How To Treat Anxiety Sleep Disorder
Anxiety sleep disorders can be caused by anxiety, stress, or a combination of the two. Here are some ways to treat anxiety sleep disorders.
Lifestyle
The first step to treating anxiety sleep disorders is to try to get rid of the cause of anxiety and stress through non-medicated ways. First, start by making a list of all the things that make you stressed. Try to think of ways that you can cut these things from your life, or ways to make them less stressful, and then put your plan into action. You can also try self-soothing techniques such as yoga, aromatherapy, repetitive motion hobbies such as knitting and crotchet or massage.
Therapy
Therapy is another form of non-medication treatment for anxiety sleep disorder. In fact, many doctors prescribe therapy in conjunction with medication because they find that the combination is more effective for long-term treatment.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a common type of anxiety disorder therapy that is used for all types of anxiety. This method is a three-fold treatment that focuses on the cognitive (thinking and belief processes), behavioral, and emotional. This can include working to stop negative thoughts before bedtime, finding ways to de-stress in addition to the ways above, and learning techniques to calm.
Medication
You may want to start with over-the-counter medications before asking you doctor for a prescription. There are many good over-the-counter sleep aids. Make sure you can give yourself at least eight hours to sleep the medication off, and use them only when you are about to go to sleep. Make sure to talk to your doctor before hand if you are taking any other type of medication to avoid complications.
Another over-the-counter method you may want to try is taking herbal remedies. Herbs such as chamomile, green tea, black cohosh, California poppy root, boneset, lemon balm, catnip, and oat fiber all have calming effects on the nerves and promote sleep. Many of these can be drunk in a tea form or taken as a capsule.
Prescribed medications are often reserved for those with sever anxiety sleep disorder. Many contain what is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, and antidepressants. All three have many side effects and should be taken only under the care of a doctor. In fact, the FDA has put out a warning on all antidepressants. Anyone taking them may be more susceptible to suicide, especially when they first start to take them or when their dosage is changed.
