Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest in many different ways and cause several kinds of distressing symptoms, all of which can look different from person to person.
Even though people who develop PTSD don't all have the same symptoms, experts use parameters to diagnose PTSD since many of the symptoms tend to fall within certain categories. One of these categories is sleep disturbances.
Currently, it’s unknown whether PTSD causes sleep issues or if those roles are reversed. While there is some evidence that having sleep issues before experiencing a traumatic event can raise your risk for developing PTSD, the exact nature of the relationship between the two isn’t fully understood.
No matter which causes which, sleep disturbances can make other PTSD symptoms much worse. In turn, this can make a full night's sleep feel impossible, keeping you stuck in a vicious cycle.
In this month's blog, Venice Sanchez, MD, and the rest of our team at Sydea Medical Practice in Newport Beach, California, want to explore the relationship between PTSD and sleep and how to prioritize sleep while managing PTSD.
Having PTSD can disrupt your sleep in several different ways, with some of the most common issues including insomnia, sleep paralysis, nightmares, night terrors, and obstructive sleep apnea.
When you have PTSD, your body is typically always ready to jump into “fight-or-flight” mode at a moment’s notice, making it incredibly difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. This hypervigilance makes it hard for your body to relax, meaning you could be restless while you sleep, never be able to reach a deep and restful sleep stage, or have nightmares.
Lack of restful sleep can make you incredibly fatigued during the day. If you sleep in the daytime, sleeping at night can be inefficient. The fog of daytime sleepiness can also cause you to feel more anxious, leading to rumination and PTSD flashbacks.
In addition, having PTSD puts you at risk for other mental health issues, such as depression or substance use disorder, which also cause sleep disturbances.
Being able to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get restful sleep starts by forming healthy sleep habits. We recommend starting off by implementing some of these strategies:
Not being able to fall asleep right away may cause anxiety, so if you lie awake for more than 20 minutes, get back up and walk to a different room. Practice a few relaxation techniques and then go back to your bedroom to try again.
If you find yourself relying on drugs and alcohol to help you sleep, undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy with Dr. Sanchez can provide you with strategies for dealing with insomnia and help train your brain for restful sleep.
Dr. Sanchez also offers psychotherapy to help you process and cope with your PTSD. Getting treatment for both PTSD and sleep disturbances can help reduce the severity of both, restoring your quality of life during the day and at night.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Sanchez by calling our office or booking online today.
