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Insomnia
What Are the Symptoms of Insomnia? What are the different types and causes of insomnia? Do women suffer from insomnia more than men? What can I do to sleep better? Click here for a solution to your insomnia problem Insomnia Overview Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Insomnia is a common health problem. It can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. Long-term insomnia can cause you to feel depressed or irritable; have trouble paying attention, learning, and remembering; and not do your best on the job or at school. Insomnia also can limit the energy you have to spend with friends or family. Insomnia can be mild to severe depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Chronic insomnia means having symptoms at least three nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia. Sleep medicines can help treat insomnia, but these medicines may make you feel groggy after you wake up, especially if you don’t get seven to eight hours of sleep. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both." Although most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel and perform after one or more sleepless nights, few seek medical advice. Many people remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. It is a common condition that can cause daytime sleepiness and lack of energy. Insomnia is too little or poor-quality sleep. Insomnia may result from either psychological or physical causes. The most common psychological problems include anxiety, stress, and depression. In fact, insomnia may be an indicator of depression. Many people will have insomnia during the acute phases of a mental illness. Physiological causes span from circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-wake imbalance, to a variety of medical conditions. Following are the most common medical conditions that trigger insomnia: What Are the Symptoms of Insomnia? Most often daytime symptoms will bring people to seek medical attention. Daytime problems caused by insomnia include the following: What are the different types of insomnia and what causes them?
Acute insomnia
There are two types of insomnia: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia. The most common type is called secondary insomnia. More than eight out of 10 people with insomnia are believed to have secondary insomnia. Secondary means that the insomnia is a symptom or a side-effect of some other problem 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). Secondary insomnia often resolves or improves without treatment if you can eliminate its cause. This is especially true if the problem can be corrected soon after it starts. Better sleep habits and lifestyle changes often help relieve insomnia. You may need to see a doctor or sleep specialist to get the best relief for insomnia that is persistent or for which the cause of the sleep problem is unclear. Secondary insomnia can be caused by a medical condition (such as cancer, asthma, or arthritis), drugs, stress or a mental health problem (such as depression), or a poor sleep environment (such as too much light or noise, or a bed partner who snores). Secondary insomnia often goes away or improves without treatment if you can eliminate its cause. Some of the problems that can cause secondary insomnia include: Secondary insomnia is often a symptom of an emotional, neurological, or other medical disorder, or of another sleep disorder.
Primary insomnia is not due to another health or emotional condition and typically occurs for periods of at least one month or longer. Whether some people are born with a greater chance of having insomnia is not clear yet. A number of life changes can trigger primary insomnia, including:
Chronic Insomnia is insomnia that lasts for more than one month and is present at least three nights a week. Chronic insomnia is a serious problem that can affect your mood, safety, and performance at work or school. If insomnia continues for a few weeks, see your doctor. Chronic insomnia is either primary or secondary. Causes include:
Insomnia is a common disorder. One in three adults occasionally has insomnia. One in 10 adults has chronic insomnia. Insomnia affects women more often than men, and it can occur at any age. However, older adults are more likely to have insomnia than younger people. People especially prone to insomnia include: Do women suffer from insomnia more than men? Women are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia than men. Some research suggests that certain social factors, such as being unemployed or divorced, are related to poor sleep and increase the risk of insomnia in women. Also, insomnia tends to increase with age. Sometimes perimenopausal (the time leading up to menopause) women have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep; hot flashes and night sweats often can disturb sleep. Pregnancy also can affect how well a woman sleeps. If you think you have insomnia, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will usually diagnose insomnia based on your medical history, sleep history, a physical exam, and a sleep study if the cause of your insomnia is unclear. It might be helpful to complete a sleep diary for a week or two, noting your sleep patterns, your daily routine, and how you feel during the day. Discuss the results of your sleep diary with your doctor. Your doctor may do a physical exam and take a medical history and sleep history. Your doctor may also want to talk to your bed partner to ask how much and how well you are sleeping. In some cases, you may be referred to a sleep center for special tests. Making lifestyle changes that make it easier to fall asleep and/or stay asleep can often relieve insomnia. For longer lasting insomnia, a type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy can help relieve the anxiety linked to your sleep problem. Anxiety tends to prolong the insomnia. Several medicines also can help relieve insomnia and re-establish a regular sleep schedule. Lifestyle Changes To relieve insomnia, you should avoid substances that make it worse and have good bedtime habits that make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature, dark, and quiet enough for sleep. Avoid substances such as: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia targets the thoughts and actions that can disrupt sleep. Besides encouraging good sleep habits, this type of therapy may use several methods to relieve sleep anxieties, including: Relaxation training and biofeedback at bedtime to reduce anxiety. These strategies help you better control your breathing, heart rate, muscles, and mood. Replacing worries about not being able to fall asleep with more positive thinking that links being in bed with being asleep. This method also teaches you what to do if you’re unable to fall asleep within a reasonable period. Talking with a therapist individually or in group sessions to help you consider your thoughts and feelings about sleep. This method may encourage you to describe thoughts racing through your mind in terms of how they look, feel, and sound. The goal is for your mind to settle down and stop racing. Limiting the time you spend in bed while awake. This method involves setting a sleep schedule and, at first, limiting total time in bed to the typical short length of time you’re usually asleep. At first, this schedule may make you even more tired because some of the allotted time in bed will be taken up by difficulty sleeping. The resulting fatigue (tiredness) is intended to help you get to sleep more quickly. Gradually, the length of time spent in bed is increased until you get a full night of sleep. For success with this type of therapy, you may need to see a therapist who is skilled in this approach weekly over two to three months. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is as effective as prescription medicine for many types of chronic insomnia. It also may provide better long-term relief than medicine alone. What can I do to sleep better? You should exercise in the early part of the day and avoid strenuous activity before bedtime. Following a routine that helps you wind down and relax before bed, such as reading a book, listening to soothing music, or taking a hot bath.
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