Cures for Insomnia
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Diseases And Conditions
Juliet Cohen asked:
Insomnia, defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, is a common problem. Insomnia can occur in people of all ages. Most individuals just experience a night or two of poor sleep, but sometimes the sleep disturbance can last for weeks, months, or even years. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Insomnia is most common among women and older adults. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month. Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. An estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia.
Most people over 70 need less than 6 hours sleep per night; and they tend to be light sleepers. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. As many as one in 10 Americans have chronic insomnia, and at least one in four has difficulty sleeping sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you have to just put up with sleepless nights. Some simple changes in your daily routine and habits may result in better sleep. Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia. Chronic insomnia can lead to mental health problems such as depression, or misuse of alcohol or other medicines in order to gain sleep. Newborn babies can sleep for 16 hours a day, while children of school age need an average of 10 hours. Adults usually need, on average, 7 to 9 hours sleep a night. As we get older, its normal to need less sleep.
Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), intermittent (on and off), and chronic (constant). Insomnia lasting from a single night to a few weeks is referred to as transient. Insomnia may be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, or lower magnesium levels. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium. Short-acting benzodiazepines or the newer hypnotic ‘Z medicines’ are the current preferred medicines for insomnia and are only available on prescription. Benzodiazepines are tranquillisers and are designed to reduce anxiety and promote calmness, relaxation and sleep.
Insomnia Treatment Tips
1. Using aromatherapy, including jasmine oil, lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness.
2. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been shown to help people sleep.
3. Traditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia.
4. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium.
5. Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.
6. Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol and tobacco.
7. Exercise more often, but don’t exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
8. Behavioral treatments teach you new sleep behaviors and ways to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep.
9. Antidepressant trazodone (Desyrel) also may help with insomnia.
8. Avoid or limit tea, coffee, chocolate, and cold remedies containing caffeine.
9. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as these are also stimulants.
Insomnia, defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, is a common problem. Insomnia can occur in people of all ages. Most individuals just experience a night or two of poor sleep, but sometimes the sleep disturbance can last for weeks, months, or even years. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Insomnia is most common among women and older adults. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month. Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. An estimated 30-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia.
Most people over 70 need less than 6 hours sleep per night; and they tend to be light sleepers. Insomnia is a common problem that may be temporary or chronic. As many as one in 10 Americans have chronic insomnia, and at least one in four has difficulty sleeping sometimes. But that doesn’t mean you have to just put up with sleepless nights. Some simple changes in your daily routine and habits may result in better sleep. Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia. Chronic insomnia can lead to mental health problems such as depression, or misuse of alcohol or other medicines in order to gain sleep. Newborn babies can sleep for 16 hours a day, while children of school age need an average of 10 hours. Adults usually need, on average, 7 to 9 hours sleep a night. As we get older, its normal to need less sleep.
Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.Insomnia affects all age groups. Among older adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence increases with age. Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), intermittent (on and off), and chronic (constant). Insomnia lasting from a single night to a few weeks is referred to as transient. Insomnia may be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, or lower magnesium levels. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium. Short-acting benzodiazepines or the newer hypnotic ‘Z medicines’ are the current preferred medicines for insomnia and are only available on prescription. Benzodiazepines are tranquillisers and are designed to reduce anxiety and promote calmness, relaxation and sleep.
Insomnia Treatment Tips
1. Using aromatherapy, including jasmine oil, lavender oil, Mahabhringaraj and other relaxing essential oils, may also help induce a state of restfulness.
2. Relaxation techniques such as meditation have been shown to help people sleep.
3. Traditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia.
4. A healthy diet containing magnesium, can help to improve sleep in individuals without an adequate intake of magnesium.
5. Melatonin has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.
6. Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol and tobacco.
7. Exercise more often, but don’t exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
8. Behavioral treatments teach you new sleep behaviors and ways to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep.
9. Antidepressant trazodone (Desyrel) also may help with insomnia.
8. Avoid or limit tea, coffee, chocolate, and cold remedies containing caffeine.
9. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as these are also stimulants.
What is Insomnia ?
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Diseases And Conditions
David Stevens asked:
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder whereby the person has the inability to fall asleep or the inability to remain asleep for a normal amount of time. People suffering from insomnia have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes for more than a few minutes at a time.
Insomnia means a poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning or unrefreshing sleep. It is a condition in which a person has trouble falling or staying asleep. Some people with insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Other people may have the opposite problem, or they have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The end result is poor-quality sleep that does not leave the person feeling refreshed when they wake up.
At least three types of insomnia exist: transient, acute, and chronic.
1. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. If this form of insomnia continues to occur from time to time, the insomnia is classified as intermittent.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
3. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month.
Insomnia can affect any person, of any age, at any time in their life. While it is often a transient condition, many people experience chronic insomnia. When left untreated, insomnia can have many dramatic effects on the body, including physical, psychological and emotional. It is a very 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. IT 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 3 nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.
There are certain lifestyle habits that can lead to sleeplessness. Caffeine most commonly disrupts sleep. An estimated 10% of chronic insomnia cases result from substance abuse, especially alcohol, cocaine, and sedatives. One or two alcoholic drinks at dinner poses little danger of alcoholism and may help reduce stress and initiate sleep. But excess alcohol or alcohol used to promote sleep, however, tends to fragment sleep and can cause wakefulness a few hours later. It also increases the risk for other sleep disorders.
The good news is that there are different cures for insomnia these days that will help you to deal with this and eventually cure this. You will find various programs and courses online that you should be checking out so you can get help to start dealing with this disorder without delay.
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder whereby the person has the inability to fall asleep or the inability to remain asleep for a normal amount of time. People suffering from insomnia have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes for more than a few minutes at a time.
Insomnia means a poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning or unrefreshing sleep. It is a condition in which a person has trouble falling or staying asleep. Some people with insomnia may fall asleep easily but wake up too soon. Other people may have the opposite problem, or they have trouble with both falling asleep and staying asleep. The end result is poor-quality sleep that does not leave the person feeling refreshed when they wake up.
At least three types of insomnia exist: transient, acute, and chronic.
1. Transient insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Most people occasionally suffer from transient insomnia due to such causes as jet lag or short-term anxiety. If this form of insomnia continues to occur from time to time, the insomnia is classified as intermittent.
2. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
3. Chronic insomnia is regarded as the most serious; persists almost nightly for at least a month.
Insomnia can affect any person, of any age, at any time in their life. While it is often a transient condition, many people experience chronic insomnia. When left untreated, insomnia can have many dramatic effects on the body, including physical, psychological and emotional. It is a very 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. IT 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 3 nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.
There are certain lifestyle habits that can lead to sleeplessness. Caffeine most commonly disrupts sleep. An estimated 10% of chronic insomnia cases result from substance abuse, especially alcohol, cocaine, and sedatives. One or two alcoholic drinks at dinner poses little danger of alcoholism and may help reduce stress and initiate sleep. But excess alcohol or alcohol used to promote sleep, however, tends to fragment sleep and can cause wakefulness a few hours later. It also increases the risk for other sleep disorders.
The good news is that there are different cures for insomnia these days that will help you to deal with this and eventually cure this. You will find various programs and courses online that you should be checking out so you can get help to start dealing with this disorder without delay.
Facts About Insomnia, Causes, Cures and Tips
Andrew P Jones asked:
What is Insomnia? The Insomnia sleep disorder, also known as Wakefulness or Dysomnia, is an inability to sleep, or disturbed sleep preventing you from getting a proper night’s rest.
The main effect of insomnia is that you may feel constantly tired and irritable, with poor concentration and coordination.
There are two main types of Insomnia:
Primary Insomnia has no underlying medical cause for the difficulty in sleeping.
Secondary Insomnia has an underlying medical cause triggering disturbed sleep: any condition causing pain, discomfort, or directly causing mental disturbance or anxiety, or specific conditions such as Sleep Apnea or Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you suspect an underlying medical or mental condition seek medical advice.
Behavioral therapy to encourage sleep can be used in both cases, though for Secondary Insomnia you should liaise with your doctor if receiving treatment for an underlying cause.
A period of insomnia can vary from transient (a few nights) to short term (up to 3 weeks) to chronic, long term insomnia (over 3 weeks)
Transient or Short Term Insomnia can be caused by traumatic events such as acute illness, injury or surgery, bereavement, job loss or less serious events such as trouble at work, an exam, extreme weather change, traveling (including jet lag)
Statistics about Insomnia causes: 50% Psychological, 40% Behavioral: sleep environment (30%) stimulants or medication (10%), 10% Physical (pain, illness etc.)
30-40% of people report insomnia each year; 10-15% of people reporting insomnia say they have chronic insomnia.
The amount of sleep needed by people varies: Babies need about 17 hours sleep a day, a child nine to ten hours per night, and an adult seven to eight hours each night, though that typically decreases as you get older.
Chronic Child Insomnia can have even more serious effects than with adults. Getting enough sleep is much more important for young children than for fully grown adults, as a childhood growth demands a healthy sleep cycle.
Don’t send a child to bed as a punishment as this may lead to insomnia due to a fear of being sent to bed. Consider using a bedroom only for sleep, not play.
Never give a child sleeping medicine without proper medical consultation. Sleeping pills may seem to provide instant, even amazing insomnia relief compared to behavioral therapies, but their results are short term and they often have other side effects.
Adults do not all need eight hours every night! Some people manage on as little as four hours sleep a night. If you don’t need much sleep then get up early – spending too long in bed can help trigger insomnia.
People can also mistake the amount of sleep they are actually getting, because they tend to remember waking up as a longer period than it actually was.
After failing to sleep for a few nights, you may become anxious that you won’t sleep causing Fear or Anxiety Insomnia. A major step towards anxiety insomnia treatment can be to accept that you can cope with its effects, thus reducing the fear of not sleeping. You would then build upon this with behavioral therapy.
Three main areas where you can encourage sleep are:
Sleep Environment – a comfortable bed, a bedroom that is quiet, dark and the right temperature
Sleep Discipline – use your bed for sleeping (and sex) only, watch TV etc. elsewhere
Sleep Conditioning – creating a routine, going to bed and getting up at the same time
The results of behavioral therapy may take effect slowly but are long term – the creation of good habits which make you less prone to insomnia.
Sleep can be disrupted even by normal foods and behaviors: e.g. don’t consume coffee after 1pm – try decaffeinated coffee instead. Avoid consuming alcohol within two hours of going to bed, although it may make you drowsy initially it can inhibit sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night.
A warm drink, dairy, soy products, eggs, rice and grains aid relaxation; foods such as bread or crackers which are high in carbohydrate can reduce anxiety, thus aiding sleep. Do not eat sugary or spicy food or drink near bedtime.
Stress or a mind too active or anxious will hinder the relaxation necessary before sleep comes.
Regular physical exercise helps control stress physically and psychologically by breaking up the day after work to distance you from work problems. Early evening is the best time for exercise if you want to use it to help get to sleep.
A warm bath can help relaxation – but don’t stay there too long or have the water too hot.
Try meditation or other relaxation techniques. Continuous practice will help you do them more effectively, so practice during the day to reduce stress, then even when you are tired it’ll work better. If you are lying awake anyway, why not just do the relaxation exercises for fun!
What is Insomnia? The Insomnia sleep disorder, also known as Wakefulness or Dysomnia, is an inability to sleep, or disturbed sleep preventing you from getting a proper night’s rest.
The main effect of insomnia is that you may feel constantly tired and irritable, with poor concentration and coordination.
There are two main types of Insomnia:
Primary Insomnia has no underlying medical cause for the difficulty in sleeping.
Secondary Insomnia has an underlying medical cause triggering disturbed sleep: any condition causing pain, discomfort, or directly causing mental disturbance or anxiety, or specific conditions such as Sleep Apnea or Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you suspect an underlying medical or mental condition seek medical advice.
Behavioral therapy to encourage sleep can be used in both cases, though for Secondary Insomnia you should liaise with your doctor if receiving treatment for an underlying cause.
A period of insomnia can vary from transient (a few nights) to short term (up to 3 weeks) to chronic, long term insomnia (over 3 weeks)
Transient or Short Term Insomnia can be caused by traumatic events such as acute illness, injury or surgery, bereavement, job loss or less serious events such as trouble at work, an exam, extreme weather change, traveling (including jet lag)
Statistics about Insomnia causes: 50% Psychological, 40% Behavioral: sleep environment (30%) stimulants or medication (10%), 10% Physical (pain, illness etc.)
30-40% of people report insomnia each year; 10-15% of people reporting insomnia say they have chronic insomnia.
The amount of sleep needed by people varies: Babies need about 17 hours sleep a day, a child nine to ten hours per night, and an adult seven to eight hours each night, though that typically decreases as you get older.
Chronic Child Insomnia can have even more serious effects than with adults. Getting enough sleep is much more important for young children than for fully grown adults, as a childhood growth demands a healthy sleep cycle.
Don’t send a child to bed as a punishment as this may lead to insomnia due to a fear of being sent to bed. Consider using a bedroom only for sleep, not play.
Never give a child sleeping medicine without proper medical consultation. Sleeping pills may seem to provide instant, even amazing insomnia relief compared to behavioral therapies, but their results are short term and they often have other side effects.
Adults do not all need eight hours every night! Some people manage on as little as four hours sleep a night. If you don’t need much sleep then get up early – spending too long in bed can help trigger insomnia.
People can also mistake the amount of sleep they are actually getting, because they tend to remember waking up as a longer period than it actually was.
After failing to sleep for a few nights, you may become anxious that you won’t sleep causing Fear or Anxiety Insomnia. A major step towards anxiety insomnia treatment can be to accept that you can cope with its effects, thus reducing the fear of not sleeping. You would then build upon this with behavioral therapy.
Three main areas where you can encourage sleep are:
Sleep Environment – a comfortable bed, a bedroom that is quiet, dark and the right temperature
Sleep Discipline – use your bed for sleeping (and sex) only, watch TV etc. elsewhere
Sleep Conditioning – creating a routine, going to bed and getting up at the same time
The results of behavioral therapy may take effect slowly but are long term – the creation of good habits which make you less prone to insomnia.
Sleep can be disrupted even by normal foods and behaviors: e.g. don’t consume coffee after 1pm – try decaffeinated coffee instead. Avoid consuming alcohol within two hours of going to bed, although it may make you drowsy initially it can inhibit sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night.
A warm drink, dairy, soy products, eggs, rice and grains aid relaxation; foods such as bread or crackers which are high in carbohydrate can reduce anxiety, thus aiding sleep. Do not eat sugary or spicy food or drink near bedtime.
Stress or a mind too active or anxious will hinder the relaxation necessary before sleep comes.
Regular physical exercise helps control stress physically and psychologically by breaking up the day after work to distance you from work problems. Early evening is the best time for exercise if you want to use it to help get to sleep.
A warm bath can help relaxation – but don’t stay there too long or have the water too hot.
Try meditation or other relaxation techniques. Continuous practice will help you do them more effectively, so practice during the day to reduce stress, then even when you are tired it’ll work better. If you are lying awake anyway, why not just do the relaxation exercises for fun!
How Too Tell If Your Sleep Problem Is Insomnia
May 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Non Fiction
Mitch Endick asked:
About 35% of adults claim that they have some form of insomnia occasionally and about 12% of these people claim to have severe insomnia. Insomnia complaints often increase with age and are more common in women.
Insomnia is not considered a disease but it is a condition of lack of correct, satisfying sleep. Someone with insomnia will generally have the sensation of daytime fatigue and impaired potential performance. Insomnia relates to the inability to sleep even though one is tired and can include waking up too early and having too fitful of a sleep leaving one tired upon waking. Insomnia can result in irritability, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and tiredness.
There are two generally recognized types of insomnia, acute and chronic. Both acute and chronic insomnia have many shared characteristics and a combination of symptoms may blur the actual lines.
Acute insomnia is often caused by physical or emotional discomforts that can usually be corrected fairly easily. Acute insomnia may be caused by stress, illness or disturbing loud noise, temperatures too high or low, or unacceptable light levels. Additionally, acute insomnia may be caused by jet lag or disturbances of the daily biological rhythm, such as the night shift.
Chronic insomnia is the more difficult insomnia to deal with and often is associated with many different factors either acting alone or in combination and often includes medical problems.
Chronic insomnia is often associated with medical, neurological and or psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders accounts for about 45% of the cases. Chronic insomnia can be associated with a variety of nonprescription drugs, prescription drugs and drugs of abuse.
There are many causes of insomnia and often an insomniac has more then one cause to blame for this condition. One of the main causes of insomnia are drugs. Some of the drugs associated with insomnia include stimulating antidepressants, steroids, decongestants, beta blockers, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and recreational drugs.
Anxiety and mood disorders can be the cause of insomnia, as well as medical problems such as pain, immobility, menopause, hormonal changes, and difficulty breathing.
Insomnia can be associated with specific sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, sleep apnea and circadian rhythm sleep problems. Additional causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, poor sleep surfaces such as bad mattresses, hyper arousal, and behavioral conditioning.
Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS is a condition where the sufferer feels unpleasant sensations in the legs which are temporarily alleviated by moving around. Symptoms are increased during relaxed times and sleeping times. This makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder describes jerking, rhythmic, repeated movements in the legs and lower extremities every 15 to 90 seconds. Sufferers who have this problem report having less refreshing sleep.
Sleep Apnea which is associated with snoring can cause sleeplessness and insomnia.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders refer to a mis- match between when a person can sleep and when his body needs and wants to sleep.
Other causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, stress, hyper arousal and negative behavioral conditioning.
Often acute insomnia (insomnia that lasts less than several weeks) may warrant some kind of medical intervention if you can not correct the problem yourself. This is important because good sleepers that suffer just a few hours of sleeplessness may become significantly sleepy during the day and be a danger to him self and others, especially during driving or operating equipment. There is also the danger that acute insomnia may develop into a learned chronic insomnia.
There are two basic approaches to the treatment of insomnia. Basically one approach is to use drugs and the other approach is behavioral.
Behavioral treatment includes correcting poor sleep habits and changing sleep beliefs and attitudes. Several of the therapies include relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control therapy, and cognitive therapy.
Pharmacological therapy includes hypnotic medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, melatonin, and other drugs like barbiturates.
In conclusion, there are effective solutions to insomnia and sleep deprivation. The patient can do much to help themselves in this matter and the physician has many tools to aid in this. Improved sleep will help in your quality of life, and health both mental and physical.
About 35% of adults claim that they have some form of insomnia occasionally and about 12% of these people claim to have severe insomnia. Insomnia complaints often increase with age and are more common in women.
Insomnia is not considered a disease but it is a condition of lack of correct, satisfying sleep. Someone with insomnia will generally have the sensation of daytime fatigue and impaired potential performance. Insomnia relates to the inability to sleep even though one is tired and can include waking up too early and having too fitful of a sleep leaving one tired upon waking. Insomnia can result in irritability, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and tiredness.
There are two generally recognized types of insomnia, acute and chronic. Both acute and chronic insomnia have many shared characteristics and a combination of symptoms may blur the actual lines.
Acute insomnia is often caused by physical or emotional discomforts that can usually be corrected fairly easily. Acute insomnia may be caused by stress, illness or disturbing loud noise, temperatures too high or low, or unacceptable light levels. Additionally, acute insomnia may be caused by jet lag or disturbances of the daily biological rhythm, such as the night shift.
Chronic insomnia is the more difficult insomnia to deal with and often is associated with many different factors either acting alone or in combination and often includes medical problems.
Chronic insomnia is often associated with medical, neurological and or psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric disorders accounts for about 45% of the cases. Chronic insomnia can be associated with a variety of nonprescription drugs, prescription drugs and drugs of abuse.
There are many causes of insomnia and often an insomniac has more then one cause to blame for this condition. One of the main causes of insomnia are drugs. Some of the drugs associated with insomnia include stimulating antidepressants, steroids, decongestants, beta blockers, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and recreational drugs.
Anxiety and mood disorders can be the cause of insomnia, as well as medical problems such as pain, immobility, menopause, hormonal changes, and difficulty breathing.
Insomnia can be associated with specific sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, sleep apnea and circadian rhythm sleep problems. Additional causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, poor sleep surfaces such as bad mattresses, hyper arousal, and behavioral conditioning.
Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS is a condition where the sufferer feels unpleasant sensations in the legs which are temporarily alleviated by moving around. Symptoms are increased during relaxed times and sleeping times. This makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder describes jerking, rhythmic, repeated movements in the legs and lower extremities every 15 to 90 seconds. Sufferers who have this problem report having less refreshing sleep.
Sleep Apnea which is associated with snoring can cause sleeplessness and insomnia.
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders refer to a mis- match between when a person can sleep and when his body needs and wants to sleep.
Other causes of insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, stress, hyper arousal and negative behavioral conditioning.
Often acute insomnia (insomnia that lasts less than several weeks) may warrant some kind of medical intervention if you can not correct the problem yourself. This is important because good sleepers that suffer just a few hours of sleeplessness may become significantly sleepy during the day and be a danger to him self and others, especially during driving or operating equipment. There is also the danger that acute insomnia may develop into a learned chronic insomnia.
There are two basic approaches to the treatment of insomnia. Basically one approach is to use drugs and the other approach is behavioral.
Behavioral treatment includes correcting poor sleep habits and changing sleep beliefs and attitudes. Several of the therapies include relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control therapy, and cognitive therapy.
Pharmacological therapy includes hypnotic medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, melatonin, and other drugs like barbiturates.
In conclusion, there are effective solutions to insomnia and sleep deprivation. The patient can do much to help themselves in this matter and the physician has many tools to aid in this. Improved sleep will help in your quality of life, and health both mental and physical.
A Sign Of Distress-Determining The Causes Of Insomnia
The Content Group asked:
Insomnia is a fairly common medical condition, and doctors are just beginning to get the hang of treating it. The key to treating insomnia in most cases is to determine the cause of the insomnia. Oftentimes, this is more difficult than it sounds. Yet, being aware of the risk factors and potential causes of insomnia could help you to treat your own case of the disorder.
Risk Factors Add to the Causes of Insomnia
There are certain characteristics that make a person more likely to experience insomnia. For example, females, the elderly, and people who suffer from depression are all much more likely to get insomnia than other groups. When conditions such as anxiety, stress, use of medications, or a medical problem occur, then these might cause someone to become more susceptible to the disorder as well.
Different Causes of Insomnia – Different Lengths of Time
One of the ways to classify insomnia is by how long it lasts. Transient insomnia is short term, intermittent insomnia occurs on and off, and chronic insomnia is long term. Each of these variations is caused by different factors. Transient and intermittent insomnia are frequently caused by one or more of the following factors: extreme temperatures, stress, change in surrounding environment, noise, jet lag or other schedule disruptions, and medication side effects.
Causes of chronic insomnia are different and are usually more difficult to pinpoint. Typically, chronic insomnia is caused by an underlying mental, emotional, or physical disorder. Depression, kidney disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, heart conditions, asthma, restless leg syndrome, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s Disease, and narcolepsy are all potential underlying causes of chronic insomnia.
However, chronic insomnia can also be caused by behavioral factors. For example, substance abuse, such as the misuse of caffeine or alcohol, can lead to chronic insomnia. Other behavioral factors include: excessive napping, smoking cigarettes, disrupted sleeping habits, and prolonged anxiety over lack of sleep.
Going to the Source
Looking at the causes of insomnia can help to determine what the best method of treatment might be. Frequently, you can solve your insomnia problems simply by removing the cause. This typically means ending a behavior that might be causing the condition.
Getting Help
Nobody expects you to determine the cause of your insomnia on your own. Your doctor can be a major help in finding out what causes your insomnia; so make sure to consult him or her before you give up hope.
