There’s no doubt that stress is one of the contributors to insomnia. But, then, dealing with chronic insomnia causes added stress, which then leads to more stress-related insomnia. In short, it is a vicious cycle. So, how do you fight against it? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the role of stress and anxiety in insomnia and how you can deal with it so that you finally get a good night’s sleep.

The Link Between Stress and Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by having difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. It remarkably affects sleep quality and results in sleep deprivation and fatigue. One of the main insomnia triggers is stress because people tend to start worrying about their problems as soon as they lie in bed.

Experiencing stress-related insomnia may also come along with:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Fatigue
• Focus and coordination issues
• Poor motivation
• Irritability
• Depression
• Sleep anxiety

Stress Insomnia Types

Based on the type of stress you are experiencing, acute or chronic, the severity and duration of your insomnia symptoms can vary.

Acute Stress

People suffering from acute stress typically face a sudden, yet temporary, cause of stress and anxiety such as:

• Having a major argument with a partner, family member, or a close friend
• Having an important project or change at work
• Getting an unexpected bill or expense that you cannot cover
• Being sick or suffering from acute pain

Luckily, sleep resolves on its own once these stressors are sorted out.

Chronic Stress

On the other side, some chronic stressors can contribute to developing long-term insomnia issues and interfere with sleep such as:

• Mental health conditions
• Job dissatisfaction or poor work-life balance
• Unhealthy relationships or divorce
• Poor living conditions or poverty
• Chronic health issues and conditions
• Mental health issues

In such cases, stress and insomnia create a vicious cycle that requires professional treatment to be eliminated.

Strategies for Managing Stress Insomnia

Various strategies can help you manage your stress levels and thus improve sleep. Here are some examples:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Although it may sound surprising, body tension can contribute to sleeping issues. Even if you don’t realize that you are stressed about something, your body can feel the effects of stress which results in muscle stiffness. In this situation, you should try progressive muscle relaxation. It is an approved evidence-based insomnia treatment option that will help you eliminate stress from your body.

Stress Journal

Keeping a stress journal comes along with many health and stress management benefits. Journaling will help you clear your mind and process the emotions that are causing you sleep issues. Also, it is a great tool for brainstorming and creating plans for how to manage your stressful situations. So, next time you are worrying about something while trying to fall asleep, get out of bed and put your thoughts on paper.

Perspective Change

If you are stuck in the stress-insomnia vicious circle, a change of perspective can help you a lot. Try observing stress-related situations from different angles. This can help you identify missed chances and potential solutions to what once was irreversible or unsolvable. In many cases, stress-related insomnia is a natural response to difficult situations. But, by identifying the situation as a challenge instead of a threat, you can take action towards solving it.

The bottom line, chronic insomnia, including stress-related insomnia is treatable. Therefore, if you are struggling with persistent sleep issues, seek professional help so that you get the right treatment.

Did you know that mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can increase the risk of getting heart disease? These mental health conditions can also occur after a heart attack or heart surgery. With that in mind, we can conclude that there is a strong relationship between mental health and cardiac health. Now, if you want to learn more about their connection, continue reading below.

Mental Health Conditions Linked to Heart Disease

People often use mental health to describe conditions like anxiety and depression. However, mental health goes beyond that. It is a state of mental well-being that allows people to deal with stress, understand their abilities, learn and work well, etc.

As already noted, out of the many mental health conditions, anxiety and depression are most commonly linked to heart disease. So, let’s have a closer look at them.

Anxiety

In short, anxiety is a mental health condition characterized by feeling worried or stressed. Now you may think that it is normal to have worries or be stressed sometimes. But, for people with anxiety, these feelings occur for no reason and continue for a long time, i.e. they don’t go away after the stressful situation ends or the stressor is eliminated. As a result, these people struggle with everyday life.

Although anxiety symptoms vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder, common signs and symptoms include:

• Racing heart
• Tightening of the chest
• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Hot or cold flushes
• Panic attacks
• Extreme fear or catastrophizing
• Obsessive thinking
• Compulsive behavior

Unfortunately, heart disease is one of the many anxiety triggers, but with the right medical help, it can be successfully managed and treated.

Depression

Depression is a condition that harms both physical and mental health. It is much more than just a low mood. We all may be sad or moody from time to time. However, depressed people experience sadness and moodiness excessively and intensely, for weeks or months.

This mental health condition affects the sufferer in many ways, including their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Common depression signs and symptoms include:

• Absence of interest in activities that they once enjoyed
• Unwilling to spend time with family or friends
• Lack of concentration and productivity
• Poor decision-making and low confidence
• Increased alcohol consumption
• Loss or boost of appetite resulting in weight loss or gain
• Sleeping issues
• Increased moodiness, frustration, and irritability
• Feeling miserable, worthless, helpless, etc.
• Having negative thoughts

As with anxiety, heart disease can trigger depression, but luckily, there are effective treatments that can help in managing and treating the condition.

How to Look After Your Mental and Cardiac Health?

The first thing you should do to avoid mental health and cardiac health issues is to maintain positive social connections as they foster both our mental and physical health. Furthermore, you should implement healthy lifestyle changes which include:

• Getting the recommended amount of sleep
• Trying some relaxation techniques
• Reducing stress levels
• Being physically active daily
• Following a healthy diet
• Reducing alcohol consumption
• Quitting smoking

In addition, you should speak to your doctor and do regular checkups so that you can get the optimal treatment for your condition. And, last but not least, if you’re struggling with your mental health, knowing you aren’t alone is key. Therefore, seek support and stay connected.

Hypertension, which is the medical term for high blood pressure, can negatively affect the entire body, and especially cardiac health, for years before its symptoms even appear. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm HG) – 130/80 mm Hg or higher is considered hypertension, i.e. high blood pressure.

With the right treatment and lifestyle changes you can control hypertension if you already have high blood pressure. And, if your pressure is normal, you can take precautions like healthy lifestyle habits and prevent hypertension. Unfortunately, if left untreated, the damage hypertension does to the body can eventually lead to poor quality of life, disability, heart attack, stroke, and even death.

Here's how hypertension impacts cardiac health:

Arteries Damage

In general, healthy arteries are those that are elastic, flexible, and strong with a smooth inner lining that allows blood to flow freely, supplying oxygen and nutrients to vital organs and tissues.

But, in people with hypertension, the pressure of blood flowing through the arteries increases which can result in:

• Damaged and narrowed arteries – the cells of the inner lining of the arteries can become damaged as a result of high blood pressure. So, fats and food from the bloodstream can collect in these damaged arteries which leads to non-elastic artery walls that limit blood flow throughout the entire body.
• Aneurysm – over time, a part of an artery wall can bulge, forming an aneurysm, if there’s a constant pressure of blood traveling through a weak artery. Aneurysms typically form in the aorta, i.e. the largest artery in the body. Yet, they can also form in any artery. An aneurysm can burst and result in internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening.

Heart Damage

In addition to damage to the arteries, hypertension can also result in various heart conditions, such as:

• Coronary artery disease – as already noted, high blood pressure can over time damage and narrow the arteries supplying blood to the heart which develops into a condition called coronary artery disease. The heart doesn’t get enough supply of blood resulting in chest pain, known as angina, then leading to abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias. Or, it can even cause a heart attack.
• Heart failure – hypertension puts a significant strain on the heart which can result in weakened heart muscle or it can cause the heart muscle to become stiff and not work properly. Over time, the strained heart begins to fail.
• Enlarged left heart – hypertension makes the heart work harder in order to supply blood to the body. As a result, the lower left heart chamber, known as the left ventricle, thickens and enlarges, leading to a higher risk of heart attack and heart failure. Also, it raises the risk of sudden cardiac death which is the medical term for when the heart stops beating suddenly.
• Metabolic syndrome –last but not least, hypertension can increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome which is a combination of conditions that can cause heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. In short, hypertension, high blood sugar, high triglycerides levels, low HDL cholesterol levels, and excessive fat around the waist, are the conditions making up the metabolic syndrome.

In conclusion, hypertension is a serious condition that shouldn’t be left untreated. Therefore, perform regular check-ups so that you can catch it on time and get the right treatment.

There’s no doubt that allergies and asthma go hand in hand. They often occur together and have lots in common besides making you miserable. For example, both allergy symptoms and asthma symptoms can be triggered by the same substances such as dust mites, pet dander, and pollen. Also, some people may experience asthma symptoms as a result of skin or food allergies, which is called allergy-induced asthma or allergic asthma.

So, what’s the connection between allergies and asthma? Continue reading below to find out more.

How Can Allergic Reactions Cause Asthma Symptoms?

When antibodies, which are immune system proteins, mistakenly identify tree pollen, pet dander, or another harmless substance as an invader, an allergic response occurs. The antibodies try to protect the body from the substance by binding to the allergen.

Then, the immune system releases chemicals that trigger allergy signs and symptoms, which may include runny nose, nasal congestion, skin reactions, itchy eyes, etc. However, for some people, the same reaction can negatively affect the lungs and airways, resulting in asthma symptoms.

Does Treatment for Allergies and Asthma Differ?

In general, most treatments are used for treating either asthma or allergic rhinitis. However, there are some treatment options that can be used for both conditions, including:

• Leukotriene modifier – a type of medication used for alleviating symptoms of both asthma and allergic rhinitis. It is taken daily to help control the release of immune system chemicals during an allergic reaction.

• Allergy shots (immunotherapy) – these shots are used for treating asthma by gradually decreasing the response of the immune system to specific allergy triggers. Allergy injections, consisting of a tiny amount of the allergen, are administered regularly to help the immune system build up tolerance over time, eventually overcoming the allergy.

As a result of eliminating allergic reactions, asthma symptoms are reduced as well. Yet, this treatment option requires time, so you should be patient.

• Anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) therapy – the antibodies released by the immune system when it mistakenly identifies a harmful substance, are known as IgE. When you are exposed to an allergen, the IgE antibodies send signals to the immune system to release histamine and other chemicals in your bloodstream.

This therapy uses a medication called omalizumab (Xolair) which interferes with these antibodies and thus helps prevent an allergic reaction that triggers asthma attacks.

In addition, if your asthma or allergy symptoms progress and become severe over time, ensure you visit your doctor for additional medications. And, of course, if you know what substances trigger your symptoms, it is crucial that you try to avoid them.

Finally, remember that although allergic asthma is quite common, other types of asthma have different triggers. For example, asthma symptoms can be triggered by stress, gastroesophageal reflux disease, infections, cold air, or exercise.

Conclusion

Allergies and asthma often occur together and have many things in common. To avoid the symptoms, you must limit your exposure to the substances that trigger them. Plus, as symptoms can change over time, you have to visit your doctor regularly for checkups and adjust the treatment as needed.