Insomnia

• Aging
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Medications
• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
• Medical conditions
• Change in environment – schedules
• Eating too much late at night
• A change in your health

• Medications
• Over the counter sleep aides
• Behavior therapy such as relaxation therapy
• New pillows
• Going to bed earlier
• Going to bed later

Short Description of Insomnia

People that are unable to fall and stay asleep or get enough quality sleep suffer from insomnia.  Over time, the lack of quality sleep leads to health issues like diabetes, weight gain and hypertension. 

Symptoms of Insomnia 

• Daytime sleepiness
• Tiredness
• Mood issues
• Problems with focusing and memory

About Insomnia

Insomnia is a disorder where the patient has trouble falling or staying asleep.  It can be a short-term (acute) condition or last a long time (chronic). It may even come and go. The short-term variant lasts from one night to a few weeks while the chronic one may happen at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more.  This kind of sleep disorder is quite common and affect up to 70 million Americans each year.  The symptoms appear in about 33% to 50% of the adult population while the chronic version that is associated with distress or impairment is seen at 10% to 15%.  Most adults require approximately seven to nine hours of sleep.  However, the amount required to function at your peak may vary between individuals. The quality of the rest is important too. Tossing and turning and repeatedly waking is not good for the health as being unable to fall asleep. 

Etiology of Insomnia 

1. Stress – When someone is concerned about work, school, health, finances or family matters it can keep their mind active, making it difficult to fall asleep.  Stressful events or trauma such as death in the family, illness, divorce, job loss can lead to insomnia. 
2. Travel or Work Schedule – The circadian rhythms of the body behave like an internal clock which guides the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature and metabolism.  Disruption of the circadian rhythm of the body leads to insomnia.  This is usually caused by jet lag from traveling over different time zones, working a late or early shift, or frequently changing shifts. 
3. Poor Sleep Routine — Activities such as an irregular bedtime schedule, naps, stimulating activities prior to bedtime, uncomfortable sleeping environment, and using the bedroom to work, eating and watching TV leads to poor quality sleep. Likewise, playing video games and using smartphones or other screens with blue light just before bed will disrupt your sleep cycle. 
4. Eating Too Much – It is ok to have a light snack prior to bedtime. However, eating too much may cause the body to feel physically uncomfortable while lying down. A lot of people begin to experience heartburn where the acid back flows from the stomach and into the esophagus after eating, which can keep someone awake. 
5. Insomnia is also associated with medical conditions such as the use of certain medications. Treating the existing medical problem can improve sleep, but the condition may persist after improvement of the medical issue.  
6. Mental Health Disorders – For instance, anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to sleep disruption. Waking up too early can be a sign of depression. The condition most often occurs with other mental health problems as well. 
7. Medical Conditions – Medical issues that is associated with difficulty in sleeping include: chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart problems, asthma, GERD or gastroesophageal reflux, an overactive thyroid, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
8. Sleep Related Issues – Sleep apnea can cause someone to stop breathing periodically throughout the night resulting in sleep disruption. Restless legs syndrome can cause an unpleasant sensation in the legs and an almost irresistible desire to move them, and can prevent someone from falling asleep. 
9. Nicotine, Alcohol and Caffeine – Caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and cola are stimulants. When you drink them in the late afternoon or evening can prevent you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in tobacco products is also another stimulant that can interfere with your sleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep initially but it prevents you from achieving the deeper stages and often causes awakening in the middle of the night. 

Insomnia and Aging 

The condition becomes more common as one gets older and you may experience:

1. Changes in Sleep Patterns – As you age, sleep often becomes less restful, therefore noise or other changes in the environment are more likely to wake you. When you age, the internal clock often advances, so you get tired earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning.  However, older people as a rule still need the same amount of sleep as younger people do. 
2. Changes in Activity — When someone is less physically or socially active, he or she is more at risk of getting a poor night’s sleep. The less active someone is, the more likely are they to take a daily nap, which can lead to sleep interruption at night. 
3. Changes in Health – Chronic pain from health problems like arthritis or back problems including depression and anxiety can lead to sleep disruption. Problems that lead to frequent waking up at night in order to urinate such as prostate enlargement can disrupt someone’s sleep. Moreover, sleep apnea and restless legs become more common as someone ages. 

Types of Insomnia 

1. Primary – This means that the sleep disorder is not associated with any health problem or condition. 
2. Secondary – This means that the difficulty in sleeping is due to a health problem such as asthma, depression, arthritis, heartburn or cancer, pain, medications or substance use like alcohol or illegal drugs. 
3. Sleep-Onset – This simply means that the patient has difficulty getting to sleep. 
4. Sleep-Maintenance – When you have difficulty both falling asleep through the night and waking up too early.
5. Mixed – When there is difficulty in both falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. 
6. Paradoxical –Where the time of sleep is underestimated and the patient feels that they sleep a lot less than they really do.