Sleep News Monthly || April 2018 Special Edition: Sleeping in Times of Chaos & Anxiety

More than ever, Americans are dealing with stressful situations in their lives. Lost sleep easily falls as a casualty to unchecked anxiety in times of chaos.

 

SleepNews Monthly is SHC’s monthly effort to showcase the latest in sleep health links culled from recently published sleep health news.

Topics are thematic and categorized in newspaper-like “sections” for your convenience in scanning. SHC does not publish every single link it finds, but vets what is available online to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information for you.

Who is this monthly news curation for? Note our subtitle: “News that Everyone Can Use… Because Everyone Can Use Some Sleep.” SleepNews Monthly is for ordinary people, sleep-disordered patients, families, all kinds of healthcare practitioners, medical students at every level, policymakers, trend trackers.

If you have thoughts about any of these topics, themes, or headlines, feel free to share them in the comments below! We love to hear from readers! —The Curator

 

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Note: Some links lead to content requiring access through a paywall. These obstacles are beyond our control. Links to abstracts are included here regardless, so the general public can still get a basic understanding and awareness of the research being done in these arenas.

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QUICK SEARCH

• YOUNG ADULT STRESS
• WORKPLACE ANXIETY
• EMERGING MENTAL ILLNESS
• DIGITAL DISQUIET
• SOCIAL & POLITICAL UPHEAVAL
• BIOLOGICAL BEDLAM

Check back tomorrow to discover ideas and solutions for dealing with anxiety at bedtime.

Other connections between sleep and anxiety already explored in SHC:

• Racial prejudice violates many Americans’ Right to Sleep 11.15.2017
• Nobody actually sleeps through a hurricane 8.30.2017
• Troubled Sleep (poems) 7.8.2017
• April’s survey of sleep and the 4 Ms: mind, mental, memory, and mood 5.16.2017
• Paradox: Trauma requires sleep to heal, but people with trauma can’t sleep 4.6.2017
• Shedding light on the dark side of personal sleep technology 2.27.2017

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SLEEPING IN TIMES OF CHAOS & ANXIETY

YOUNG ADULT STRESS

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• Dateline: April 26, 2018 from Psychiatric Times

College Students Under Stress

“Sometimes the success or failure of the semester is in question because the student fails to establish a predictable sleep/wake cycle and get to class on time. Chronic sleep deprivation is a major contributor to lack of concentration and focus.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 25, 2018 from Science News for Students

2016 election stressed out some teens and young adults

“Political talk dominated social media for months before and after the election. ‘Nearly all teens and young people use social media,’ [study co-author Tammy] Chang says. So they were constantly exposed to political news and arguments. That could have been a big source of their stress, the researchers now say.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 23, 2018 from Alternet

Here’s Why 1 in 5 College Students Struggle with Anxiety or Depression

“[O]ne study found that almost 50 percent of college students indicated they woke up at night to answer text messages. The same study found that the more people use technology during their sleeping hours, the poorer the quality of their sleep and the higher their rates of depression and anxiety.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 22, 2018 from Psychology Today

Psychosis in Adolescence Caused by Sleep Deprivation

“I heard nothing more for two years when Tim and his family were stranded at Gatwick Airport for three days after the failed 2008 Christmas shoe-bombing. Amid the hubbub of camping out like refugees, Tim had several sleepless nights and by the time he got home sleep-deprivation worsened by time-zone change change precipitated a paranoid episode eerily similar to the one that brought him for treatment in 2006.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 10, 2018 from Sleep Review

Younger Employees More Likely to Lose Sleep Over Work

“Professionals ages 18 to 34 more often lose sleep over work (57%) compared to those ages 35 to 54 (45%), and 55 and older (29%).” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: February 15, 2018 from Lucky Attitude

What Is Making Millennials So Anxious?

“Anxiety can show in difficulty concentrating, tiredness, memory and concentration problems, muscular aches, poor sleep to full-blown panic attacks.” … (click headline for more)

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SLEEPING IN TIMES OF CHAOS & ANXIETY

WORKPLACE ANXIETY

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• Dateline: April 25, 2018 from Independent

‘It was one of the most stressful periods of my life’ – Workplace stress is more common than you think

“’The stress came from my inability to say no. I am extremely efficient. The work was piled on me and because of my own over-diligence I kept doing it and because it was being done to a high standard my boss didn’t feel the need to hire anyone else until I became ill. I was working myself to death.’ After several years of this, [Jackie*] began to experience severe panic attacks. Next she stopped being able to sleep – ‘I was getting about two hours sleep a night.’ This was followed by exhaustion and a diagnosis of severe burnout.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 9, 2018 from BreakingNews.ie

80% of Irish people are sleep deprived; Half experience general anxiety

“A new survey has highlighted the issue of mental wellbeing as a growing problem among Irish workers. …Research on more than 13,000 people by Laya Healthcare has revealed almost 80% of people are sleep deprived. …The survey also reveals that one in four say they struggle financially from each pay day.’” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 6, 2018 from Sleep Review

Bad Behavior at Work Linked to Rumination and Insomnia

“‘After people engage in bad workplace behaviors, they come to realize such bad deeds threaten their positive moral self-image, which creates stress,’ says lead researcher Zhenyu Yuan, a doctoral student studying management and organizations in the UI Tippie College of Business, in a release. ‘As a result, they may keep ruminating over their stress from work, and thus have trouble falling and staying asleep at night.’” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 31, 2018 from Psychology Today

The 24/7/365 Economy, Shift Work, and Sleep

“The effects of shift work sleep disorder can be significant and include poor work performance and increased risk for accidents including those involving motor vehicles. There may also be increased risk for mental health problems.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 29, 2018 from Business Management

We’re wide awake and worrying about work

“According to new research from global staffing firm Accountemps, 44% of professionals often lose sleep over work. Common causes of restlessness include an overwhelming workload, difficult co-worker relationships and fear of being terminated.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 22, 2018 from Harvard Business Review

How Being a Workaholic Differs from Working Long Hours — and Why That Matters for Your Health

“We found that workaholics, whether or not they worked long hours, reported more health complaints and had increased risk for metabolic syndrome; they also reported a higher need for recovery, more sleep problems, more cynicism, more emotional exhaustion, and more depressive feelings than employees who merely worked long hours but did not have workaholic tendencies.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 20, 2018 from Ask a Manager

I slept through an entire day of work

“I was in a new city, with a totally different lifestyle and schedule, and I was only getting around three hours of sleep a night. I would say that probably 65% of sleeplessness was caused by work stress/anxiety and the rest was a mix of lifestyle shake-up, like a new commute and sacrificing sleep to do things like hunt for a new apartment. …I started coming in later and later (the office is flexible, within reason), until one day last week I slept through the ENTIRE day.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: February 27, 2018 from Business Standard

Demanding targets make employees sleep less than 4-6 hours: ASSOCHAM

“As per the findings, about 46% of the workforce in organisations in India suffers from some or the other form of stress. The stress could be related to personal issues, office politics, or performance target issues.” … (click headline for more)

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SLEEPING IN TIMES OF CHAOS & ANXIETY

EMERGING MENTAL ILLNESS

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• Dateline: April 26, 2018 from Psychiatric Advisor

Sleep Disturbances, Trauma Associated With Psychosis-Like Experiences

“At least 1 sleep problem was reported by every participant, most commonly nightmares (96.0%), night anxiety (89.4%), and nonrestorative sleep (85.8%).” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: April 26, 2018 from Release Fact

Neurocore Searches for the Connection Between Sleep and Mental Health

“More than half of patients with anxiety disorders also have sleep problems. Anxiety disorders commonly associated with sleep problems include post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias. Insomnia is a risk factor for developing anxiety. Also, developing insomnia can worsen symptoms of an anxiety disorder.” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: April 21, 2018 from MamaM!a

Sleep deprivation, isolation, anxiety and binge drinking: What Avicii’s life looked like

“[W]hen we look at the evident mental health issues among EDM artists and DJs, perhaps the pressure to curate their perfect public image is also to blame, after all, part of the exciting and exclusive club façade is inevitably damaged when you realise the person telling you to ‘put your hands up’ is sleep deprived and possibly on the verge of a nervous breakdown.” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: March 29, 2018 from The Mighty

7 Types of Anxiety Disorders – Explained by Real People Who Have Them

“In order to be diagnosed [with generalized anxiety disorder], you need to experience three of the following symptoms on more days than not for at least six months: … • Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep)” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: March 15, 2018 from American Academy of Sleep Medicine via Science Daily

Nightmares are common but underreported in US military personnel

“Nearly one in three military personnel meet criteria for nightmare disorder.” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: March 13, 2018 from Well+Good

Stress and anxiety 101: What’s the difference between the two mental-health issues?

“Dr. [Danielle] Forshee notes that untreated anxiety can lead people to ‘feel very on edge and restless, have a hard time concentrating, easily tired, irritable, have muscle tension or have difficulty with sleep.’” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: March 9, 2018 from Time to Change

My own family are ignorant about the symptoms of my PTSD

“Even though I am on 4 different types of medication, I still struggle with sleeping. Often, I have panic attacks. It is not uncommon for me to wake up feeling like I cannot breathe, or to call for help. …My dreams are nightmares.” … (click headline for more)

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SLEEPING IN TIMES OF CHAOS & ANXIETY

DIGITAL DISQUIET

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• Dateline: April 23, 2018 from Psychology Today

Why We Are Stressed Out And What To Do About It

“We face an electronic barrage now: You may have 20 new emails when you’ve been away from your computer or phone for an hour or two, you wake up in the morning and messages are waiting for you, you have texts, you have so much going on that you’re supposed to respond to. And then some of the research suggests that with Facebook there’s the perception that everybody else is doing so much better than you are.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 18, 2018 from PsychCentral

How Much News Should We Expose Ourselves To?

“As described on the Mayo Clinic website, when the stress-response system is activated long term, cortisol and other stress hormones can interfere with other bodily processes, increasing the risk of heart disease, sleep problems, memory impairment, digestive problems, anxiety and depression.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 17, 2018 from Pew Research Center

Concerns about the future of people’s well-being

“Digital duress: Information overload + declines in trust and face-to-face skills + poor interface design = rises in stress, anxiety, depression, inactivity and sleeplessness.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 17, 2018 from Psychology Today

6 Ways That Night-time Phone Use Destroys Your Sleep

“People have a vague idea that using their phone before bed (or in bed) affects their sleep, but that vague awareness usually isn’t enough to seriously change their habit. … You need to change your habit, seriously.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 3, 2018 from Business Insider

If you obsess over your sleep you might have ‘orthosomnia’ — here’s what it means

“We’re constantly told how sleep is incredibly important. …But worrying about getting enough consistent sleep can cause problems too. … ‘Orthosomnia’ is when people obsess over what their sleep tracking apps tell them, and it can lead to even worse sleep as a result.” … (click headline for more)

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SLEEPING IN TIMES OF CHAOS & ANXIETY

SOCIAL & POLITICAL UPHEAVAL

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• Dateline: April 24, 2018 from San Diego Union-Tribune

Caregiver stress: Don’t ignore your No. 1 problem

“About 90 percent of caregivers cite stress as having the most impact on their lives. And many caregivers will also ignore their own health and mental well-being, experiencing depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, high blood pressure and weight gain.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 24, 2018 from teenVogue

Family Rejection Could Be Causing Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People to Lose Sleep, Survey Shows

“The survey results found that adults identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual were more likely to report having problems falling asleep and staying asleep.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 22, 2018 from Hello Giggles

Do you have “ecoanxiety?”

“If you’ve never heard of ecoanxiety, it’s basically what it sounds like. Ecoanxiety occurs when negative news about the environment causes racing thoughts, sleep problems, and an overall feeling of anxiety and uneasiness.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 17, 2018 from Vox

Black Americans don’t sleep as well as white Americans. That’s a problem.

“The sleep gap is essential to understand. It’s a disparity that is both caused by social inequalities and likely to perpetuate them. And that means it could be a ripe target for an intervention that could radically improve millions of American lives.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 4, 2018 from SLEEP

Neighborhood stress and autonomic nervous system activity during sleep  (abstract)

“Evaluation included surveys of neighborhood stress and sleep-related vigilance, and continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) and actigraphic recording in participants’ homes from which heart rate variability (HRV) analysis for low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio and normalized high frequency (nHF), as indicators of SNS and PNS activity, respectively, and total sleep time (TST), and wake after sleep onset were derived.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 3, 2018 from ThinkProgress

GOP congressman ‘outraged’ that homeless people in his county will get a place to sleep

“On March 28, The Los Angeles Times reported that officials in Orange County, California were working to push homeless people out of the area, removing bus benches after complaints that homeless people were sleeping on them, forcing people out of encampments along the Santa Ana River, and vowing to remove a tent city near the Santa Ana Civic Center. No one is sure where those people will go next.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 1, 2018 from MedPage Today

‘Smell the Fear’: Mexican Border Child Trauma — Physicians rally for children in immigrant detention

“On Nov. 9, 2016, a group of pediatricians entered a large warehouse here, the size of a Walmart. Seven hundred children lay on mats on the floor of the “processing center,” with Mylar blankets on them. It was completely quiet, except for the rustling of the blankets. The children were lying on the blankets but they were not asleep. …Chain link pods divided apprehended families by sex — sons separated from their mothers, daughters from their fathers. ‘You can smell the fear,’ said one of the doctors.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 20, 2018 from Chicago Sun-Times

And now, after all the politics, how about a good night’s sleep?

Columnist Phil Kadner: “We all just want to get in bed and sleep. …This is more than a gut feeling that voters would find narcolepsy a relief after months of irritating political commercials. …The evidence exists for all to see. There must be 83 mattress stores within five miles of my house.” … (click headline for more)

 

•  Dateline: March 19, 2018 from Psychology Today

How Authoritarians Make You Sick

“The physical ailments we’re talking about can take many forms. One class of ailments that is epidemic is the class of sleep disorders. How many of the 80,000,000 Americans reporting sleep disorders have had their sleeplessness caused by authoritarian contact? It could be a great many.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 15, 2018 from University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work 

Facing the Fear of Deportation

“Many children with a detained or deported parent experience depression, anger and social isolation that can manifest in erratic physical and mental health behaviors, such as refusal to eat, self-harm, poor sleep, and chronic head and stomach pain, according to MPI [the Migration Policy Institute.].” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: February 25, 2018 from SLEEP

Managing Anxiety in the Age of School Shootings

“Watch for signs that you or your child(ren) may be experiencing vicarious trauma – heightened anxiety, insomnia, separation anxiety, depressed mood, avoidance of school or leaving house, problems concentrating in school.” … (click headline for more)

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SLEEPING IN TIMES OF CHAOS & ANXIETY

BIOLOGICAL BEDLAM

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• Dateline: April 23, 2018 from Drugs.com

Health Tip: Help Control Teeth Grinding

“Grinding teeth at night often is associated with daytime stress, the National Sleep Foundation says.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 6, 2018 from Sleep Review

For Postmenopausal Women, Anxiety Linked to Impaired Quality of Life

“Whether anxiety increases common menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep disruption or whether these symptoms cause increased anxiety remains an ongoing debate.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 3, 2018 from Cosmopolitan

10 physical conditions that could be causing your anxiety

“Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing for a few seconds while sleeping, which can starve your body and brain of oxygen. This can cause you to wake up feeling breathless, or with your heart racing.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 2, 2018 from Psychology Today

Tired All the Time? Constant Striving for Perfection Maybe the Culprit

“Many of my patients talk about how they feel exhausted all the time, no matter how much sleep they get or how often they try to relax. One client told me that she sleeps ten or twelve hours a day, and she’s still tired. …If sleeping enough isn’t the problem, something else must be.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: April 1, 2018 from Pediatric Dentistry and Othodontics of Virginia

Bruxism: What You Need to Know

“Anxiety, anger, and frustration, as well as having a hyperactive or aggressive personality, can lead to bruxism.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 29, 2018 from MindBodyGreen

GABA Benefits & Side Effects: How This Brain Chemical Rules Your Mood & Anxiety Levels

“Research has shown time and time again that GABA can play an important role in sleep quality and duration. In fact, taking GABA extracts has been linked to improved sleep quality, even when there is caffeine in the body.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 27, 2018 from Metro

Why is it so difficult to fall asleep, even when you’re overtired?

“Unfortunately, if you suffer from anxiety, sleeping problems can be heightened because of increased levels of, you guessed it, adrenaline.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 19, 2018 from Irish Times

Can’t sleep? Could your gut be keeping you awake?

“When we lie awake at night, unable to sleep, we usually blame stress, depression, anxiety, adrenaline or the memory of something stupid we said in 2003.
But what if our guts were actually the culprit? What if the trillions of microbes sitting in our small intestines – known collectively as the microbiome or microbiota – were actually affecting our mood, digestion, overall health and ability to get a full eight hours’ shut-eye?” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: March 15, 2018 from PsychCentral

How Being Sleep Deprived Alters a Brain Connection That Causes Fear and Anxiety

“[O]ne third of the human population suffers from sleep deprivation. This means that 1 in 3 people you meet, experience increased negative emotionality and hyperarousal on any given day.” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: February 20, 2018 from Tablet

Call it Sleepless

“When my daughter wouldn’t sleep through the night, I wondered: Was this a medical issue, or a psychological problem she’d inherited from my family?” … (click headline for more)

 

• Dateline: February 8, 2018 from Psychology Today

Stress, Eating and Sleep

“Stress makes you sleepless. Insomnia makes you hungry, especially ravenous for fat and sugar. You eat more, gain weight, get more stressed. Then repeat.” … (click headline for more)