Insomnia

What is insomnia?

An occasional sleepless night is normal and often follows a period of anxiety or excitement. Circumstances can also rob you of a night of sleep, such as a red-eye flight or a loud thunderstorm.

A bout of short-term insomnia, also called acute insomnia, can prevent you from sleeping normally for a few days or even a few weeks. That often follows a traumatic event or a significant source of stress, like preparing for a wedding or starting a new job. 

For some people, insomnia lasts for far longer. When your sleep disruption lasts for one month or more, you may have long-term, or chronic, insomnia. This is a serious medical condition that can cause a wide range of problems. 

Your body needs seven or more hours each night to achieve proper rest. If you’re getting less sleep, daytime sleepiness is likely. Consider a diagnostic assessment at Respacare to see if you’re suffering from insomnia. 

What might be causing my insomnia?

Going through a traumatic or stressful life event is a common source of sleep disruption. Some additional factors that can lead to insomnia include:

• Traveling frequently through different time zones
• Working early morning or late night shifts
• Eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime
• Hyperthyroidism
• Arthritis
• Certain neurological conditions
• Restless legs syndrome
• Chronic pain
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Consuming alcohol or caffeine

Certain health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and cancer can also prevent you from getting the sleep your body needs to thrive. 

What treatments can help improve insomnia?

Treating insomnia begins with a thorough diagnostic assessment. Respacare offers several home sleep testing tools to diagnose insomnia. 

Job-related sleep testing examines how shift work could be affecting your sleep patterns. Once your specialist understands the source of your sleep disruption, they can create a customized treatment plan. 

Stimulus control therapy is a great place to begin and focuses on creating a set schedule for going to bed and waking up. You might also try leaving your bedroom if you can’t fall asleep and returning after 20 minutes or so to try again. 

Sleep restriction works by eliminating daytime napping from your schedule and forcing your body to associate your bedtime routine with sleep. Over time, that can do wonders for establishing a healthy routine.

Prescription medications can help you rest, but it’s important to make every effort to find a non-pharmaceutical method that works for you. Drug therapy, while sometimes a good option, carries a risk of side effects, including addiction.

If a problem like obstructive sleep apnea is to blame for your insomnia, treatment focuses on improving your breathing with an oral appliance or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.  

To explore more treatment options for insomnia, call Respacare to set up your visit today. Online booking is also an option and takes just moments to complete.