Discover the powerful bidirectional relationship between PTSD and sleep disturbances—and learn how professional treatment can help you break the cycle and find rest.
People can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after all kinds of traumatic experiences. When you have PTSD, your state of biochemical arousal remains chronically heightened, even after the original trauma has ceased.
PTSD can be accompanied by many symptoms, including panic attacks and flashbacks.
Did you know that PTSD can also have a profound impact on the quality of your sleep?
And, you might be surprised to learn, the quality of your sleep can also impact the intensity of your PTSD symptoms.
From our locations in San Jose, California, Los Gatos, California, and Reno, Nevada, the team of mental health counseling experts at Nugent Family Counseling Center provides diagnostic services, as well as ongoing care and support, to new and existing patients with PTSD.
San Jose, CA
Los Gatos, CA
Reno, NV
Sleep issues are actually considered to be a core part of PTSD.
Both symptoms of hyperarousal and intrusion from PTSD can negatively impact your sleep, causing you to suffer from sleeplessness or nightmares.
70%
of people with PTSD experience some form of sleep-related symptoms
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Disturbing dreams related to trauma
Intense fear episodes during sleep
Obstructive sleep apnea
Sleep disturbance is often one of the first signs of developing PTSD.
If you dealt with sleep problems prior to experiencing trauma, you may be more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic event.
Dreams are a key mechanism for processing trauma and other emotions, one reason why sleep is so connected to post-trauma mental health.
The Complex Connection:
The link between sleep issues and PTSD is strong and can be difficult to live with. We're still learning more about whether PTSD causes sleep problems, or whether sleep problems tend to precede PTSD.
No matter how your PTSD and sleep disturbance issues interact, the team at Nugent Family Counseling can help you find the rest you need to stay physically and mentally healthy.
Without sufficient high-quality sleep, including periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your health and wellness can suffer in multiple ways.
Not getting enough sleep can further worsen your PTSD symptoms, trapping you in a negative cycle.
Breaking the Cycle
The team at Nugent Family Counseling can help you unravel the knot of sleeplessness and mental health symptoms. Instead of stressing out over lost sleep, or turning to unhealthy and unhelpful coping strategies like alcohol, make an appointment with one of our therapists today.
Professional treatment can help you break the PTSD-sleep disturbance cycle and restore healthy, restorative sleep.
You can book an appointment by giving our helpful offices a call now, or schedule online with our booking tool at your convenience.
Find relief from PTSD symptoms and restore restful, healing sleep
PTSD and sleep problems are deeply interconnected—70% of people with PTSD experience insomnia, nightmares, night terrors, or sleep apnea due to hyperarousal and intrusion symptoms. This relationship is bidirectional: sleep disturbance may be an early warning sign of PTSD, pre-existing sleep problems increase PTSD risk after trauma, and poor sleep worsens PTSD symptoms, creating a vicious cycle. Professional treatment can help you unravel this knot and restore the restful, healing sleep you need.