How to overcome insomnia?

Better sleep = Better life (It's bed o'clock)....

Night can seem like an eternity when you are tossing and turning because you can't sleep. And this problem is very common among people. It's day 84 of lockdown and this has pushed million of people into confines of their homes, distress and anxiety are on the rise , manifesting primarily in the form of sleep disorder. Simultaneously due to lack of sleep people are likely to face diseases and health problems and this might even effect on performance, effects can also be seen in reduced efficiency and productivity error and accidents, sometime the effect can be deadly.

Today we will talk about one of the most common illness “Insomnia". We will be focusing on type of insomnia and causes behind them. We will also be looking at treatment that can be taken in order to cure.

What is insomnia:-

Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning.

It's a common problem thought to regularly affect around 5% of people in the india , and is particularly common in elderly people. And these numbers are far more great in UK which is about about 25 percent of Americans experience acute insomnia each year which is one in four Americans develop insomnia each year.

The condition can be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic). It may also come and go.

Acute insomnia lasts from 1 night to a few weeks. Insomnia is chronic when it happens at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more.

Types of insomnia:-

There are many different ways to characterize insomnia, and some of these types of insomnia will even overlap.

Causes of insomnia-

Insomnia may be either primary or secondary.

• Primary insomnia: This means your sleep problems aren’t linked to any other health condition or problem.

• Secondary insomnia: This means you have trouble sleeping because of a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication; or substance use (like alcohol).

Duration of insomnia-

According to duration it can be classified as short-term and Chronic and can be further classified in various groups

• Short-term forms of insomnia include situational insomnia and episodic insomnia.Situational insomnia is also known as acute insomnia and lasts for days, or even weeks.Episodic insomnia lasts for one to three months 

• Chronic forms of insomnia include persistent insomnia and recurrent insomnia.

Persistent insomnia lasts for at least three months.

Recurrent insomnia is characterized by at least two episodes of insomnia over the course of a year. These episodes will last for one to three months at a time.

According to Symptoms of insomnia -

 Insomnia can also characterized by their symptoms.

Onset insomnia is the medical term for insomnia in which you have difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night.

Maintenance insomnia is the term for the inability to stay asleep. People with maintenance insomnia often wake up during the night and then find it difficult to go back to sleep

What causes insomnia:-

It's not always clear what triggers insomnia, but it's often associated with stress and anxiety

• A poor sleeping environment – such as an uncomfortable bed, or a bedroom that's too light, noisy, or temperature.

• Lifestyle factors – such as jet lag, shift work, or bad habits you picked up when you had other sleep problems or caffeine before going to bed.

• Mental health conditions – such as depression ,schizophrenia and anxiety.

• Physical health conditions – such as heart problems, other sleep disorders and long-term pain or discomfort at night.

• Certain medicines – such as some antidepressants, epilepsy medicines and steroid, medication for colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma can be a reason too.

• Other sleep disorders - like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.

Risk factors for insomnia:-

A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)Trusted Source, people with certain risk factors are more likely to have insomnia.

These risk factors include:

• High levels of stress
• Emotional disorders, such as depression or distress related to a life event
• Lower income
• Traveling to different time zones
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Changes in work hours, or working night shifts
• There can be various other factors that can be included like Medications, gender,Psychological Factors, lifestyle behaviour, night shift work, Long-range Jet Travel or can also be due to Poor Sleep Environment.

Treating insomnia:-

There are both pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical treatments for insomnia. One can always take a first advice from their healthcare personal because by doing so you can avoid any side effects that can occur during self treatment.

• Acute insomnia may not need treatment. But if it is hard for you to do other task or daily activities because you are tired, your health care personal may prescribe you sleeping pills for short time.Don’t use over-the-counter sleeping pills for insomnia. They might have side effects, and they tend to work less well over time.

• For chronic insomnia, you’ll need treatment for the conditions or health problems that are keeping you awake. Your doctor might also suggest behavioural therapy. And can also suggest you how you can make changes in your daily life routine to make it more effective.

People are well aware and know how important sleep is, this blog is specially designed to solve a common problem that is taking over your sleep, and i hope i was able to clear all doubts on insomnia and help you will that. If you found this blog useful subscribe to our blog via email and we will mail you everytime we post something new.

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