Insomnia

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that disrupts the way you sleep, which means that either you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. It can affect the way you feel and the way you function because your body and mind are not getting the rest they need. Insomnia can have a big impact on day-to-day life, but there are many treatment options available that can help.

While everyone has different sleep patterns, getting enough sleep is crucial for our overall health, the function of our brain and our mood.

Insomnia, sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders, which prevent us from getting enough sleep can increase our risk of developing many diseases and disorders such as obesity and heart disease.

Are there different types of insomnia?

Insomnia is usually put into categories:

• Cause: Insomnia either happens on its own (primary) or is a symptom of another condition or factor (secondary).
• Time: Insomnia is either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). Acute and chronic insomnia are very common and affect many adults.

What are the symptoms of insomnia?

Problems with sleeping are important symptoms of insomnia and can happen in the following ways:

• Initial insomnia: Also called sleep onset insomnia, this means you find it difficult to fall asleep.
• Middle insomnia: Also called maintenance insomnia, it causes you to wake in the night and go back to sleep and is the most common type.
• Late insomnia: Also called early waking insomnia, it means you wake too early and can’t go back to sleep.

The symptoms of insomnia impact your function during the day and can:

• Affect your memory
• Affect your concentration levels
• Cause a change in mood (irritability, anxiety, depression)
• Leave you feeling sleepy and tired
• Slow down your responses and reactions
• Result in motor vehicle accidents and accidents at work place.

Chronic insomnia symptoms may show the following characteristics:

• There are no circumstances present that would interfere with the ability to sleep properly.
• Insomnia is frequent, happening several times a week.
• Insomnia has lasted at least three months.
• No medications or other sleep disorders are causing insomnia.

Sleep deprivation, caused by long term or severe insomnia, can be dangerous if it causes sleepiness during the day and interferes with tasks such as driving. It can also be linked to increased risk of:

• Anxiety and depression
• Conditions involving psychosis
• Heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is thought to be caused by a number of different factors, including:

• An increased brain activity or chemistry
• Family history
• Habits and routine such as taking naps, bedtime and caffeine consumption
• Medical conditions such as infections, injuries or living with chronic conditions.
• Mental health conditions
• Stressful or difficult life circumstances or changes.

What are the risk factors for insomnia?

The risk of developing insomnia may be increased if:

• You are a light sleeper
• You have anxiety or are stressed about sleep
• You don’t feel safe.

How is insomnia diagnosed?

Your doctor will discuss your sleeping habits and patterns, symptoms, medical history and personal circumstances in detail.

They may also perform tests to rule out other conditions which could be contributing to or causing insomnia. Polysomnography is an overnight sleep study that is performed within in a hospital/sleep lab or via an at-home screening device, which can rule out other underlying sleep disorders.

How is insomnia treated?

Insomnia can be treated in lots of different ways. For some people, simple lifestyle changes or medications can help. Treatment usually involves:

• Practicing good sleep habits (also called sleep hygiene): This includes sticking to a schedule every night, making sure you have a good sleep environment, limiting screen time before bed, getting enough exercise during the day, and limiting caffeine.

• Taking medications which can help you to fall asleep or to stay asleep: These include prescription and nonprescription drugs, such as sedatives, hypnotics and supplements.
• Addressing your mental health: Your doctor will discuss options and resources that can support your mental health and improve your sleep.

If insomnia is secondary to an underlying sleep disorder, such as a sleep related breathing disorder, then treating the underlying condition will improve your sleep.

While acute insomnia isn’t usually a major cause of concern, if it persists, it can disrupt daily life. If you have any symptoms of sleep deprivation, always talk to a doctor.