Insomnia And Emotions, What Is Their Relationship?

Emotions are really powerful, so much so that some can even become somatized in the body. This is why they also influence rest, generating insomnia problems.

More and more people find it difficult to sleep well and, perhaps, the reason is in the relationship between insomnia and emotions. But what is insomnia, what emotions are usually associated with it, and how can this situation be resolved? This is what we will discover today.

The insomnia

The Sleep Institute (IIS) distinguishes between two types of insomnia, the initial one and the maintenance one. Onset insomnia is one in which it is impossible to fall asleep during the first half hour.

When it is achieved, maintenance insomnia, in which nocturnal awakenings occur, may also appear. To fall asleep again it takes half an hour, so in the end the rest time is reduced to very few hours and it is not used well.

The first emotion that is linked to insomnia, be it initial or maintenance, is stress. Being constantly alert and with your nerves on the surface prevents you from resting well. Therefore, it is convenient to tackle this problem at its roots, since when stress is chronic it is more difficult to tackle, although not impossible.

Also, in addition to stress there is anxiety. A feeling of worry, anguish, and fear that affects sleep. Let’s take a closer look at this.

Stress affects sleep

Stress is a growing problem today. More and more people are seeking help to combat it. But one of the most worrying consequences of stress is that it ends up affecting sleep. In fact, this is one of the first red flags that may indicate that there is a stress problem that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

Although we do not give importance to sleep, it is extremely necessary that it be of quality. It is true that not all people need to sleep the same hours to feel good. For some, five hours is enough; for others, it takes about eight to wake up with energy to face the day.

However, the relationship between insomnia and emotions can cause imbalances in all this. This is when stress can prevent restful sleep, even if it is sought.

Insomnia and emotions, when the chronic problem arises

The National Sleep Institute explains very clearly that a transient sleep problem can become chronic if it is not resolved in time. Above all, this happens when the reason for insomnia is stress. In addition, something very curious occurs.

Lack of sleep or poor rest only increase stress levels, which generates greater alertness and activation that prevents rest. It is like the dog that bites its tail. A problem that feeds itself.

When the problem is anxiety

Anxiety is also a sensation that can cause insomnia or that can arise because of it. Lack of sleep will only increase discomfort, generating worries and a feeling of increasing anxiety that can worsen over time.

Anxiety due to not performing at work, being tired all the time, being very sleepy but being unable to reconcile it… It is not a pleasant situation, but fortunately it has a solution.

Insomnia and emotions: assessing the situation

There is something very important that the Official College of Psychology of Madrid (COP) tells us. Stress is not negative, rather necessary, but as long as we manage it properly.

At the moment when stress, instead of activating us to move forward, affects our well-being and health causing anxiety problems, for example, we find ourselves facing a problem that must be solved as soon as possible. In this way, we prevent it from affecting our quality of life.

Therefore, when the relationship between insomnia and emotions becomes more and more present, notorious and unpleasant, it is time to make an assessment of the situation. What is happening in our life now? Is there a new person?

There are circumstances that we are not usually aware of and that may be causing that stress or anxiety that affects our rest.

Seeking professional help is essential to prevent insomnia and emotions from continuing to maintain a relationship that affects our lives.

Poor sleep reduces our productivity, stress prevents us from relaxing even when we are on vacation, and anxiety prevents us from enjoying the present moment. You have to cut the feedback that exists between the link of insomnia and emotions. To do this, we cannot do it alone.