ANXIETY STATES

Sleep disturbances and anxiety disorders

Sleep disturbances and anxiety disorders are among the most frequent pathologies of the new millennium. According to the most recent statistics, about 1 in 5 people have problems related to sleep or linked to anxiety states, or even with both disorders.

The latter possibility seems to be due to the fact that these problems are often linked to one another: in fact, disorders related to anxiety states can lead to insomnia and, on the other hand, not resting adequately can lead to an altered psychic state during the day.

These conditions can play a role that goes beyond the simple psychic sphere: in fact, one of the most frequent physical responses that may affect people with anxiety disorders is anxiety-related tachycardia, also known as “rapid heartbeat”, This which can be attenuated with the reduction of the feeling of anxiety.

Anxiety is a state of physical and psychological tension that has a completely natural foundation that from the very beginning served and still serves as a tool for innate survival which operates in case of danger. From a somatic point of view, anxiety gives rise to an alteration of parameters such as heart rate, causing an increase in heart rate. In addition to tachycardia, anxiety can also cause other symptoms such as chest pain or a sense of tightness in the throat.

Anxiety becomes pathological, therefore problematic, when this “protective mechanism” is activated even when there is in fact no danger. This determines a series of effects such as mood alteration, frequent visceral somatization and problems related to insomnia.

The control of the anxiety state, through drugs and/or food supplements, can lead to an improvement in symptoms and a significant improvement in the quality of life.

Anxiety

Insomnia

Insomnia is a very widespread sleep disorder all over the world. The most updated statistics show that about 20% of people suffer from chronic insomnia, with a distribution of the problem according to age and sex. In fact, women and people over the age of 55 are more prone to this problem.

There are different types of insomnia depending on the duration of the problem:

– Occasional, when it only lasts a few days
– Transient, when it lasts less than 3 weeks
– Chronic, when it lasts more than 1 month

Insomnia is a multifactorial problem determined by various causes that are sometimes difficult to identify. This is especially the case with the so-called primary insomnia, in which the patient is apparently healthy and there do not seem to be any causes to justify this pathology. However, a recognized cause is anxiety disorder, which generates the so-called secondary insomnia, that is, resulting from another medical condition.

Tachycardia is a situation in which there is a rapid heartbeat, thus resulting in an irregular heart rhythm called “palpitation”, which in addition to being annoying often also leads to concern.

But what is the cause of this correlation between anxiety and tachycardia? The explanation lies in the fact that anxiety is a defense mechanism that leads to an increase in the heart rate, to prepare the body for a dangerous situation. For this reason, when anxiety becomes a pathology and is no longer linked to dangerous situations, tachycardia also becomes uncontrolled during the day.

Anxiety-based tachycardia is distinguished from organic tachycardia because it has pulsations that oscillate between 120 and 130 beats per minute, while organic tachycardia has a higher rhythm ranging from 180 beats upwards. In addition, the tachycardia generated by anxiety goes out once calm is restored. Therefore, acting on anxiety often also means acting on the anxiety-related tachycardia.

Anxiety-related tachycardia

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