What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder where the sufferer finds it difficult to fall asleep or staying asleep for the desired time. Insomnia, most of the time, does not limited to just not being able to sleep properly but brings along daytime sleepiness, irritability, fatigue, and depressed mood for the sufferer. It is a pervasive sleeping disorder in the United States, as suggested by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This influential institution also informed that around one-third of the adults have Insomnia, some might know about it, and some might have no clue.
Insomnia can be short-term that lasts upto a few days or weeks, and long-term, which can stretch for about a month or more that. Insomnia, upto a certain degree, is not that problematic. Still, in most cases, it starts intervening with the ordinary course of life by affecting a person’s ability to think and learn things or concentrate over a period that one cannot avoid for the obvious reasons.
Causes of Insomnia
There can be various reasons which might contribute to the generation of this illness in adults. Studies worldwide put heavy weight on the fact that more than one cause can essentially contribute to people experiencing severe Insomnia. Poor sleeping patterns or not getting regular sleep are the most common reasons for this condition in people. Some other primary causes of Insomnia among adults are :
- The usage of psychoactive drugs such as stimulants is one cause that can generate this condition for you. Using specific medicines, herbs, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, and consuming excessive alcohol are other causes.
- Using opioids or withdrawing from them is also capable of inducing Insomnia in a person.
- Stress can produce Insomnia as a reaction by the body to an unfavorable condition. This stress can come from home, school, or even the workplace. Most sufferers deal with stress-induced sleeping problems.
- Our body works in a specific manner, and when this disrupts, the body produces a reaction. Irregular sleeping pattern is the most prominent cause in this aspect which induces Insomnia in people.
- Injury or pain from an injury can also make it uncomfortable for an individual to fall asleep and later introduce Insomnia.
- Fears, anxiety, and emotional and mental trauma are other prevalent causes of Insomnia.
- Mental disorders like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, GAD, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, dementia, and ADHD can also give birth to this illness.
- Poor sleep hygiene
- Ceratin medications
- Diabetes
- Substance abuse
- Poor lifestyle
- Hormonal changes
Above are some aspects that can initiate or contribute to Insomnia, but other reasons might be personal. Genetics can, too, play a role in your sleeping habits and how well you sleep. If your ancestors happened to be dealing with Insomnia, then it automatically expands the scope of the same condition in you as well. Insomnia can vary between 38% and 59% in males and females, respectively. You need to get in touch with a doctor to get a full overview of the cause that turned on Insomnia and know how you can treat this annoying condition.
Symptoms of Insomnia
Numerous symptoms can very well depict if someone is dealing with Insomnia or they are just hallucinating things. Not all of them are visible in an individual, but some will most probably show up over a period to alarm you that something is wrong with the body, and it demands your attention. The most common symptoms include:
- Difficulty falling asleep at night.
- Waking up during the night
- Waking up too early after falling asleep late
- Felling of not well-rested after waking up
- Feeling of tiredness and sleepiness in the daytime
- Irritability or anxiety or depression
- Having difficulty in paying attention or analyzing or focusing
- Facing errors or making mistakes in everyday activities
- Worrying about not sleeping properly
You need to get an appointment with a doctor if you face any of the above symptoms that persist for an extended time; as soon as they start interfering with your daily life activities, it’s time to get screened for the illness and get treated accordingly. It is always a wise step to rectify Insomnia early to ensure that the sufferer does not have to sacrifice their lifestyle and invite other hazardous health issues.
How to deal with Insomnia: Treatment of Insomnia
There lie two different ways in which the Treatment of Insomnia in adults takes place.
Both of them have proved their efficiency in tons of cases in the past and are trusted by researchers and psychiatrists globally. There are non-medication-based procedures to treat the condition and medication-based practices to handle the situation of sleeplessness. It is mostly a combination of both that works wonders for the patients and allows them to live their everyday lives again.
Both procedures focus on improving sleep quality and duration and lowering the daytime aftereffects like sleepiness and fatigue associated with Insomnia. You must talk with your doctor about which approach will be appropriate and will provide you with the best results at the end of the Treatment. If your Insomnia is at an early stage, your doctor will most probably go with the non-medication way. And if you are dealing with it for quite a long time, a combination of both might be the best option for you.