Hi. Glad you're sleeping better.
I used to think it was anxiety-related, with me, but now seeing a sleep specialist and being in touch with a doctor who treats people with AN and PN, I know it's to do with the guts response to brain sleep cycles. There is definitely a link and my symptoms happen during dream cycles and the gut-clenching wakes me up. The bowel contracts and responds to brainwaves.
I have little difficulty getting to sleep. Here's a good article about it:
http://www.pointofreturn.com/gut_health.html
During sleep, the head’s brain produces 90-minute cycles of slow wave sleep, followed by periods of rapid eye movement (REM) where dreams occur. During the night, when it is empty, the gut’s brain produces 90-minute slow wave muscle contractions, followed by short bursts of rapid muscle movement. These two brains are linked even in sleep. Individuals with bowel problems have been shown to also have abnormal REM sleep.
Also it's all related to autonomic dysfunction, too. Changes in heart rhythm when lying/changing position and BP changes are linked to this and POTS, with or without syncope. I have permanent tachycardia and changes in posture cause strange events!
It's understood that with dysautonomia that the condition causes the anxiety as the body is responding to physiological changes. Mine got worse in response to Duloxetine which messed with my nervous system big time.
The only sleep disorder that responds to stress is the sleep paralysis and I rarely get it now and when I do I don't fight it, I just let it happen, afterall one half of my brain is awake and the other is still asleep.
I'm also on a low carb, dairy-free and gluten-free diet and I'm very careful what I eat after years of IBS.
It's all very strange isn't it? The neurologists tell me they only know about 40% of what is happening with nervous system, it's like viewing an iceberg and wondering how much is below the waves!