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Insomnia
Sleep Disorders | Tips for
Better Sleep
Note: Much of the following information was taken from pages on our
"sister' website: SleepWeb.com
What Is
Insomnia?
Insomnia is a condition in
which you have 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 doesn’t leave you feeling refreshed when
you wake up.
Types of
Insomnia
There are two types of
insomnia. The most common type is called secondary insomnia. More than 8 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. Some of
the problems that can cause secondary insomnia include:
-
Certain illnesses, such as
some heart and lung diseases
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Pain, anxiety, and depression
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Medicines that delay or
disrupt sleep as a side-effect
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Caffeine, tobacco, alcohol,
and other substances that affect sleep
-
Another sleep disorder, such
as restless leg syndrome: a poor sleep environment; or a change in sleep
routine
In contrast, primary insomnia
is not a side-effect of medicines or another medical problem. It is its own
disorder, and generally persists for least 1 month or longer.
Overview
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 3 nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts
for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.
Outlook
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.
How Is Insomnia
Treated?
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:
-
Caffeine, tobacco, and other
stimulants taken too close to bedtime (effects of caffeine can take as long as
8 hours to wear off).
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Certain over-the-counter and
prescription medicines that can disrupt sleep (for example, some cold and
allergy medicines).
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Alcohol. An alcoholic drink
before bedtime may make it easier for you to fall asleep. But alcohol triggers
sleep that tends to be lighter than normal and makes it more likely that you
will wake up during the night.
Good bedtime habits include:
-
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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Not exercising, eating heavy
meals, or drinking a lot shortly before bedtime.
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Making your bedroom
sleep-friendly. Avoid bright lighting and minimize possible sleep
distractions, such as a TV, computer, or pet.
-
Going to sleep around the
same time each night and waking up around the same time each morning, even on
weekends. If possible, avoid night shifts or alternating schedules at work and
other causes of irregular sleep schedules.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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 2 to 3 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.
Medicines
Several medicines cause
sleepiness. Doctors sometimes prescribe sleep-inducing medicine for 1 to 2 weeks
to help establish a regular sleep schedule. Insomnia medicine helps you fall
asleep, but can leave some people feeling unrefreshed or groggy in the morning.
You may also be groggy and should exercise caution if you must get up before
getting a full night's sleep of 7 to 8 hours while taking these medicines. The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved all insomnia medicines for
continuous, long-term use. Your doctor can help you understand the benefits and
potential problems if medicines will be needed for long periods.
Some people use natural
remedies to treat their insomnia. These remedies include melatonin and L-tryptophan
supplements and valerian teas or extracts. The FDA doesn’t regulate these
over-the-counter treatments. This means that their dose and purity can vary from
product to product. Their safety and effectiveness is not well understood.
Medicines also are available to
treat symptoms of excessive sleepiness if your insomnia is the result of shift
work or alternating work schedules. You should discuss your situation with your
doctor to determine whether these medicines, together with improving sleep
habits, can help you overcome insomnia.
Source: Marketdata Enterprises, Inc. research,
Wikipedia
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