Soon, just the sight of their bed, the mention of the word “sleep,” or the tick of the clock toward 10:00 pm can trigger anxiety and render a person wide awake. Ultimately, sufferers get stuck in a chronic loop of anxiety-insomnia-anxiety. These habits lead to further hyperarousal, which naturally, causes more insomnia. On top of that, there are all of the habits that come along with not getting adequate sleep-compulsively looking at the clock, worrying about not getting to sleep, trying to “force” oneself to sleep. Being in a chronic state of fight-or-flight can make getting good sleep extremely challenging. It continuously sends out alarm signals making the sufferer feel like something is always wrong, even when there is truly no danger. When the limbic system becomes impaired in this way, its protective mechanisms fire more rapidly and inappropriately. The stressors essentially overwhelm the brain, changing the circuitry in the limbic system. For example, getting in a car accident while attending graduate school and then coming down with a viral infection. The stress or trauma that leads to this impairment can be either mental or physical and usually includes a “perfect storm” of stressful events. When the limbic system becomes overstimulated due to stress or trauma, it can become chronically activated or “turned on,” leading to a number of symptoms and conditions, including insomnia. The limbic system is a set of structures in the brain that help us detect and respond to threats to our safety. While these conditions might seem unrelated at first glance, they all stem from brain circuitry that’s stuck in a fight-or-flight pattern, which can cause all sorts of wide-reaching symptoms and conditions.Īt its core, insomnia is the result of an impairment in a part of the brain called the limbic system. Over time, a chronic lack of sleep can increase the risk of more serious health problems, including:Īdditionally, insomnia often co-occurs with other limbic system disorders, including general anxiety disorder, depression, chronic Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, post-viral fatigue, and multiple chemical sensitivities.
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