Insomnia | Sleep Apnea | Sleep Apnea Zone
Insomnia Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders and is often a symptom of another, sometimes more serious, sleep disorder. Everyone has trouble falling asleep sometimes, but insomnia is when an individual has chronic difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, difficulty getting back to sleep, or feeling tired upon waking (unrefreshed sleep). Often there is an underlying problem that is the source of insomnia such as a side effect of medicine, stress, environmental issue, or another health problem.
Surveys indicate that adults who sleep 7 hours a night have the lowest rate of mortality and those that slept fewer than 6 hours per night, or more than 8 hours per night have higher rates of mortality – so getting the adequate amount of sleep is important to one’s health and well being. Insomnia affects individuals of all ages; however, those individuals that are most likely to suffer from insomnia are shift workers, travelers, elderly, young adult students, and pregnant and menopausal women. Some people suffer from insomnia due to intake of too much caffeine or alcohol. Types of insomnia
There are three types of insomnia: (1) transient insomnia which lasts less than one week; (2) short-term insomnia when a person is unable to consistently sleep well for a period of one to three weeks; and (3) chronic insomnia when a person is unable to sleep well for a period of longer than three weeks.
Transient and short-term insomnia can be caused by jet lag, stress, changes in shift work schedule, or environment. Chronic insomnia can be caused by anxiety, stress, depression, or mental illness. The side effects of insomnia include sleepiness, muscular and mental fatigue, irritability; an overall negative impact on functioning during the day; headaches; increased accident rate; and premature death.
An individual suffering from insomnia should see a doctor especially if the bout of insomnia latest longer than three or four week – even sooner if it interferes with an individual’s inability to function. There is no specific test for insomnia itself, a doctor will likely discuss your medical history, review your medication, and take blood to test for thyroid problems in an attempt to determine the cause of the insomnia. The doctor may also recommend a sleep study in an effort to determine a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. There are many treatments for insomnia. As mentioned above, insomnia may be caused by a medical disorder and once that disorder is found and treated, the insomnia will disappear. One treatment for insomnia is behavior therapy.
Behavior therapy teaches the individual suffering from insomnia relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, muscle relaxation; or medication, and education about good sleeping habits. Another treatment is medication; some doctors prescribe sleeping pills to individuals suffering from insomnia.
While sleeping pills can help insomnia, it is not a cure. When the individual stops taking the sleeping pills, the insomnia comes back. Some people also suffer side effects from the sleeping medication such as low blood pressure or nausea. Some people that suffer from insomnia look to alternative or natural insomnia cures such as herbal medicines.
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