Insomnia

Insomnia

Insomnia is formally defined as the inability to get the standard amount of sleep. This disease affects 1 in 3 adults every year in the United States (Insomnia). Insomnia is a growing problem that we are learning more about everyday, insomnia makes life very hard for those who are inflicted by it. Prevention of insomnia is rather simple if you learn simple techniques. If you are afflicted by insomnia than cure is rather simple if you are in the care of a good health care provider

Insomnia is most commonly found in women and older adults. Also people who are divorced or widowed have a greater chance than those who are married to be victims of insomnia (Sleep Disorders). These groups tend to have higher stress and that is why they are more likely to be affected. There is transient insomnia which is rather common and only lasts for a few days, the insomnia will be cured once the stressful problem is resolved. Chronic insomnia lasts for more than three weeks and should be treated by a trained health care provider (Sleep Disorders). Chronic insomnia is proven to lead to other diseases such as mood disorders and depression. Transient insomnia is usually caused by a temporary situation of high stress and will normally go away when the problem is resolved. Chronic depression can be caused by a number of things. Acute stress like an illness can cause chronic insomnia. Depression and high anxiety can also lead to insomnia. It may also be caused by sleep problems such as sleep apnea. Caffeine or other stimulants can lead to insomnia. The use of depressants and sedatives will relax you but may also cause you to have shallow, fragmented sleep. Pain due to illness may also be causes. Poor sleep habits are also proven to be causes of insomnia. Extreme changes in sleep patterns may cause insomnia. There are also rare conditions such as restless leg syndrome and nocturnal myoclonus that can lead to chronic insomnia (Sleep Disorders). There are several symptoms of insomnia and they are very obvious. Having trouble falling asleep is a good sign you may have insomnia. Waking up often at night or being restless is a tell tale sign of insomnia. Also if you wake up early and are unable to go back to sleep you may be affected my insomnia. If you wake up from a night of sleep and do not feel rested at all you are most likely afflicted by insomnia (Burton Goldberg).

Diagnosis of insomnia is rather simple. Insomnia can be diagnosed by looking at six different things. The first is your sleep patterns. Next is the use of any medicines you are currently or were taking somewhat recently. Your eating habits are also looked at closely. Your mental and physical condition is also questioned because these can both cause insomnia. The patient’s medical, family and psychiatric history are also examined. Finally your job and travel patterns can be considered as a cause to insomnia (Burton Goldberg). There are several ways suggested to help cure insomnia. If insomnia is being caused by a medical condition than your doctor may prescribe you medication to take care of the problem. And if alcohol or drug abuse is the problem, the only way to cure that is to stop the abuse. Now if stress is your main problem your health care provider may suggest relaxation techniques. A change in diet may also be suggested to help alleviate the problem. The most common suggestion is to just get on a normal sleep pattern and this will help your insomnia problem. If you are having trouble sleeping your doctor may prescribe you sleeping pills to help you