Why Do My Anxiety Symptoms Feel Stronger After Good Sleep?

Video Transcript

Ever since my anxiety has gotten bad, my sleep has been disrupted. But I've noticed that my anxiety symptoms feel much stronger when I get 6 or 7 hours of sleep than when I get 3 or fewer hours of sleep. Is this normal?

First, since each person is somewhat physiologically, psychologically, and emotionally unique, each person can have a unique anxiety symptom experience. That includes how anxiety affects sleep and how sleep affects anxiety symptoms. While one person might experience an uptick in symptoms based on their sleep habits, another might not.

That said, it is common for people who have chronic sleep problems to have their anxiety symptoms increase when they get good sleep and decrease when their sleep is chronically disrupted.

Research shows that chronic sleep disruption can cause "sleep inertia" – feeling groggy, disoriented, foggy-headed, and dizzy upon waking up after a long period of sleep deprivation.

When you experience several nights of poor, fragmented sleep, your body builds up a significant "sleep debt". When you finally get an extended period of consolidated sleep to pay back that debt, your brain remains in a sort of "sleep mode" for a period after waking up.

In a sense, the brain is temporarily sluggish as it transitions from the intense recovery process of deep sleep back to being fully awake and alert.

The more severe your sleep deprivation was beforehand, the more pronounced the sleep inertia effect tends to be upon getting restorative sleep. It can take up to 4 or more hours for the sleep inertia symptoms to fully dissipate after a sleep binge following sleep debt.

Keep in mind that sleep inertia symptoms can mimic anxiety symptoms.

So, while catching up on sleep is necessary, the initial payback period can leave you feeling worse before you start feeling better after sleep recovery. Staying hydrated, exposure to bright light, and being active can help shake off the effects of sleep inertia faster.

Furthermore, cortisol is one of the body's most powerful stress hormone stimulants. Chronically elevated circulating cortisol levels, often caused by chronic anxiety, are a main factor contributing to hyperstimulation and its symptoms. Remember, chronic anxiety symptoms are caused by a chronically overstimulated body, which we call hyperstimulation.

Sleep deprivation can lead to cortisol insensitivity, reducing the body's response to cortisol. Since anxiety symptoms are often caused by elevated levels of circulating cortisol, a reduction in cortisol sensitivity can cause a reduction in anxiety symptoms.

For instance, sleep deprivation is associated with higher afternoon and evening cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol due to sleep deprivation can disrupt sleep further, creating a vicious cycle of insomnia and high cortisol.

However, studies show chronic sleep deprivation can result in cortisol insensitivity, where cells become resistant to cortisol's effects. Cortisol insensitivity can cause lower cortisol levels in the morning, reducing overall stimulation and its effects on anxiety symptoms.

While acute sleep deprivation initially raises cortisol levels, chronic sleep loss can create cortisol insensitivity, reducing overall stimulation and a reduction in anxiety symptoms.

Overall, sleep inertia can cause an increase in anxiety symptoms when you get good sleep after chronic sleep loss, and cortisol insensitivity can cause a reduction in anxiety symptoms when your sleep is chronically cut short.

While you might get a reduction in anxiety symptoms when your sleep is regularly disrupted, chronic sleep loss isn't healthy. Getting regular good sleep is best because it's healthier overall and reduces cortisol in the long run.

Regular good sleep is one of the "silver bullet" treatments for anxiety disorder because of its stress-reducing, mood-enhancing, and cortisol-reducing benefits.

If you are dealing with sleep problems, Chapter 18 in the Recovery Support area has many articles on sleep and how to restore good sleep naturally.