Feeling edgy? Get some sleep

Sleep deprivation amplifies anticipatory anxiety by activating the brain’s amygdala and insular cortex—regions associated with emotional processing.

The resulting pattern mimics the abnormal neural activity seen in anxiety disorders.

Furthermore, research suggests that innate worriers—people who are naturally more anxious and therefore more likely to develop a full-blown anxiety disorder—are acutely vulnerable to the effect of insufficient sleep.