Have you ever had sleepless nights? The world around you is quiet, peaceful, and still, but your mind is alert, loud, and all over the place? When it comes to Insomnia, this is something that continues every night like a domino effect for a person.
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person struggles with falling asleep and staying asleep throughout their night or day. This issue, can cause a person to have even further difficulties such as Excessive Sleepiness or other health pains due to lack of sleep.
Types of Insomnia:
There are essentially two types of Insomnia.
Primary Insomnia
A person’s insomnia is not connected to any health or physical problems. Primary Insomnia may result due to stress, noise, disturbance, or even jet lag.
Secondary Insomnia
In this case, Insomnia results due to already existing health or physical conditions such as asthma, depression, or cancer. Secondary insomnia results from mental health issues, medication, allergies, pain, caffeine, tobacco, or other types of sleep disorders.
How Is Insomnia Diagnosed?
When diagnosing a person, a doctor will first conduct a physical exam whereby they will monitor a person’s medical and sleep history. They may tell the patient to observe and report their sleeping habits or ask the person they sleep with to report them. The patient may be tested at a “sleep centre.” After the above tests are complete, it is then possible to discuss next steps.
Treatment of Insomnia:
In the case of acute insomnia, the doctor may simply give you sleeping pills to help you sleep and get through day-to-day activities.
On the other hand, for chronic insomnia, you may need to get the health conditions that affect your sleep or take up behavioural therapy.
Who Is Affected by Insomnia the Most?
Insomnia is more common in women and old people. It is likely to affect African-Americans of all ages more, too.
People with an already existing illness, people with mental health issues, and people who work rotating shifts are also more likely of being diagnosed.
Impact of Insomnia
Apart from sleep problems, insomnia can create additional problems as well.
People with insomnia are more likely to be diagnosed with even more health problems. Older people with insomnia are likely to fall more often. Apart from being anxious and having trouble focusing, people with insomnia may also have bad moods.
Those with insomnia may react late and have slower instincts. This can result in problems such as accidents on the road.
How to Prevent Insomnia:
As mentioned above, insomnia is quite problematic. However, it can be prevented.
Habits such as going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day can help prevent insomnia. It is also recommended that people do not take naps during the day.
Moreover, caffeine prevents a person from falling asleep, so it should be avoided at night, as should using phones.
Of course, there are many other ways to prevent and treat insomnia, and those with sleep problems should consult mental health professionals immediately.