Insomnia

Insomnia

Nearly everyone has had trouble sleeping. In some cases, however, insomnia can be a long-term problem that won't go away. If insomnia is interfering with your quality of life, you may need the help of a sleep medicine physician.

source Lifestyle.one

Symptoms

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder with one or a combination of the following nighttime symptoms:

Difficulty falling asleep

Difficulty staying asleep

Waking too early in the morning

Not feeling refreshed upon waking

Those nighttime symptoms are also associated with one or more daytime symptoms, such as:

Sleepiness, tiredness and/or fatigue

Difficulties with attention, memory, and/or concentration

Mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety or depression

Physical symptoms like increased tension, headaches or upset stomach

Causes

Insomnia can be caused by a number of things, including:

Poor sleep practices

Stress

Anxiety

Depression

Environmental factors (e.g., noise, light, extreme temperatures and/or pets)

Medications

Sleep-wake schedule problems (e.g., shift-work or jet lag), certain medical conditions or

A combination of these

When insomnia is severe, a person can develop behaviors and thinking patterns that can keep the insomnia going, even when the other factors have stopped. The key is to unlock the patient from these behaviors and thinking patterns.

Treatment

Depending on the reason for your insomnia and your personal preference, treatment can include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Sleep medications

Interventions that address underlying medical or psychological problems

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Non-medicine Approach

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) focuses on modifying the behavior and thinking that contribute to chronic insomnia.

Therapy sessions take place on a regular basis (usually every one to two weeks). We ask patients to complete sleep diaries throughout the course of the therapy.

CBT-I can take up to several months, and the benefits aren’t apparent right away. But many people prefer the therapy because it is a non-medication approach whose benefits continue long after they discontinue therapy.

Sleep Medications

Sleep medications include any medication your doctor prescribes to improve the nighttime symptoms of insomnia.

Recent studies have shown that certain sleep medications are beneficial when taken nightly for several months and have few side effects.

Sleep medications can be particularly helpful when the insomnia began because of a specific situation, such as illness, travel or a change in your environment.

Sleep medications are also used when insomnia is more chronic, sometimes in combination with CBT-I.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves some medications specifically for treatment of insomnia—such as Ambien, Lunesta and Silenor.

Discuss With Your Doctor

Talk with your doctor about whether a sleep medication is appropriate for your type of insomnia, and ask how long you should take the medication. If you start taking medication, follow up with your doctor to evaluate how well it is working.

http://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/brain-neurological-conditions/insomnia

kcontents