7 Ways To Tell If Your Sleep Troubles May Be Sleep Anxiety & Not A Hormonal Problem

"With anxiety, rough days are usually balanced with calm days, so your sleep troubles are occasional," Julie Lambert, a certified sleep expert at Happysleepyhead, tells Bustle. If you start keeping track of both your sleepless nights and your rougher mental health days, you can see whether they seem to line up. If they do, it's a pretty good hint that anxiety is to blame.

If you're feeling pretty healthy mentally even though you're dealing with sleep issues, that's one way to tell that your problems aren't due to anxiety. Do you lay awake in bed, unable to think of something peaceful? "When you feel anxious, your thoughts can rush, go in circles, or make you dive deep into your most terrible memories," Lambert says, "and it seems like you can’t stop that."

While hormonal problems might make you toss and turn, desperate to get some much-wanted rest, with anxiety, you might not even feel like sleeping. "Anxiety triggers the production of adrenaline, cortisol, and other substances and neurotransmitters that keep you alert," she says. So if you've been able to power through a new book long into the night, or find yourself energized enough to do a load of laundry at 3 a.m., anxiety could be to blame.

"If you experience an abnormally increased heart rate that affects your ability to fall asleep, it’s a sign that you’re suffering from anxiety rather than a hormonal issue," Adina Mahalli, MSW, a certified mental health expert, tells Bustle. "Heart palpitations and a racing heart can put both your mind and body on edge, which prevents you from unwinding and falling asleep," she says. In addition to seeking professional help, try creating a relaxing night routine for yourself to cue your mind that it's time to calm down for bed.

While racing thoughts can be a sign of anxiety, the actual content about what's running through your mind can also speak to whether your sleep disturbances are due to your mental health. "Intrusive thoughts that keep your mind going in circles before your fall asleep are a sign of anxiety as opposed to hormonal problems," says Mahalli. "Disturbing thoughts that you can’t control can increase anxiety and prevent a restful night’s sleep." Try writing down any especially troubling thoughts you're having, because seeing them on paper might make them seem a little less scary.

If you're experiencing sleep issues due to hormones and not due to anxiety, you're likely to experience a number of other symptoms of the hormonal imbalance that won't appear if you're just dealing with anxiety, MacDowell says. Look out for signs such as hot flashes, menstrual changes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, and daytime fatigue, which could all accompany a hormone issue.

You might not realize it, but normal hormone fluctuations around your period can have a major effect on your sleep, so if your sleep issues don't revolve mostly around the days that you're menstruating, that could be a clue that it could be due to anxiety instead. "Sleep is often most disturbed in the days prior to and the first few days of the menstrual cycle," Terry Cralle, MS, RN, a clinical sleep educator and Saatva sleep consultant, tells Bustle.

Getting good sleep is such an important part of keeping your body and mind functioning at their strongest, so don't hesitate to seek professional help. Once you can slumber peacefully, you'll feel much better.

Editor's Note: If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.