Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

#85 - Insomnia and Fear: So Scared to Sleep

February 05, 2024 Chris Winter
Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter
#85 - Insomnia and Fear: So Scared to Sleep
Show Notes

It's hard to find insomnia without a healthy dose of fear or anxiety. Few individuals make an appointment to see a sleep specialist only to let them know that the situation is no big deal and frankly enjoyable.  Fear not only plays a huge role in the development and worsening of insomnia, it also offers an insight into a potential solution. In this episode we will:

  • Review the incidence of anxiety in this country and the percentage of individuals diagnosed with anxiety who also have insomnia
  • Define anxiety and how it works in insomnia
  • Look at the role fear plays both in insomnia and how it functions as a central target in CBTi
  • Consider how some aspects of CBTi can often create fear as well as alleviate it
  • Look at the insomnia cycle within social media and popular media and how it creates its own fear
  • Understand the role of fear and the fear response amplitude within our neural circuitry as a potential risk factor for developing insomnia

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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Thanks for listening and sleep well!