Key takeaways:
- Sleep apnea and anxiety create a cycle of restlessness, tension, and exhaustion, making it hard to sleep and function during the day.
- Sleep apnea causes anxiety by repeatedly cutting off airflow during sleep, forcing the body into a constant state of stress and panic.
- Treating the root cause of sleep apnea allows the body to relax, breaking the cycle of anxiety and restoring restful sleep.
Anxiety can feel like an endless loop—your heart races, your chest tightens, and your mind fixates on stress. What many don’t realize is that sleep apnea could be fueling this cycle. Sleep is meant to be a time of rest and recovery, but for those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it’s anything but relaxing. Instead, the body is locked in a nightly struggle to breathe, triggering the same fight-or-flight response that drives anxiety. As a result, people with OSA are 3.68 times more likely to have anxiety.1
What sleep apnea-induced anxiety feels like
When sleep apnea disrupts breathing, the body reacts as if it’s under attack. This can lead to:
- Restlessness and difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up gasping or choking
- A rapid heart rate or tightness in the chest
- Feeling irritable, on edge, or overly alert
- Trouble concentrating during the day
Many people with OSA describe waking up feeling exhausted, despite spending hours in bed. Others struggle with insomnia because their brain associates sleep with stress. When the body is forced to fight for air every night, the result is chronic tension—both physical and mental.
How sleep apnea causes anxiety
If you were suddenly unable to breathe, your body would react with panic. Now imagine that happening over and over again while you sleep. That’s what untreated sleep apnea does.
Sleep apnea occurs when the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, cutting off oxygen and forcing the body to jolt awake to breathe. This cycle can happen up to 100 times per hour. Each time, the brain sounds an internal alarm, triggering the same stress response that fuels anxiety.
Over time, this teaches the body to stay on high alert, even when awake. People with sleep apnea often experience:
- Chronic fight-or-flight mode, making them more prone to anxiety
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure from constant stress
- Sleep disruptions that prevent the brain from properly resetting
- For some, this cycle also leads to insomnia. The brain, having learned that sleep means struggling for air, begins resisting it altogether—keeping you awake or waking you up frequently throughout the night.
Untreated sleep apnea disrupts mood regulation, linking depression, anxiety, and sleep apnea in a cycle of poor sleep and chronic stress.
Breaking the cycle of sleep anxiety
If sleep apnea is triggering anxiety, the solution is clear: fix the root cause.
At ADVENT, we specialize in treating The Breathing Triangle®—your nose and throat—so you can breathe freely while you sleep. When the airway stays open, sleep becomes restful instead of stressful. By addressing sleep apnea, the body can finally relax, and the brain can unlearn the patterns that have kept it on edge.
In addition to treating sleep apnea, breathing techniques for anxiety can help manage stress and promote relaxation. Proper nasal breathing improves oxygen flow, supports heart health, and signals the body to shift out of fight-or-flight mode. Simple techniques—such as controlled, deep breathing—can help reduce anxiety, but if breathing through your nose feels difficult, there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.
If you’re experiencing sleep issues, anxiety, or both, it’s time to take action. Schedule a Breathing Triangle Evaluation today and break the cycle for good.
References:
1 Kaufmann, C. N., Susukida, R., & Depp, C. A. (2017). Sleep apnea, psychopathology, and mental health care. Sleep health, 3(4), 244–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.04.003
