Common Sleeping Disorders

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by the inability to get enough quality sleep to feel rested. The typical symptoms of insomnia may include difficulty sleeping at night, easy to awaken during the night or waking up too early in the morning and have difficulty falling asleep again, not feeling well rested after a night of sleep, feeling fatigue or daytime sleepiness.

Overtime, the condition brings with it feelings of anxiety, irritability or depression, and inability to concentrate or memory lapses, and physical symptoms like headaches and gastrointestinal problems, that may impede your ability to function during the day, affecting your work performance and quality of life and adversely affect your health.

There are two types of insomnia. One is called primary insomnia. Insomnia is considered primary when it is a stand alone condition. This means that the symptoms are not related to other medical problems, reactions to medications or other causes.

The most common type of insomnia is called secondary insomnia or co-morbid insomnia. It is believed that 8 out of 10 people diagnosed with insomnia suffer from secondary insomnia. This type of insomnia is caused by an underlying problem, like asthma, arthritis, cancer, heart and lung diseases, pain, depression and anxiety, reaction to the medications you are taking, or other substances like alcohol and caffeine, another sleep disorder such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea, or a poor sleep environment or a change in sleep routine.

Some people have trouble sleeping just for the short-term (acute), while others have longer-lasting (chronic) insomnia. Insomnia is considered chronic if symptoms last for at least 3 nights a week for a month or more. Insomnia is considered acute if the symptoms last only a shorter period of time. Insomnia can also come and go, with periods of time when a person experiences no sleep problems.

Acute insomnia often stems from persistent stress or worries, such as financial problems, a change of job, death of a loved one or divorce. If not treated, short-term insomnia may spiral into chronic insomnia.

Chronic insomnia is often caused by a medical condition. Treating the underlying problem often improve insomnia. Chronic insomnia can also be caused by poor sleep habits.

Diagnosis of Insomnia

If you think you suffer from insomnia, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will do an evaluation that may include a physical examination, medical history and a sleep history to determine the reasons for your lack of sleep, and to determine if you suffer from primary insomnia or secondary insomnia. If there is an underlying illness or disease that needs to be treated, the illness must be treated first. Most likely you will be asked to keep a sleep diary for a week or two to monitor your sleeping habits at night and how you feel during the day. Your doctor may also want to interview your bed partner about the quantity and quality of your sleep. In some cases, you may be referred to a sleep center for special tests and monitoring.

Treatments for Insomnia

Acute insomnia may not require any treatment at all. If you have mild forms of insomnia, it can often be relieved by developing good sleep habits and sleep hygiene, such as having a bedtime routine that trains the body to sleep and have a sleep environment that is conducive for sleep.

Treatment for chronic insomnia includes first treating any underlying conditions or health problems that are responsible for insomnia. If the underlying condition is eliminated, but the insomnia continues, your doctor may suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy be used to treat the problem. Behavioral therapy helps change behavior that can cause or worsen insomnia and learning new behaviors to help you sleep better.

If your insomnia makes it hard for you to work during the day because you are lethargic and tired, your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills, as a sleeping aid for a limited time, to help you sleep better at night. Avoid the use of over-the-counter sleeping pills for insomnia without first checking with your doctor, because the pills can cause unwanted side effects and tend to lose their effectiveness over time.

Read About The Other Forms of Sleep Disorders:

Sleep Eating Disorder
Sleepwalking
Night Terrors
Sleep Talking
Snoring Problems
Sleep Attack
Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Sleep Apnea
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

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