Facts About Insomnia
Do you need some real facts about insomnia? This is an easy guide to insomnia including the best insomnia tips to help you fall asleep fast.
You may need tips to fall asleep or help staying asleep. Important facts about insomnia are that it is often secondary to other conditions as well as a problem on its own, and that there are many, many insomnia causes.
In the US, approximately 64 million people regularly experience insomnia each year.
It is more common in women and affects 1 in 3 people.
Facts about insomnia types
- Transient insomnia lasts only a few days to a few weeks and may be caused by another condition like depression or anxiety
- Acute insomnia is an inability to sleep well consistently for three weeks to six months.
- Chronic insomnia lasts for years and can either be caused by another disorder or be the main disorder. Symptoms include sleepiness, muscle fatigue, hallucinations, mental fatigue, seeing things in slow motion or double vision.
- Fatal insomnia is a rare form of insomnia.
Facts About Insomnia Patterns
The pattern of insomnia is usually related to its underlying causes.
Onset insomnia is difficulty falling asleep at bedtime. It can be linked to anxiety disorders.
Middle insomnia is sometimes called sleep maintenance insomnia, and is a common problem. Middle insomnia involves waking in the middle of the night and having difficulty getting back to sleep.
Terminal insomnia, also known as "late insomnia" involves waking very early in the morning. This is often associated with clinical depression. You may be suffering from terminal insomnia if you wake up well before your alarm goes off, unable to return to sleep. A pattern of waking early, say at 4am or 5am, and then becoming weary in the late afternoon is a problem for many people. They have no trouble falling asleep when they go to bed, however. Poor concentration may also be a problem. It is more common in the elderly and affects more women than men.
Terminal insomnia is often associated with depression and stress, and these issues need to be addressed in order to find help for insomnia of this kind.
Not sure if you have terminal insomnia or if you are just a "morning person"? Take our quizzes and find out.
Facts about insomnia effects
You may experience these signs and symptoms:
- Feeling grumpy and tired during the day
- Trouble concentrating at work
- Falling asleep during the day
- Irritability, depression or anxiety
- Tension headaches
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Increased errors or accidents
Causes of insomnia
An insomnia cause may be short-term or chronic. Are you reacting to or stressed about change in your life? Life events are one of the most common causes of short-term and transient insomnia. The trigger could be a major or stressful event like:
- An illness
- Injury or surgery
- The loss of a loved one,through death or separation
- Job loss
Temporary insomnia could also occur after a fairly minor event, including:
- Extremes in weather
- An exam
- Travel
- Problems at work
Normal sleep usually returns either when the situation resolves, when you recover from the event, or you become used to the new situation. You may need help for insomnia if sleepiness interferes with your day-to-day functioning or if it continues for more than a few weeks. Individual responses to stress vary and some people may not experience insomnia at all, even during very stressful situations while others may suffer from insomnia in response to very mild stressors.
Insomnia often results from other problems, like a painful medical condition or substance that interferes with sleep. These are important facts about insomnia, as it can be hard to know what is insomnia-related and what is just life.
The effects of alcohol insomnia explained in detail - is alcohol a cause of insomnia or is it a natural sleep remedy?
Depression is a common cause of insomnia, but some people don't even realize they are depressed. Some anti-depressants also have insomnia side effects.
Stages of Life
Children can experience insomnia just as adults do. It can cause difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking too early.
The teenage years are often a time of disrupted sleeping patterns...different to the rest of the household at least. The reasons for this may be developmental or lifestyle-related.
Women who have never had sleep problems before, can get quite a shock during pregnancy. Lots of factors can conspire to disrupt sleep.
Women who have never had trouble sleeping, may find this changes after age 40.
Tips to fall asleep
Some causes of insomnia can't be easily dealt with but most can. Here are some tips to fall asleep fast and sleep well:
Your Environment
You need a comfortable bed and a quiet, dark and warm room. Sometimes this is not possible. You might have noisy neighbors, a snoring partner, a cold room, and makeshift furniture. But there are some things you can do to help.
- If your mattress sags, put a board under it, or try putting your bed in a different position. Make sure your bedding is clean and that you are warm enough, but not too hot.
- If light troubles you, use thicker curtains, or sleep with a scarf or sleep mask over your eyes. If you prefer a little light, leave the curtains open a bit or use a night light.
- Use earplugs if noise is beyond your control - or change how you think about it. It is possible to sleep through high levels of noise - it's actually how you feel about it that keeps you awake. Use relaxation exercises to calm yourself and take your mind off it. Can you talk to noisy neighbors? Alternatively, keep a radio/tape player by your bed and use it to mask other noise. And if noise from neighbors continues to be a serious problem - speak to your local Environmental Health Officer or building supervisor. These could be some simple ways to get help for insomnia.
Check out these treatments that are effective and easy to follow.
These herbs are widely recognised by herbalists and natural health practitioners as effective for sleep improvement.
Research supports the effectiveness of meditation for insomnia.
Some people believe that they can use chloroform for sleep - find out the facts before considering this idea.
A website about the cell nutrient glutathione might provide a helpful suggestion.
Medications causing insomnia
Zoloft is a popular antidepressant, but insomnia is one of its most common side effects.
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