Why You Should Never Ignore Insomnia

Why You Should Never Ignore Insomnia

First, you should never think that insomnia is acceptable and write it off in any way at all. In fact, insomnia can actually be a sign of bigger problems. Insomnia may not be a disease so to speak but it is a condition that can be treated. One of the biggest problems is that most people do not ever discuss their insomnia problems with their doctor; therefore they can never be resolved.

So many times, people think that insomnia is a temporary condition that will go away on its own but it never does, it just gets worse. You could be suffering from anxiety, panic, or depression and may not even be aware of it yet. The doctor will figure this out and can give you something to make you feel better which will likely leads to you gaining back your sleep.

Insomnia should not be ignored for many reasons. Perhaps it is your medication that is causing this insomnia, or maybe you have a medical condition that has yet to be diagnosed, or maybe you have an emotional condition that you are unaware of. Whatever the reason you can be certain of one thing and that is that there definitely is a reason. Insomnia, especially chronic insomnia is your body’s way of letting you know that something is not right.

If you were to decide to ignore insomnia, eventually your physical health would deteriorate; your mental health would as well. Your performance at work and basically in all that you do will lack the vigor that it once had and you will become irritable and moody with loved ones. This is your body’s way of handling what insomnia is dishing out. One of the major ways for people to remain healthy is to get plenty of rest and eat a well balanced diet so when you are only averaging a couple of hours at best, of sleep per night you will soon feel like you have been hit by a truck. Your mind may even go into a delirious state and your wick will be very short.

If you go and see the doctor so he can find out what is causing the insomnia, at the very least he will be able to provide you with some medication to help you get some rest. Medications for insomnia have come a long way and they can now be used for a period of up to six months and they no longer have the addictive properties that they once had. In other words, they are now safe to use and they do not leave you feeling lethargic the next morning.

This will help you get some rest but there is no insomnia medicine that can be taken indefinitely so you will have to work in a proactive manner to work with doctors and such to develop a new plan for when the medication period is over. The bottom line is that you do not want to become dependent on anything to fall into a good night’s sleep.

What is Insomnia?

What is Insomnia?

What is insomnia? Insomnia is when a person has any sleep related difficulties, mainly falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early in the morning. Each of these can be extremely irritating and can affect the way that the rest of your day plays out. This is because when you do get up you are still tired and not refreshed. Over a period of time people who suffer from insomnia tend to develop mood disorders, they lack motivation, the inability to concentrate, lack of energy, and constantly being tired.

People need adequate sleep in order to maintain a healthy and productive life. It has been said the people spend about 1/3 of their lifetimes sleeping. That certainly seems like a lot of time but proper sleep is needed for a healthy human body including the vital organs and the brain. The brain really works some magic while a person is asleep. Without sleep the brain begins to lose its ability to function.

While the amount of sleep that a person gets does not seem to be quite as important as the quality of sleep that they get, the two are still completely related. Insomnia has very grave effect over a period of time, both physical and psychological. Impaired mind functioning, accidents, anxiety and depression, stress, heart attacks, and headaches are common consequences of insomnia. Health can deteriorate as the person gets mentally and physically weaker, becomes more irritable, and develops a wakened immune system that can lead to all kinds of illness.

Sleep occurs in a very unique manner. When it is time for sleep, the retina in the eye sends a message to your brain; your brain in turn sends a message to another part of the brain to produce the hormone melatonin, this in turn causes a drop in body temperature and the person begins to feel signs of sleepiness. While this is going on, the brain starts to deactivate three of the brains chemical messengers that are responsible for keeping one alert, histamine, norephinephrine, and serotonin. So it is very important that the brain gets its rest so that it can function properly on a daily basis.

There are various types of insomnia and various causes as well. Insomnia can be broken up into primary and secondary. Primary insomnia means there is absolutely no medical, physical, or emotional reason for the insomnia. Secondary insomnia means there is a reason for the insomnia is it medical, psychological or physical. Generally, secondary insomnia is treated by a physician and primary insomnia is treated with behavioral therapy.

The behavioral therapy often includes things such as sleep hygiene, progressive muscle relaxation, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, and sleep restriction and scheduling. These have been very successful in treatment centers across the country.

It is imperative that a person get relaxed prior to attempting to go to sleep. Reading a book, watching some TV, or anything relaxing is a great start when attempting to get some sleep but if you lay there and find that you lost all interest in sleeping, get out of bed and do something else until you feel tired again. Laying there, tossing and turning is not going to do anything but make matters worse.

Steps To Help Your Insomnia

Insomnia is a whole lot more than your body telling you that you have had enough sleep. Actually, insomnia is your body’s way of letting you know that something is wrong. Insomnia is different in each person, some just can not fall asleep, others wake in the middle of the night and are unable to fall back asleep, and some just wake up much too early. There can be various reasons, perhaps you are drinking too much caffeine, maybe you suffer from anxiety and depression, maybe you have some conflict or inner struggles in your life, or maybe you are in pain from migraines or arthritis.

Whatever the case, there is a problem that needs to be diagnosed before you will get another good night sleep. When your body is not allowing you to sleep there is a problem and your body is telling you that something is wrong with your body and or mind that needs to be addressed.

Most adults require about 7 or 8 hours of sleep each night but that can vary depending on the person. Usually a person knows if they have got enough sleep depending on the way that they feel the next day. If you feel tired and lack energy then odds are that you likely did not get your proper rest. Research has shown that as people age their Stage 4 sleep, which is the deepest sleep, tends to become shorter and eventually can disappear entirely. This result is older people waking more during the night and napping more during the day. This is not always indicative of a sleep disorder such as insomnia.

There are some things that you can attempt on your own in an attempt to rid your insomnia such as eliminating caffeine, watching your intake of alcohol, using relaxation techniques, limit any stimulating activities at least a few hours before bed, and keeping a routine at bedtime. Make sure that you are not hungry or too full, try taking a nice hot bath, or even try reading yourself to sleep. Make sure that you are attempting to sleep in a comfortable bed.

If you find that you are having a difficult time falling asleep then remove yourself from the bed and go do something else until you become tired again. Never nap! As much of a drag as this might sound you have to establish a bedtime for yourself and a get up time and stick with it seven days a week. These are attempts that you can make but if they do not work then make an appointment to see your doctor so you do not lose another precious nights sleep. You are worth it and you will feel so much better.

Perhaps you might want to try some herbal remedies that are relatively inexpensive and easily accessed over the counter. Many of these herbal compounds especially Lavender and catnip have been used for centuries to relax and calm people down, therefore allowing them to fall asleep.

Secondary Insomnia

Secondary Insomnia

There are generally two different labels of insomnia, primary and secondary. Secondary insomnia is insomnia that there is a medical reason for. This type of insomnia should be treated by a physician. This is where one condition is worsened by another disorder. One common cause of secondary insomnia is sleep apnea. This is a disorder that is caused by a difficulty in breathing while sleeping. Symptoms include loud snoring, frequent long pauses between breaths that are followed by a gasping or choking to get air. All of these symptoms are persistently present.

Another common cause of secondary insomnia is Restless Leg Syndrome. This is a condition that occurs mainly at night when a person is trying to sleep when they get some very unpleasant sensations in their legs. The feelings include burning, itching, pulling, or tugging and the only relief is to keep moving the feet or to actually get up and walk around. This can be very irritating as the sensation does not hurt but is annoying and is further aggravated by the inability to sleep.

Circadian Rhythm Disorder accounts for another portion of insomnia and basically is as simple as your sleep cycle not matching up with your natural sleep cycle. Simply put, assume that a person is used to working midnights and then gets put on days or vice versa. This can really throw off a persons sleep causing insomnia that can often take a very long time to adjust to. Something as simple as Daylights Savings Time change can throw off ones sleep cycle completely.

Often insomnia is caused from a medical condition or the medication that is used to treat that medical condition. This could include allergies, arthritis, heart conditions, hypertension, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, ADD, or maybe just chronic pain. These medical conditions can be very debilitating but so can the medication that is given to treat it.

Check with your physician and see if insomnia is a side effect of any of your medication and maybe something can be done to change the medicine or to take it at a different time of the day so it does not interfere with your sleep. It sometimes can truly be something as minor as that which can set you right back on track again. Many people have found that when Zoloft is prescribed for depression and or anxiety, it can make them tired. For some that is a good thing but if taken early in the day it can force a person to walk around like a zombie or end up taking a nap which will mess up their sleep cycle later that night.

Secondary insomnia is the most frequent type of insomnia and fortunately when the initial condition is diagnosed, more than likely the insomnia will dissipate as well. So in this case it is usually the underlying condition that is causing the insomnia or it could be the medication that is being used to treat the initial diagnosis. This is why it is so important to keep your doctor abreast of all situations that are irregular.

Primary Insomnia

Primary Insomnia

Primary insomnia is one in which there is no medical, environmental or psychological cause for. It is characterized by the following, it lasts for at least one month, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, sleep disturbance that causes effects that roll over into the next day, disrupting social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Primary insomnia can then be even further broken down into three categories, Psycho physiological insomnia, and Idiopathic insomnia, Sleep state misperception.

Several tests might be conducted to find out the possible causes of insomnia. Once all medical tests have been conducted to rule out any underlying medical condition then you may be sent to a sleep treatment sleep center where they will likely keep you for an overnight stay to conduct a Polysomnography test. This test can not necessarily tell doctors what is causing the insomnia but it will determine what is not causing it. What is not causing it can sure be irritating when you discover that there is no reason at all for your insomnia, it’s just plain and simple that you can not sleep. When there is no cause there certainly can not be a treatment.

Multiple sleep latency tests are also usually conducted and this gives the doctor even further information to make a solid diagnosis. Once all is ruled out it is likely that if the insomnia continues, the doctor would then prescribe a sleep medication to the patient. Usually though, before the doctor will start writing out prescriptions for medication he will want the patient to keep a sleep log for a few weeks. This usually gives the doctor a pretty good idea of what is going on as he is able to look at times of rest versus time of wakening and the frequency of them.

There are some things that a person can do at home for themselves in the meantime such as eliminate caffeine, alcohol, avoid heavy meals near bedtime, do not perform any physical activity near bedtime, do not nap, and keep the room temperature comfortable and the lighting down. You can also try hypnosis or over the counter or prescription medications. Just remember that regardless of which type of insomnia you have or what the cause you have to find out the cause and deal with it right away because not getting adequate sleep is very bad for your health.

Primary insomnia, which basically means insomnia where there is no reason for it and of course this is very frustrating to say the least because it might seem like nothing can be done. But many times what happens is because the night before when there was an evident lack of sleep, you may start right away in the morning dwelling on the probability of being able to sleep later that night.

This is one of the worst things that can be done because it puts an element in your mind and then being able to sleep naturally becomes rather something that you try your hardest to accomplish.

Pets get Insomnia Too

Pets get Insomnia Too

Human beings are not the only ones who can suffer from insomnia, pets sometimes get it too. Unless your pet is keeping you up at night, you may never even have a clue that he is not sleeping and since they can not speak, this can make it especially difficult. Temporary bouts of insomnia can appear with your animal for the same reasons that insomnia appears in humans. It is likely that something is bothering your animal resulting in his sleep loss.

Dogs and cats are much attuned to what is going on with their owners and around the house in general. If there is construction going on very nearby that is causing a lot of chaos, this can affect your pets sleep pattern, if there is someone new sleeping in your home, you will likely notice a difference in your pet, and if there is a lot of fighting and arguing going on, that too can affect your pet and his sleeping. This is something that pet owners usually never give too much thought to but it does affect your animal.

There are other causes of why your pet might not be getting his proper rest at night, perhaps he is not well. Pets usually get insomnia when they are uncomfortable. Consider everything when it comes to evaluating your pet’s insomnia because they can not tell you what is bothering them but if you watch for signs, they are surely to appear.

Is your pet scratching himself more than usual, if so maybe he has fleas or allergies that are keeping him up, maybe he is not getting much sleep because he is getting up to go to the bathroom more than usual which too can indicate a problem. Your pet could also have arthritis setting in; this is quite common in dogs and tends to often affect their hip which makes sleeping very uncomfortable.

In any case, if you notice any unusual patterns with your pet, including the inability to sleep at night then you should take your pet to his veterinarian and have an exam done to rule out any possible causes. If your pet’s insomnia is stress related then the vet can likely prescribe something that will offer him great relief so he can start sleeping normally again. In many ways pets are like people and some of the same things that upset people, upset pets too. If pets do not get enough exercise, they will not sleep like they should, if they have a stomach ache, they might not sleep either. Older dogs also are the ones who require less sleep than younger ones do.

If you discover that your dog is not sleeping like he normally does then do not wait too long before taking your pet to the vet because it is a sign that something could be medically wrong. You can attempt some self help measures such as making a comfortable spot for him to lie on and maybe making sure that he gets more exercise but there is only so much that you can do on your own.

Menopause and Insomnia

Menopause has many unwelcome surprises for women but the biggest complaint is insomnia. Falling asleep may not be particularly difficult but it is staying asleep that becomes the problem. These episodes may or may not include night sweats or extreme warmth, extremely vivid dreams, or intense anxiety that is almost in the form of panic. Often there may be no cause at all for a woman to wake in the middle of the night and just can not go back to sleep. Experts do know that hormonal imbalances can put a woman’s system right out of whack causing extreme hot flashes which could be the reason that the body can not return to a state of sleep because the body has to return to its normal temperature first.

More recent research has shown that maybe it is not night sweats and body temperature at all that contributes to menopausal insomnia. In fact, it may be that the drop of serotonin, which is the brains natural chemical, may be the culprit as this happens automatically when estrogen levels decline. There is no doubt that there is a definite relationship between menopause and insomnia and very often the insomnia can begin up to 7 years before the actual onset of menopause. Most have heard people refer to menopausal women as being irritable and nothing less than moody.

The reason for this is a combination of lack of sleep that results in added stress, which then manifests into a higher degree of moodiness. Menopausal women experience a high lack of REM sleep which is the deepest level of sleep and the one that is most necessary. Lack of this sleep can really cause menopausal women to become extra irritable. It can not be understated the importance of a woman getting her proper rest at this critical time.

Visit your doctor and he should be able to give you some hormone replacements which will stabilize your hormones resulting in a good nights rest. There are also herbal remedies available such as vitamin replacements and herbal teas that promote sleep. Don’t feel alone and don’t hesitate, address the importance of your insomnia right away so you can rest easy once again. Perhaps you can start an exercise regimen or start taking yoga or meditating to cleanse your mind, body, and soul.

In combination these will all promote better overall health which could possibly balance out the insomnia. Caffeine is one thing that should be avoided at all costs during menopause as it will only add to the inability to sleep. Menopausal women may find that there are certain conditions or products that trigger an insomnia spree, and as these triggers are discovered, they can then be avoided.

Menopause already makes a woman feel tired and drained and it can vary quite a bit from woman to woman but it is almost guaranteed that it will surface. As the estrogen and progesterone fluctuate many symptoms will develop in certain ways that lead to increased insomnia. The best things that you can do are work with your doctor and take his advice and together you will work through this difficult time.

Insomnia Tests and Diagnosis

If you have found it almost impossible to get any sleep lately and believe that you are suffering from insomnia then it is always a good idea to consult your physician. You have to understand that insomnia is not a disease so there is no cures for it, however there are some temporary fixes. Most importantly your doctor will want to do an examination on you and likely screen your medication, if you take any. The doctor should check for things such as thyroid conditions. He may also like for you to keep a log of your sleep patterns over a period of maybe one or two weeks and then discuss it with you. Further, he will likely check to see if your insomnia is related to or causing anxiety or depression.

The doctor knows that if there is an underlying condition that is causing the insomnia then if he can diagnosis and treat that cause, he will likely relieve the insomnia too. In doctor terms there is primary and secondary insomnia. The difference is that with primary insomnia is that there is no medical condition causing it and secondary insomnia is because there is an underlying health concern. The doctor may also refer you to a sleep treatment center for further evaluation.

The sleep treatment center will perform multiple tests on you while you are there and you should expect an overnight stay too. The will likely conduct a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), a Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), an Actigraphy, and some lab tests to check for anything including those to test for medicines known to affect one’s level of alertness, such as stimulants, opiates, and antianxiety medicines. The sleep study can help your doctor make a diagnosis and guide treatment by providing information on everything from body position and blood oxygen levels to heart rate and eye movements.

Sometimes the tests turn up nothing and you might find that you were just suffering from some anxiety due to an upcoming event or maybe you are depressed over some major event. Now medication can alleviate those problems which again, might just take care of the insomnia too. Insomnia can be tricky and it can take a while to hit the nail on the head and find out exactly what the problem is. First it must be determined if the anxiety is chronic or not.

Chronic meaning the insomnia has been consistently present for over one month. Then doctors will want to know if the insomnia is primary, secondary, or maybe even idiopathic, which means that there is no physical, mental, or emotional reason for the insomnia. This is why it is so important to go through the entire medical process to find out why this abnormal sleep pattern is continuing.

What makes this a most delicate situation is that insomnia is not a disease but a condition and therefore there are no specific tests that can explain the cause but rather a series of teats that eliminate one reason after another.

Insomnia Symptoms

Surely you have heard people claim that they had a horrible time sleeping last night, but imagine if it were like that night after night, month after month. Although the symptoms can vary the main symptom of insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. This has to be over a period of at least one month as well to be considered chronic. Chronic insomnia can be especially dangerous too, not just for the health of the person who has the insomnia but for many other reasons. Consider, stress, depression, and mental illness will either be the reason for or the result of insomnia.

The daytime symptoms associated with insomnia are also of great concern as the insomniac will have a very low ability to concentrate which can be very dangerous depending on if they operate an automobile or what type of job that they have. Motor coordination is impaired; there is an evident inability to interact socially, and an increased risk of being involved in an auto accident.

Chronic insomnia effects each and every part of a persons day. They can not perform adequately at work or in any part of their life in general. They are constantly tired and fatigued. This in turn affects their personality and overall judgment. Insomnia is classified into three different groups: transient which lasts for only a few nights, intermittent which are episodes of insomnia, and chronic which is someone who has experienced insomnia on most nights for at least one month. As a result this is extremely dangerous when considering health and emotional well being.

The symptoms of insomnia include trouble falling asleep, experiencing restless sleep, in which you wake frequently throughout the night and then have trouble falling back asleep, waking up way too early in the morning, and feeling tired and un-refreshed after they do wake up. People want to know what they are doing wrong and why it is that they are having this difficulty. The answer to that is that there are many, many factors that could be to blame but some of the most common causes are stress, anxiety, and depression. However, a doctor should be seen in case there are any medical related problems that are causing the insomnia. This is never a time doe assumption when it comes to your health and well being.

The list is plentiful and those are not the only causes, they are just the main causes. Often people need to reduce their intake of caffeine, drinking too much alcohol, napping during the day, changes in your surroundings and sleep schedule, noise, and in particular, medication. Insomnia statistics are actually quite mind-boggling as about half of all Americans will face some form of insomnia throughout their lifetime.

So when it becomes clear that more than just a few nights have passed and one has not gotten a good night’s sleep, then is the time to address the issue before it blazes out of control. This should be done before that person and their loved ones have to suffer.

Insomnia Sleep Treatment Centers

Insomnia Sleep Treatment Centers

When chronic insomnia gets the best of you and you no longer feel that you can withstand the battle, it is time to reach out for help. Insomnia Sleep Treatment Centers specialize in the treatment of chronic insomnia, often in non medicinal ways. For many, insomnia is not a passing phase and just will not go away and Insomnia Sleep Treatment Centers can be the answer to some long awaited prayers.

Their approach is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It works very effectively on other conditions such as chronic pain, panic disorder, and addiction disorders but it works very effectively on insomnia treatment too. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT is based on the theory that there were some predisposing and precipitating factors. Simply put, the insomnia is associated with an event that triggers the insomnia and even after the event had passed, the insomnia remains. The CBT then focuses on those factors that triggered the insomnia rather than the insomnia itself. CBT centers use all
different types of ways to gather information from their patients including diaries, sleep logs, and questionnaires.

The approach includes a cognitive component and several behavioral interventions. Sleep restriction, stimulus control, and sleep hygiene are used along with relaxation training. Treatment is lengthy and usually lasts up to a couple months and can involve one or more individuals at a time. You will likely be working with a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but either way this treatment is what is referred to as active treatment, meaning that the both of you will be active in your recovery.

Normally, it is your doctor that will refer you to a sleep treatment center and there it is the latest technology that is used to monitor your sleep patterns. Common tests that are run are blood work, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Overnight sleep study, and Multiple Sleep Latency. These are the tests that will give the researchers the correct tools to diagnose your problem as well as a way to correct it. It might seem like a lot of trouble but you will surely be thankful when you are getting a good night’s rest and life will surely have a good outlook.

Many want to know the cost of this treatment and if their insurance will cover the expenses. First of all, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the US can cost anywhere from $500-$800. While some health insurances will cover the expense others may not although you will have a much better chance of the health insurance company covering it if you are going to a sleep treatment center by a referral from your doctor. This way if the health insurance company denies the claim, the doctor can assist in fighting that claim.

A final factor that people usually consider is if they need a sleep treatment center or if they can attempt to correct this problem on their own since CBT has a lot to do with self help. CBT helps the patient to have their self help managed accordingly, without this odds are that the CBT would not be successful.