Sleep anxiety: a personal story

January 27, 2022

Sleep anxiety is a feeling of stress of fear about going to sleep. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. Most research suggests that people with mental health disorders such as anxiety also have some kind of sleep disorder. Sleep anxiety is the fear or worry about going to sleep. The person may feel apprehensive about not falling asleep or being able to stay asleep. This diagnosis of sleep anxiety is different than the typical phobia about sleep which is called somniphobia. Let’s face it, problems with sleep and having an anxiety disorder go hand in hand. I had no idea about sleep anxiety until I saw it up close and personal with my daughter. My daughter would consistently worry about if she “was going to get good sleep”. Her constant worry about sleep made me look into the issue. So what is sleep anxiety? Let me break it down. Anxiety is a natural part of being human. We’re meant to feel afraid or worried in dangerous situations. Anxiety trigger our bodies to release hormones that help us react quickly to escape harm. But if you have chronic anxiety, you might feel stress or worry all the time. You may feel fearful of everyday situations like driving to work or in this case, even falling asleep or getting good sleep. I started to understand that her worrying over sleep was her way of stating that she was having anxiety. My husband and I started to encourage her to talk about her worries. We explained that her worry about “good sleep” was a symptom of her anxiety and that if we managed her anxiety she would overall sleep better. We started to do research on subject and applied some basic tips to help her prevent her sleep anxiety. We started to exercise as a family, at first just a simple walk. We built a sleep hygiene routine to help get her mind and body ready and to start calming her down for better sleep. She started practicing “sleep better” yoga routines on YouTube and of course we provided her with her own therapist. It was not about one thing that improved her overall sleep anxiety but it was integrating many different techniques that inevitable helped her with her overall anxiety.

A man is sitting on a couch talking to a woman who is writing on a clipboard.

Digital tools for mental health

January 27, 2022
Mental health and technology prior to the pandemic did not go together. But in the past 18 months, I am not sure how we could have provided care to the millions that needed it without technology. The National Institute of Mental health NIH recently wrote an interesting article of “Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment”. Stating that “technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public, doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing”. In my opinion and it appears to be the opinion of the nation, digital tools will continue to be used as a way to connect national
A man is helping an older man with his shoulder while sitting on a bed.

The healing power of music

January 27, 2022
Music as therapy has shown positive and beneficial effects in managing a host of medical conditions, like high blood pressure, as well as an effective treatment for some mental health conditions. Usually, music therapy is a part of a multi-pronged integrative approach to care, music therapists work with doctors, nurses, social workers, and other practitioners to alleviate depression, trauma, schizophrenia, and more. But you don’t need to be a music therapist to understand and use the benefits of music to heal and soothe yourself. I have seen the power of music therapy at work when I was at the Wounded Warrior Battalion West in Camp Pendleton when I worked as the integrative therapist with the Marines that were ill and injured. It was quite powerful to see Marines healing from a drum circle or just playing music with fellow Marines. The difference between music therapy and just a jam session is the part that talks about how the music spoke to them. The process was simple but impactful. The group would check in on mood in the beginning of the session and then at the end and each week the mood coming in improved significantly when checking out. How can you integrate music to help with your mood? It does not need to be playing an instrument if you don’t know how the simple act of listening to music that moves you or makes you feel at peace can be beneficial to your mood and health. If you can play an instrument, be mindful of your mood before you play and see the change in your mood after you connect with yourself. If you can and want to participate in a music therapy group, check out www.musictherapy.org and find a group in your area.