reach if you are constantly worrying about actually falling asleep, as your mind and body aren’t relaxed properly and in the right state to sleep.
“Worrying and anxiety can cause you to stay in a light sleep, and unfortunately, this means that you may not reach a properly fulfilled non-REM state.”
Each stage of non-REM sleep causes your body to fall deeper into complete relaxation, she explains, adding that if you don’t get to the third and deepest stage, you increase your risk of a range of health issues, from poor concentration to heart disease and strokes.
If you regularly worry about getting enough sleep, it might seem like thinking about the health dangers a lack of sleep can pose will increase your fears.
But realising you have those fears can simply be the first step to improving your sleep overall, as studies have shown recognising and adjusting your expectations when it comes to sleep can help improve it long-term.
