By Ally
What is insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder which causes a person to have difficulty falling asleep or staying awake, waking up during the night or too early. This causes them to sleep for less than the required 7~9 hours a night. It affects approximately 33~50% of adults in the world population while Chronic Insomnia disorder is 10% to 15%.
Diagnosis
Insomnia doesn't have a specific test for it. However, it uses other test to gain more information regarding your body. A blood test may be used to rule out certain medical conditions such as thyroid problems or low iron levels that can negatively impact sleep. A sleep diary may need to be kept to write down sleep patterns for 1~2 weeks (bedtime, wake time, naps, caffeine use) which helps show patterns or behavior that may interfere with rest. A sleep study may be conducted at home or at sleep disorder center to see if insomnia is cause by sleep apnea or another sleep disorder.
be diagnosed by a doctor with a blood test, physical exam, reviewing sleep history and completing a sleep study.
Types
There are two different types of insomnia. Short term insomnia tends to only last a few days to weeks and is often triggered by stress. Chronic insomnia, however, is when it occurs for at least three weeks a week for three months or longer.
Cause
Insomnia is most commonly caused by a combination of environmental, physiological and psychological factors. These can include life stressors, unhealthy lifestyle and sleep habits, chaotic schedule, mental health problems (Anxiety disorders, depression ), chronic diseases (cancer), chronoic pain (arthritis, fibromyalgia), gastrointestinal disorder, hormone fluctuations (menstruation, menopause, thyroid disease), medications and other substances, neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease) and other sleep disorders (sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome)
There may be an increased chance of getting insomnia if you are a female, pregnant, over 60 (bodily changes related to aging) and other medical conditions.
Effect and consequences of insomnia
Due to a lack of quality of sleep, people with insomnia will often cause them not to feel well-rested after a night's sleep, daytime tiredness or sleepiness, irritability, depression, anxiety, difficulty paying attention and focusing on tasks, memory problems, increased errors or accidents, persistent worries about sleep. If this continues to happen, this can lead to major chronic health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, arthritis, vack problem, mental health issues, weight gain and obesity. All of these effects combined could cause the person to struggle at work, school and in relationships.
Treatment
Often, short term insomnia gets better on its own. However, for chronic insomnia, a medical professional may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia which identifies and replaces thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen sleep problems with habits that promote sound sleep, medication or taking melatonin supplements.
Prevention
Lifestyle changes have been seen to have the greatest results. These may include, avoiding large meals, caffeine and alcohol, being physically active, having a daily routine, removing smartphones, TVs, laptops or other screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime, turning the bedroom into a dark, quiet and cool place with music.
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