Quality Sleep
Insomnia
Member of American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Overview of Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which a person has difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to return to sleep. It can lead to poor daytime functioning, tiredness, mood changes, and reduced concentration.
Insomnia Types
There are two types of insomnia: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia.
- Primary insomnia: Primary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem.
- Secondary insomnia: Secondary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication they are taking; or a substance they are using (like alcohol).
Symptoms of Insomnia
Inadequate or poor quality of sleep
Difficulty falling asleep
Difficulty getting or staying asleep
Waking up too early
Having non-restorative sleep
Waking up during the night
Daytime fatigue
Irritability or mood changes
Poor concentration
Acute vs. Chronic Insomnia
It can be short-term (acute insomnia) or can last a long time (chronic insomnia). Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called chronic when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for a month or longer.
Causes of Acute Insomnia
- Significant life stress (job loss or change, death of a loved one, divorce, moving). Illness.
- Emotional or physical discomfort, Environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep.
- Some medications (for example those used to treat colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma) may interfere with sleep.
- Interferences in normal sleep schedule (jet lag or switching from a day to night shift, for example).
Causes of Chronic Insomnia
- Depression and/or anxiety.
- Chronic stress.
- Pain or discomfort at night.
Factors Contributing to Chronic Insomnia
1. Personal factors
-Situational, high-stress
-Born with increased risk of chronic insomnia
2. Physiologic Factors
-Hyper arousal of the mind
-Strong alert system, weak sleep drive system
-Altered sleep/wake cycle rhythm
3. Cognitive Factors
-Thoughts, thinking styles: excessive worry and rumination
-Worrying about not getting enough sleep
-Worrying about sleep long before bedtime
4. Behavioral Factors
-Going to bed earlier, staying in bed longer
-Spending time worrying in bed
-Napping during the day
These behaviors may result in “conditioning” (The pairing of two things often over time so that they become associated with one another).
Treartment
Either type can be treated by medication along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT)
-which is just as effective as medication (short term)
-Better than medication (long term)
Combines strategies specifically to target chronic insomnia.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Medications
Alternative Treatments
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