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Insomnia disorder is among the most common sleep disorder that makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep. People with this condition might also find it hard to stay asleep or find themselves waking up early and unable to get back to sleep. They might also feel tired after waking up as Insomnia disorders can such energy and have adverse effects on working performance, health, and quality of life.
According to the APA (American psychiatric association), insomnia is the most common of all sleep disorders, as nearly one-third of the adults report experiencing insomnia symptoms. Around 6 to 10% of all adults experience symptoms severe enough to get an insomnia disorder diagnosis.
The CDC (centers for disease control and prevention) states that adults require at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
Though symptoms of insomnia are widespread, doctors only make a clinical diagnosis for this condition if they fulfill the following criteria:
You can experience two types of insomnia; which are:
Insomnia disorders can be the main problem, or it might be a result of another condition. Chronic insomnia usually develops because of stress, life events, or behavior that disrupts sleep. Doctors generally treat the underlying causes to get rid of insomnia, but sometimes it can take significantly longer for this condition to disappear.
Worrying about the school, work, finances, health, or family can keep the mind active at night, making it hard to fall asleep.
Trauma or stressful events in life like illness or death of a loved one, loss of a job, divorce, etc., can also lead to the development of insomnia symptoms.
These habits consist of an irregular bedtime schedule, taking naps, indulging in stimulating activities before bed, sleeping in an uncomfortable environment, using it for work or eating, watching TV, or using a computer or cellphone before bed. All these things can interfere with the sleep cycle and worsen insomnia.
Every person has a natural body clock that guides the sleep-wake cycle, metabolism, and body temperature. It is called circadian rhythms.
If you disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm, it can lead to various health problems, including insomnia. Activities like traveling across time zones, frequently changing shifts, and working early, or late shifts can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm.
Taking a light snack before going to bed can be okay, but overeating can make you feel physically uncomfortable. You might also experience heartburn, a backflow of food, and acid from the stomach after eating. It can cause a burning sensation that can keep you awake at night.
Conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, etc., can disrupt a person’s sleeping pattern. Depression can cause a person to wake up early in the morning. Other mental health disorders might also cause a person to experience insomnia symptoms.
Prescription medications can also interfere with sleep. Drugs like antidepressants and asthma or blood pressure medicines can cause Insomnia disorders.
Over-the-counter drugs like pain medications, cold and allergy medicines, and weight loss pills often have caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt a person’s sleeping patterns.
Some medical issues, including chronic pain, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cancer, asthma, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, thyroid, and Alzheimer’s, can contribute to insomnia symptoms.
Disorders like sleep apnea cause a person to stop breathing periodically throughout the night interrupting their sleep.
Other diseases like restless legs syndrome can cause unpleasant sensations in the leg, which results in an irresistible desire to move the legs. People with such conditions might find it challenging to relax and get proper sleep at night.
Tea, coffee, cola, and similar drinks can act as stimulants. Drinking these beverages late in the day can keep a person from falling asleep at night.
Tobacco products containing nicotine can also interfere with sleep. Alcoholic drinks might make you fall asleep, but they restrict the body from entering deeper sleep stages that result in a person awakening in the middle of the night.
Once in a while, everyone experiences a sleepless night, but the risk of Insomnia disorders is higher if:
In addition to the disrupted sleep, people with Insomnia disorders can also experience the following symptoms:
All these signs can indicate various levels of Insomnia disorders. If you experience these symptoms, consult with a healthcare professional immediately to stop the problem from getting worse. It is easy to control insomnia if treated early.
There are two models of the mechanism of insomnia – cognitive and physiological. The cognitive model shows hyperarousal and rumination, resulting in preventing a person from falling asleep and causing an episode of insomnia.
The other model – the physicological model consists of three significant findings in people who have insomnia:
Together, all these findings point to a dysregulation of the arousal system, HPA axis, and cognitive system, all contributing to insomnia. However, it is unknown whether the hyperarousal is a result or the cause of insomnia.
Changed levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA are also present in people with insomnia, but the consequences of altered levels of these ubiquitous neurotransmitters are still unknown.
Studies conducted to determine whether insomnia is a product of circadian control over sleep or a wake-dependent process show inconsistent results.
However, some literature indicates a dysregulation of the circadian rhythm based on core temperature. People with insomnia also have an increased beta activity and decreased delta wave activity in their brain as measured on electroencephalograms, but the implications of this finding are still unknown.
Almost half the women post-menopause experience some sleep disturbance. Typically, the sleeping problem is twice as common in women as men. I
t can be because of the changes in women’s hormone levels, which can be significant, especially during and post-menopause. Changes in sex hormones in men and women with age can partially explain the increased tendency to develop sleep disorders in older people.
Doctors use eight different parameters related to sleep to make a diagnosis of insomnia. These parameters represent an overall scale that assesses a person’s sleep pattern.
If you experience sleeping problems, consult a sleep specialist for diagnosis. They might also examine the past medical records to eliminate other conditions that might be the cause of insomnia.
After ruling out other possible causes, the expert will take a comprehensive look at your sleep history, including sleep habits, medication, alcohol usage, nicotine and caffeine consumption, comorbid illness, and your sleeping environment.
Some people may need to go through an overnight sleep study to make sure they have insomnia. This type of research usually involves assessment tools, including a polysomnogram and various sleep latency tests.
The sleep specialist carefully determines what sort of problem an individual is having, as people with other disorders, including delayed sleep phase disorder, often get misdiagnosed with primary insomnia.
In most cases, insomnia is a result of another disease or a side effect of some medication, or a psychological problem. Almost half of the diagnosed insomnia cases are related to psychiatric disorders. However, determining the cause is not necessary for a diagnosis.
You will need to make particular lifestyle changes to prevent the onset of insomnia. The least a person can do to minimize the chances of getting insomnia is to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
Following a sleep routine can create a pattern that might help to prevent insomnia. Avoiding exercise and caffeinated beverages close to bedtime can also prove beneficial in preventing Insomnia disorders.
Following are some activities that can improve sleep hygiene:
The experts first rule out the medical and psychological causes before deciding on the treatment for Insomnia disorders. Usually, cognitive behavioral therapy is their first-line treatment, as it is useful in providing relief to people with chronic insomnia.
This therapy’s effects last well beyond the treatment period, in contrast to the effects of medication that disappear as soon as you stop taking the drugs.
Doctors recommend medicines for reducing the symptoms in the short run. Most doctors do not prescribe using sleeping aids for the long-term, as they believe it is more important to identify and treat the medical conditions that may be contributing to Insomnia disorders.
These strategies provide long-lasting improvements to insomnia. Non-medication methods include sleep hygiene, stimulus control, behavioral interventions, sleep-restriction therapy, patient education, and relaxation therapy.
It is a term that encompasses all the behaviors that encourage sound sleep. It includes the habits that lay the foundation of good sleeping practices and help prevent Insomnia disorders. Though effective, it alone is not adequate to treat chronic insomnia. Doctors usually recommend it with behavioral therapy for maximum effectiveness.
In this therapy, the therapist teaches patients improved sleep habits and makes them aware of counter-productive assumptions about sleep. Some of the misconceptions and expectations that experts try to modify include:
Experts all over the world accept CBT as an effective treatment option for Insomnia disorders as it does not have any known adverse effects. The only downside of this therapy is that it might take a lot of time and motivation to show its results.
Making changes to what and how much you eat can also significantly affect your sleeping pattern. Going to bed hungry, consuming an excessive amount of food before bed, drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages in the evening, etc., are all the things that can deteriorate the quality of sleep. Controlling your dietary habits can help you manage insomnia symptoms.
Doctors often recommend medications for treating insomnia symptoms. These medicines can be prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications. Antihistamine, such as Benadryl is an example of a counter-drug helpful in treating Insomnia disorders.
These medications can cause long-term side effects, so it is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before using these OTC drugs for Insomnia disorders.
Some of the popular prescription medications for Insomnia disorders include:
The percentage of people using prescription insomnia medicine increases with age. Adult women are more likely to use these medications than men. However, there is no significant difference in medicine use between people of African, non-Hispanic, and Mexican-American descent.
Following are the types of drugs that doctors recommend for treating Insomnia disorders symptoms
Many people tend to use alternative medicines to ease symptoms of Insomnia disorders. They consume herbs such as lavender, chamomile, valerian, or cannabis. While these treatment methods are gaining popularity, there is no conclusive clinical evidence that suggests that these treatments are effective.
A survey of around 1.1 million people living in the United States found that those who reported having a sleep of about 7 hours per night had the lowest mortality rate. Those who get more than 8 hours or fewer than 6 hours of sleep had comparatively higher mortality rates.
Getting an excess of eight and a half hours of sleep each night was associated with about a 15% higher mortality rate. Severe insomnia corresponding to sleeping fewer than 4.5 hours for men and 3.5 hours for women can increase the mortality rate by up to 15%.
With the method used in the survey, it is hard to differentiate between lack of sleep as a result of a disorder that is also a cause of premature death, versus a condition that causes decreased sleep, and lack of sleep resulting in early death.
After accounting for the associated disorder, the researchers discounted most of the increase in mortality from severe insomnia. They also accounted for the duration of Insomnia disorders and the use of sleeping pills to find the accurate mortality rate.
People who get a sleep of between 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night showed the lowest mortality rate. Those who slept only 4.5 hours a night showed very little increase in mortality.
The survey concluded that mild to moderate insomnia, for most people, is associated with increased longevity. Severe insomnia can have a very insignificant effect on the mortality rate. However, it is unclear why those who sleep for more than 7.5 hours each night have a high mortality rate.
Tags: insomnia causes, insomnia disorder, Primary insomnia, Secondary insomnia, symptoms of insomnia, Types of Insomnia