What Exactly is an Anti-Anxiety Drug
Anti-anxiety drugs are a class of medications called benzodiazepines, which, in addition to treating anxiety, are used to treat muscle spasms. Some examples are:
- Valium (Diazepam)
- Xanax (Alprazolam)
- Ativan (Lorazepam)
One side effect of using anti-anxiety medications is that, like sleeping pills, they relax your muscles. For people who already have untreated obstructive sleep apnea or are at risk for developing it, anti-anxiety can induce or worsen symptoms. Continue reading to learn more about the relationship between anti-anxiety drugs and sleep apnea.
Why Anti-Anxiety Medications Aren’t Good For Obstructive Sleep Apnea
While anti-anxiety pills are good for mitigating anxiety levels, their muscle relaxing property can instigate or worsen sleep apnea for people at risk. Obstructive sleep apnea is the result of muscles in the back of the throat relaxing and blocking the airway. The result is a brief cessation in breathing that awakens the sleeper so they begin breathing again. The sleeper normally does not remember the incident, but will wake up feeling tired and unrested. If they have a bed partner, then the bed partner will likely report that they snore very loudly and choke or gasp throughout the night.
You can see a visual depiction of OSA here.
Who is At Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea from Anti-Anxiety Pills?
Not everyone who takes anti-anxiety medication will experience OSA. There are certain risk factors that already exist, and the initiation of anti-anxiety pills further increases the risk. Some of these risk factors are:
- Overweight/obesity
- Thick or large neck
- Small airway
- Enlarged tonsils
- Deviated septum
- Large tongue
- Diabetes
- Genetics/family history
- Certain medical conditions
- Older/male
- Back sleeper
- Excess alcohol use
If you have one of these risk factors and require anti-anxiety medications, then please consult a sleep health professional on the best course of action. Please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals.
