An Overview On Insomnia

Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or unrestorative sleep.

The complaint of insomnia can be caused by multiple factors.

Causes of Insomnia

Either by behavioral problems and bad sleep habits, medical problems, psychiatric problems, medications and drugs, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, or sleep disorders can result in insomnia.

Regardless of what originally may be the cause of insomnia, behavioral problems often are the main perpetuating problem. The two more common behavioral conditions are poor sleep hygiene and psychophysiologic insomnia.

Poor sleep hygiene means bad sleep habits. Bad sleep habits usually result from irregular sleep schedules, overuse of alcohol and caffeine, excessive daytime napping, poor sleep environments, or anxiety at bedtime.

Psychophysiologic insomnia occurs when you are negatively conditioned to sleeping in your bed. For instance, you experience some anxiety over an upcoming job evaluation. You go to bed and have difficulty falling asleep.

The next night you tell yourself that you didn’t sleep well the night before, so you have to get some sleep tonight. You become so tense trying to sleep that you have difficulty sleeping the second night. On the third night the same thing happens.

Without paying heed to your insomnia and seeking treatment, you could end up a variety of health and life issues. You could be more susceptible to illnesses or take longer to get over an illness.

Depression can develop in people who do derive enough rest from their sleep. When you sleep, it should be rejuvenating and restful. If this is not the case, you have to examine your life and try to determine the underlying causes of your insomnia.

For many people with intermittent insomnia, the biggest contributor to this sleep condition is stress. Sometimes, it could be related to work or being unemployed. Other times, it could be something personal like having a baby, a death in the family or divorce.

These are the more obvious insomnia instigators. But what if your work and personal life is going along pretty well and you still have sleep issues? A physical by your doctor is probably in order.

You could have an underlying medical condition that is hindering your sleep. Allergies and asthma are two culprits as are sleep apnea and headaches.

The medications you take for illnesses like diabetes or heart conditions could also be a factor. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of the medications you take.

Both psychophysiologic insomnia and poor sleep hygiene can be treated by teaching the patient proper sleep hygiene rules. Actually, good sleep hygiene is the cornerstone of all insomnia treatments.

Symptoms of Insomnia

If you are not waking up feeling rested or you have difficulty falling asleep, you just might have insomnia. But do you have any idea of other symptoms that could indicate insomnia? Here is a brief list:

• Feeling irritable or being in a bad mood
• Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep
• Waking multiple times at night or waking up too early
• Concentration difficulties or daytime grogginess
• Sleep that is unfulfilling and not restful

Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia often is a multi-level problem, reflecting multiple predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors. For instance, insomnia in an already anxious individual may result from nervousness about a new job.

This may lead to improper use of alcohol and sleeping pills at night to induce sleep, as well as increased anxiety about sleep.

Transient Insomnia

Transient insomnia is a temporary one. It lasts only a few days and generally occurs in people who are otherwise healthy but are undergoing sudden stress or experiencing the onset of a medical or psychiatric illness, changes in medications, or jet lag.

An instance of transient insomnia would be trouble sleeping before an important meeting or important exam. Transient insomnia rarely is discussed in the doctor’s office because it generally gets better before the patient can get an appointment.

Patients generally seek professional help after experiencing short-term insomnia, which can last up to 3 weeks, or chronic insomnia, which lasts more than 3 weeks.

Insomnia Treatment

There are a number of techniques and ideas to help you get through your insomnia. It is just a matter of determining what might best work with those insomnia instigators. If it is stress-related, behavior modification techniques could be beneficial.

These could be anything from changing your sleeping environment to visual imagery to strict bed scheduling. Yoga and other exercises along with deep breathing techniques also help.

But what if it is related to health issues, specifically some medications you take? It is not always in your best interests to change medications or stop them all together. When this is the scenario, you might find sleep medications work best to get you through the insomnia.

While you are working through the various techniques and tips to try to combat your insomnia, there are a few things you can do that might help make your situation more conducive to sleep.

For instance, stop drinking any liquids at least two hours before bedtime. Potty breaks are one of the problems that contribute to insomnia. Limit your caffeine intake as well as alcohol and smoking. Try not to take naps and institute some form of exercise in your daily activities.

Take the television out of the bedroom. Focus on the fact that the bedroom is only for sleeping and other extra-curricular activities. And speaking of those extra-curricular activities, sex is a great stress release and just might help you in the snoozing department.

If you have trouble falling or staying asleep for any number of reasons, consider that you are suffering from insomnia. Keep a diary or journal of your daily sleep habits for a few weeks.

When you visit a doctor about your possible insomnia, the journal is very helpful in pinpointing possible triggers and can help in determining the best course of action for combating that insomnia so you can get a good night’s sleep.