Insomnia: Facts and Remedies
How to Diagnose and Fight Your Insomnia
If you have difficulties falling asleep at night or you wake up earlier without being able to go back to sleep, you may experience a form of insomnia. We’re going to help you figure out which version of insomnia you are struggling with and how you can help yourself reverse these sleeping patterns.
The definition of insomnia
In general terms, insomnia can be defined as a sleeping disorder caused by a lack of sleep. In most cases, people suffering from insomnia are having problems going to sleep, having an issue in going back to sleep, or they just simply wake up earlier than expected without the possibility of getting some extra sleep.
What are the symptoms of insomnia?
In most of the cases, people suffering from insomnia are experiencing insufficient sleeping patterns and experience several specific symptoms such as excessive sleepiness during the day, inability to concentrate and to focus, moodiness, a bad memory, poor productivity at work or school, poor quality of life and in some severe cases, depression.
Classification of Insomnia
The most important factors that determine the classification of insomnia are duration, which indicates how long and how often insomnia has been occurring; another factor is the cause of insomnia, which can often be tied to another medical condition.
Acute Insomnia
In general, acute insomnia is determined by the loss of sleep in a short period of time. In some cases, it can last for a few weeks or in milder cases maybe a few days. The main causes of this type of insomnia are stress, jet lag, emotional or physical pain, excessive worrying, or consuming caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine in excess.
Chronic insomnia
Causes of insomnia can also be classified as either primary insomnia, which means that sleep disruption is not directly related to a medical condition or secondary insomnia meaning that this form of sleep disruption is associated with an existing medical or psychiatric condition.
Insomnia and medical conditions
There are some medical conditions that can be associated with insomnia. Some examples of conditions related to insomnia are asthma, endocrine issues, gastrointestinal problems, neurological diseases, and arthritis.
Treatments for Insomnia
When experiencing acute insomnia it is likely that you will not need any kind of medical intervention. Typically, insomnia is cured on your own by training yourself to have different sleeping patterns over time. On the other hand, secondary insomnia will require medical treatment. In this case, an appointment with a sleep specialist or doctor is essential.
Cognitive Therapy for Insomnia
One of the most innovative treatments for treating any type of insomnia is cognitive therapy, that contains several practices that can help a person suffering from insomnia to recover. For example, cognitive therapy includes breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, how to keep a regular sleeping routine, or even other sleep practices that can help the person in need.
Medical Treatments for Insomnia
If you are experiencing chronic insomnia, you will probably receive a prescription with sleep aids medications that can efficiently cure many of the symptoms. In order for them to have the best effects, it is better to discuss with a doctor first; some of the typical medications for insomnia are melatonin receptor agonists, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, or benzodiazepine hypnotics. In cases where insomnia is triggered by other causes, it may be recommended to take part in a sleep study that will determine the causes and treatments for that particular sleep disorder.
Regardless of the type of insomnia that you may suffer from, we recommend you begin making some changes to your lifestyle. Try to relax more and look to reduce life’s daily worries. If your insomnia seems to worsen, do not hesitate to ask for medical advice.
Doing all this will inevitably improve your sleep and the quality of your life will increase considerably.