What is insomnia?
Everyone has nights of not being able to get to sleep or stay aslee. Insomnia, however, is a chronic condition. Patients suffer from difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep on most nights during the week. It results in a reduced total amount of sleep for a patient; less than what they require to feel fully rested.
What causes insomnia?
The exact cause of insomnia is unknown, but there are several factors that may contribute, including:
- Family history
- Brain activity differences
- Certain medical conditions
- Mental health conditions
- Habits and routine
- Certain medications
What are symptoms of insomnia?
Having trouble sleeping is the main symptom of insomnia. There are three main ways this happens:
- Initial (sleep onset) insomnia – have trouble falling asleep.
- Middle (maintenance) insomnia – waking up in the middle of the night but falling back asleep.
- Late (early waking) insomnia – waking up too early in the morning and not falling back asleep.
Insomnia commonly causes symptoms that affect you when you aware away, that can include:
- Feeling tired, unwell or sleepy
- Delayed responses, such as reacting too slowly when you're driving.
- Trouble remembering things.
- Slowed thought process, confusion or trouble concentrating.
- Mood disruptions, especially anxiety, depression and irritability.
How is insomnia diagnosed?
Insomnia is diagnosed based on your symptoms and night experience when discussing with a healthcare provider. Evaluation can sometimes lead to blood work or other testing to evaluate for medical conditions that could be aggravating the insomnia (e.g. sleep study to rule out obstructive sleep apnea).
What are treatment options for insomnia?
There are many ways to treat insomnia, including:
- Developing and practicing good sleep habits.
- Medications that help you fall and stay asleep.
- Mental healthcare