Insomnia
Difficulty of falling asleep or staying asleep or a disturbance in sleep that makes individuals feel as if they have had insufficient sleep when they awaken, characterize insomnia.Insomnia is not a disease; it is merely a symptom that has many different causes which include both emotional and physical disorders and medication use.
Sleep and Sleep Problems
Having problems falling asleep is common in both the young and old. It is often correlated with emotional disturbances such as anxiety, nervousness, depression, or fear. Sometimes, people find it difficult to fall asleep because their body and brain are not tired.
Sleeping less is usually common among people as they age. Sleep stages also change with age. Stage 4 sleep becomes shorter and eventually disappears, and more awakenings occur during all stages. These stages although normal, tend to make older people feel they are not getting enough sleep. However there is no proof that healthy older people need as much sleep as younger or that they need sleep medications to remedy these normal, age-related changes. An early morning awakening pattern is common among the elderly.
Sleeping less is usually common among people as they age. Sleep stages also change with age. Stage 4 sleep becomes shorter and eventually disappears, and more awakenings occur during all stages. These stages although normal, tend to make older people feel they are not getting enough sleep. However there is no proof that healthy older people need as much sleep as younger or that they need sleep medications to remedy these normal, age-related changes. An early morning awakening pattern is common among the elderly.
Some people fall asleep normally but wake up several hours later and are unable to fall asleep again easily. Sometimes they drift in and out of a restless, unsatisfactory sleep. Early morning awakening at any age may be a sign of depression.
People whose sleep patterns have been disrupted may experience sleep rhythm reversal. They fall asleep in inappropriate times and then can't sleep when they should. These reversals often happen as a result of jet lag (especially when traveling from east to west), working irregular night shifts, and frequent changes in work hours, or excessive alcohol use. Sometimes they are a side effect of medication. Damage to the brain's built in clock (caused by encephalitis, stroke, or Alzheimer's disease) can also disrupt sleep patterns.
People whose sleep patterns have been disrupted may experience sleep rhythm reversal. They fall asleep in inappropriate times and then can't sleep when they should. These reversals often happen as a result of jet lag (especially when traveling from east to west), working irregular night shifts, and frequent changes in work hours, or excessive alcohol use. Sometimes they are a side effect of medication. Damage to the brain's built in clock (caused by encephalitis, stroke, or Alzheimer's disease) can also disrupt sleep patterns.
What Is Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as the inability to sleep during a period in which sleep should normally occur or to remain asleep for a reasonable length of time. Insomnia makes people feel as if they have had insufficient sleep when they awaken.How to Sleep Better at Night with Insomnia
Let's start with a video...
I have put together a list of tips that will help you get a good night's sleep with Insomnia:
1. The most important rule for insomnia may be to keep a normal schedule. This is especially true on weekends where many tend to stay up later than usual and end up sleeping in the next day.
2. Don't Nap. Napping makes matters worse for the chronic insomniac. It is better to get sleepy instead of taking a short nap and staying up unable to sleep later.
3. If you wake up during the night and feel awake, wait for 30 minutes and you will easily fall back asleep. If insomnia awakes you during REM, you will be quite alert. Just wait out your alertness to fall back to sleep.
4. Cut down on the amount of caffeine you take in. Don't drink coffee after 12 pm if you have trouble sleeping and it keep you awake at night.
5. Being awakened by repeated loud noises may cause insomnia. If you are constantly being awakened, try earplugs to keep the noise down.
6. Establish a nightly bedtime routine to get you relaxed and sleepy. Read a book, have a quiet talk in bed.
Consider the following tips as well on How to Sleep Better at Night with Insomnia:
- The surrounding plays an important role in curing insomnia. Harsh noise should be avoided during the bedtime as interruption in sleep might result into a completely sleepless night. The room temperature should be comfortable as excessive coldness or warmth hamper sleep.
- Certain lifestyle changes should be made to cure transient insomnia. Eating heavy meals right before getting to bed is not recommended at all. Daytime naps might be a reason of restlessness at night. In order to sleep better at night with insomnia, with the minimum lifestyle changes, one might make changes for betterment to his day-to-day routine.
- Refraining from televisions, radios or exciting books before sleep time is suggested for best result.
- Relaxation techniques can help in getting sleep if practiced regularly. You can perform breathing exercises before bedtime and get into bed with a relaxed and tranquil mind. A mind free from all worries and qualms helps you fall asleep faster. Controlling external stimuli imparts therapeutic effects on the nervous system.
- Many people have reported that taking herbal tea without milk and sugar is a great way how to cure insomnia. Sipping it right before the bed time can help.
- Following a healthy and active lifestyle and keeping away anxieties is the right way to combat insomnia.
- See here for more Tips on How to Sleep Better with Insomnia.
Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia can have many underlying causes. These are listed below:Poor Sleep Hygiene
Poor sleep hygiene is caused by a variable sleep schedule or shift work.
Psychiatric Causes
Alcohol withdrawal can cause insomnia in the early morning. Also alcohol is a diuretic and can cause nocturia.
Stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, cough syrups, pseudoephedrine, and amphetamines can cause insomnia.
Withdrawal from benzodiazepines and or barbituates can also lead to insomnia (can also cause rebound wakefulness)
Pain
Any pain or painful conditions can cause insomnia.
Dyspnea or Trouble Breathing
Dyspnea from heart disease (Orthopnea, PND) and Lung Diseases can also cause insomnia.
Obstructive sleep apnea
Other
Restless Legs Syndrome / Periodic Leg Movements
Urinary problems caused by nocturia due to association with diabetes mellitus or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH).
Narcolepsy
Stomach problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and acid reflux.
Coughing and Asthma also can cause insomnia.
Diagnosis of Insomnia
Insomnia is diagnosed by a doctor that evaluates an individual's sleep pattern; use of medication, alcohol, and illicit drugs; degree of psychological stress; medical history; and level of physical activity.Some people need less sleep than others, so the diagnosis of insomnia is based on a person's individual needs. Doctors may classify insomnia as primary insomnia, a long-standing condition with little or no apparent relationship to any stress or life event, or secondary insomnia, a condition caused by pain, anxiety, medication, depression, or extreme stress.
Insomnia Treatment and Cure
Chronic insomnia which is often considered an effect of prolonged medical problems can be cured permanently if the root cause is treated. Hence how to cure insomnia greatly depends on correct diagnosis of the cause.
Patients of arthritis, chronic pain in limbs, heart disorder and blood pressure often end up becoming insomniacs. Medication used to treat this condition can add up to the problem of sleeplessness. The doctor should be informed if the patient is already suffering from insomnia as an effect of the consumed drugs so that he can find out how to cure insomnia.
Other health problems causing sleeplessness include brain liaisons, asthma, fatigue, congestion in lungs and Alzheimer’s disease.
People with insomnia may benefit by staying calm and relaxed in the hour before bedtime and making the bedroom atmosphere more conducive to sleep. Soft lighting, minimal noise, and a comfortable room temperature are necessary.
If emotional stress is causing the insomnia, treatment to relieve the stress is more useful than taking sleep medication.
When insomnia occurs with depression, the depression should be thoroughly evaluated and treated by a doctor. Some antidepressant drugs can improve sleep due to their sedating properties.
When sleep disorders interfere with a person's normal activities and sense of well-being, the intermittent use of sleep medications (sedatives, hypnotics) may be helpful.
Sometimes cognitive therapies given by professional psychologists help people get rid of insomnia.
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