Insomnia is a sleep disorder where people have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, staying asleep, or falling asleep. These problems persist despite having a perfect environment and time to sleep well. Insomnia can impact your daily activities, make you less productive and focused, and impact your relationships. It can make you sleepy and lethargic during the daytime.
There are two times of Insomnia: short-term and chronic. Short-term insomnia can develop due to changes in your environment, schedule, or stress, with symptoms lasting for a few days to weeks. Long-term insomnia or chronic insomnia can happen 3 or more times a week. This can even last for more than 3 months. It can be triggered for a varitety of different reasons.
The amount of sleep each person needs varies from person to person, but most adults need seven to eight hours a night. Disruptions like insomnia commonly cause symptoms that affect you while you’re awake. Common symptoms of insomnia are:
It is unclear exactly why insomnia happens, the current understanding is that this condition can involve many factors. Some of these factors could be the cause of the condition, or it could simply contribute to it. More research is necessary to understand exactly how and why insomnia happens. Primary causes of insomnia include:
Secondary causes that result in insomnia are:
The diagnosis process is simple. Your health expert will perform a physical exam and ask about your sleep and medical history. They may ask you to maintain a sleep diary for a couple of weeks to track how you feel during the day and your sleep patterns. They can also talk to your partner to learn more about your sleeping cycles. You may also undergo a special test in a sleep centre.
When insomnia gets severe and last for several weeks, it can lead to sleep deprivation. The major problem with sleep deprivation is daytime sleepiness, which impacts your life and can be dangerous if you are driving. Sleep deprivation can also trigger the risk of certain health conditions:
Changing sleep habits and dealing with any issues that may be associated with insomnia, such as stress, medical conditions or medications, can restore restful sleep for many people. Your doctor will offer you different treatment approaches. Some of the common ones are:
If insomnia is linked with other health problems like depression or sleep apnea, your health provider will first try to treat the initial cause. You can prevent insomnia by keeping your bedtime and waking time consistent, avoiding naps, staying active, taking medications, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol several hours before bedtime.