Sleep and anxiety: From mechanisms to interventions
Sarah L Chellappa1, Daniel Aeschbach2
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Germany.
Sleep Medicine Reviews
|January 3, 2022
Summary
Sleep loss worsens anxiety by affecting brain networks. This review explores brain mechanisms, neurotransmitters, and treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, highlighting slow wave sleep as a potential anxiety therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Anxiety disorders are globally prevalent, with sleep disturbances like insomnia affecting approximately 50% of individuals.
- Insufficient sleep is a significant factor that can trigger or worsen anxiety symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the brain mechanisms linking sleep and anxiety.
- To discuss the impact of sleep loss on brain networks and the benefits of sleep.
- To explore neurotransmitter systems, particularly the adenosinergic system, in relation to anxiety, arousal, and sleep.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of human functional and structural neuroimaging studies.
- Review of molecular imaging studies on neurotransmitter systems.
- Examination of current sleep interventions for anxiety.
Main Results:
- Sleep loss impacts specific brain networks, exacerbating anxiety.
- Sleep positively influences these anxiety-related brain networks.
- The adenosinergic system plays a key role in modulating anxiety, arousal, and sleep.
Conclusions:
- Current treatments for anxiety-related insomnia include medications and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
- A subset of individuals with anxiety (up to 30%) show non-responsiveness to standard treatments.
- Novel approaches like non-invasive brain stimulation targeting slow wave sleep offer potential therapeutic benefits for anxiety and sleep disturbances.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
577
Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic...
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic...
577
01:23Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
765
Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
765
01:29Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone
1.5K
Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...
1.5K
01:27Insomnia
170
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
Multiple factors contribute...
170
01:19Management of Insomnia
336
The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
336
01:18Nightmares and Night Terrors
176
Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares...
Nightmares...
176