What is Insomnia?
- Insomnia is the perception or complaint of not sleeping.
- Insomnia can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, disrupting the quality of one’s
life.
- It may lead to a lack of energy, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritability.
- Insomnia is not a disease but a symptom of other problems.
- If it takes you more than 35 minutes to fall asleep, you may have insomnia.
- Insomnia is classified as transient (short term), intermittent (on and off), or chronic
(long term).
There are five major categories of insomnia:
- environmental
- biological
- drug-related
- medical
- psychological/emotional
80% of insomnia falls under category 5.
Poor or inadequate sleep can be caused by a number of factors including:
- difficulty falling asleep
- difficulty remaining asleep
- waking up too early
- difficulty returning to sleep
- physiological reasons including:
- age (it is more frequent over the age of 60--the need for sleep decreases with advancing age)
- obesity (leading to breathing problems which lessen the quality of sleep)
- sex (insomnia is common in females, especially post menopause)
- depression (one of the most common causes)
- illness
- medical problems
- restless legs, leg jerks, and cramps
- reflux/heartburn
- pain
- medications
- stress/anxiety
- environment
- room temperature
- diet
- shift work/jet lag (the more you sleep during the day, the higher the incidence of
insomnia)
- sleep hygiene
- afternoon naps
- caffeine, alcohol or tobacco
How common is insomnia?
One in three Americans suffer insomnia. More than 35 million Americans complain of
chronic insomnia.
How is it diagnosed?
The most common tool is a sleep diary. For two weeks a patient carefully monitors his
or her sleeping habits. A physician interprets the results. In some , but not all cases, a
sleep test may be needed.
How is it treated?
There are four major types of treatment:
- Sleep hygiene counseling. Reducing cues which worsen complaints.
- Drugs. Short term use of medications. "To get over the hump." After a few
weeks, a tolerance to the drugs develops and they loose their effectiveness.
- Behavioral modification. Psycho-therapy, relaxation therapy, stress reduction
therapy, sleep restriction therapy, hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, cognitive behavior
therapy (to alter negative thoughts) and stimulus control therapy (to promote an association
of the bedroom and sleep). These therapies are usually designed by a psychiatrist, to help
eliminate anxiety and nerves, which stops the mind from racing. Muscles loose their tension
allowing a restful sleep to occur.
- Sleep Clinics
Foods rich in the amino acid L-tryptophan such as carbohydrates and milk also help.
Some people are treated with light therapy to reset their biological clock.
Where to get help:
The best person to talk with is your primary care physician or your local sleep lab. We
can be reached at (970) 252-2624.
