Everyone has trouble falling or staying asleep at some point in time. But if your sleep issues occur a few nights a week and last several months, you may have chronic insomnia.
Not getting an adequate amount of sleep for an extended period of time can affect your physical and mental well-being.
At Respacare in Bridgewater, New Jersey, our sleep medicine experts, Dr. Nehal Mehta and Dr. Prashant Patel, specialize in diagnosing and treating chronic insomnia. The key to getting a good night’s rest for those who continuously toss and turn is finding the underlying cause.
Read on to learn about some of the treatable causes of chronic insomnia and what you can do to get more sleep.
Does your bedtime vary? Are you scrolling through social media after turning out the lights? Your sleep habits can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Establishing a sleep routine is a first-line treatment for chronic insomnia.
We recommend going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. This helps your body establish a routine sleep schedule that may make it easier to fall asleep.
You should also avoid electronics like computers, smartphones, and tablets before bed. Light from these devices inhibits the release of melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy.
Chronic diseases may cause symptoms that affect sleep. For example, pain from fibromyalgia may make it hard to get comfortable. Insomnia is also a symptom of diseases like diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Hormonal changes during menopause disrupt the sleep cycle, affecting sleep.
Chronic insomnia is also common with depression and anxiety. You may also struggle with sleep if you have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea.
We can help identify and treat the underlying medical condition causing your insomnia to benefit your sleep and health.
Your afternoon coffee may get you through the midday slump, but too much caffeine throughout the day or consuming it too late in the day may make it harder to fall asleep.
Health experts recommend limiting daily caffeine intake to no more than 400 milligrams or no more than four cups of coffee. You should also check the label of your energy drink, as some brands can have more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving.
Avoid caffeinated drinks late in the day and limit your daily intake to improve your nightly slumber.
Medications that manage health conditions like high blood pressure, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may contain stimulants that make it hard for you to fall asleep.
Talk to your prescribing doctor to find out if your prescriptions are keeping you up at night. They may suggest changing your medication schedule or trying a different prescription to help your insomnia.
Work, relationships, and life itself may cause stress that keeps you up at night. Not getting enough sleep can exacerbate the stress. Finding healthy outlets to reduce stress like exercise and breathing exercises may improve sleep.
You may also benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), talk therapy that can help you identify and change the stressful thoughts and behaviors that disrupt sleep.
If you can’t remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep, now is the time to reach out for help. Give our office a call today at 732-356-9950 or request an appointment online so we can find the cause of your chronic insomnia and treat it.
