Chronic Insomnia May Lead To Depression And Anxiety

Long term insomnia may lead to health problems including anxiety and depression if left untreated.

A study conducted by Dag Neckelmann from the Haukeland University Hospital in Norway, was based on data collected from two general health surveys involving 25,130 adults. Dr. Neckelmann found significant correlations between chronic insomnia and the development of anxiety disorders and depression, compared to the control group of participants without chronic insomnia.

He says, "Chronic insomnia is a state marker of both anxiety disorder and depression. From a clinical point of view, these results imply that individuals reporting chronic insomnia, in addition to receiving adequate treatment for their sleep disturbance, should be carefully examined for the presence of anxiety disorder as well as depression.

Focusing on chronic insomnia as a symptom of both anxiety and depression may facilitate the early detection of a mental disorder, as well as the detection of comorbidity. Though not demonstrated, alleviating chronic insomnia may reduce the risk of developing anxiety disorders."