NUTRIWAY - Health Articles - Insomnia
Insomnia is said to be present when you regularly find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. It has several patterns. You may have trouble getting to sleep initially. Or even if you can fall asleep, you might not be able to stay asleep for as long as you would like. Also you may wake up during the night and not be able to go back to sleep for a long time. Many people have two of the above problems, or even all three.

What causes insomnia?
Insomnia has many causes which can include:
  • Some medicines and drugs, such as asthma or blood pressure medication, caffeine, alcohol or smoking
  • Chronic pain and other uncomfortable illnesses
  • Stress at work or in your personal life
  • Depression
  • A friend or loved one passing away
  • Anxiety and worrying, including worrying about not getting enough sleep
  • Another sleep problem
Sometimes there is no clear cause for insomnia, in which case it is called primary insomnia.

How common is insomnia?
Most people have experienced insomnia symptoms at some time of their lives. At any given time around 10% of people have at least mild insomnia.

Who is at risk?
Older people with poor health have a higher risk. Also women have twice the rates compared to men. Shift workers have a higher risk too.

How does insomnia affect people?
You might feel that it's harder to focus and remember things. But most people think their memory and concentration is worse than it really is. Your risk of a traffic accident or other injury may be higher. You may become more emotional more easily and a lack of sleep can cause depressed moods. Some people feel sleepy during the day, but this can be caused by many things.

How is it treated?
This depends on what is causing the insomnia.

  • If poor sleep habits are the cause then these need to be improved
  • If your sleep habits seem to be okay but you are still having problems then you may need more specialist help. Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia has been shown to be more effective in the medium and long term than sleeping tablets
  • Stress, depression and anxiety are best treated by specialists, but taking steps to improve your sleep can also help with these
  • Sometimes sleep specialists will suggest a sleep study to be sure they understand what may be causing the poor sleep and also check for sleep apnoea

What about sleeping pills?
If you only take them occasionally, sleeping pills can get you a good night's sleep. However, if you take them often, you will become used to them and they will stop working as effectively. Also they can be habit-forming and it can then become difficult to stop taking them.

Where and when should you seek help?
If you are having ongoing trouble sleeping, persistent problems with mood, restlessness in bed, severe snoring or wakening unrefreshed, make sure that you go and see your doctor. Your GP can refer you to a sleep specialist or psychologist.

Disclaimer - Information provided here is general in nature and should not be seen as a substitute for professional medical advice. Ongoing concerns about sleep or other medical conditions should be discussed with your local doctor.

Kindly reproduced with thanks to Sleep Health Foundation.