user icon
Sharing a bed can put a strain on some relationships, causing sleep disturbances for one or both partners. A 2018 survey found that 46% of Americans in a relationship would rather sleep alone at least part of the time. A 2016 study from Germany showed that sleep issues and relationship problems tend to occur simultaneously. Not sharing a marital bed is becoming many couples’ dream, the New York Times wrote. Healthy couples who sleep separately can be as happy as those who sleep together, studies show.

Dealing with anxiety? Deep sleep may help, researchers say

Life
By

A sleepless night can increase anxiety by up to 30% the next day, study shows

More than 40 million adults in the United States deal with an anxiety disorder of some kind, which makes it the most common mental illness in the country, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

While anxiety disorders develop from a variety of risk factors — such as life events, genetics and personality — there are also a variety of treatment options that can help.

» RELATED: Getting more shut eye may help your heart health, study shows

According to new research, deep sleep may be among the most reliable and readily available treatments. 

The study, published in Nature, found that not sleeping enough can lead to changes in the brain that are linked to higher levels of anxiety. 

But, researchers note, it’s not just getting enough sleep that’s important, it also matters what kind of sleep you log. 

» RELATED: Rising number of workers are short on sleep, especially in health care, study shows

High-quality, non-REM sleep — often called deep sleep — is the most effective at reducing anxiety levels the following day, researchers found. They also noted that a sleepless night can make you up to 30% more anxious the next day.

"Deep sleep had restored the brain's prefrontal mechanism that regulates our emotions, lowering emotional and physiological reactivity and preventing the escalation of anxiety," said Eti Ben Simon, the study's lead author.

» RELATED: To decrease risk of Alzheimer's, quantity and quality of sleep matters, study finds

The study initially looked at 18 participants. Researchers found that anxiety levels were significantly lower following a full night’s sleep, especially for people who logged more non-REM, slow-wave sleep.

They then looked to replicate the results with a larger group and through an online survey of 280 participants. Across the groups, the results confirmed that the participants who got more deep sleep were less likely to report symptoms of anxiety the next day.

"People with anxiety disorders routinely report having disturbed sleep, but rarely is sleep improvement considered as a clinical recommendation for lowering anxiety,” Simon said. "Our study not only establishes a causal connection between sleep and anxiety, but it identifies the kind of deep, non-REM sleep we need to calm the overanxious brain."

Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.

Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.

Download the new AJC app. More local news, more breaking news and in-depth journalism.
AJC.com. Atlanta. News. Now.

Download the new AJC app. More local news, more breaking news and in-depth journalism.
AJC.com. Atlanta. News. Now.

With the largest team in the state, the AJC reports what’s really going on with your tax dollars and your elected officials. Subscribe today. Visit the AJC's Georgia Navigator for the latest in Georgia politics.

Your subscription to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism. Visit the AJC's Georgia Navigator for the latest in Georgia politics.

X