Insomnia: The Basics

It is estimated that nearly 40% of Americans suffer from insomnia at one point in their lives. Although insomnia can be a chronic (ongoing) condition, it is typically situational, and caused by an emotional, mental or physical affliction that prevents the body from attaining rest for reasonable periods of times. Insomnia sufferers may find it difficult to fall asleep, wake up at frequent intervals during the night, rise well before dawn, or feel insufficiently rested upon waking in the morning.

Insomnia not only affects patients at night, but extends to troubles throughout the day. When the body is unable to attain sufficient rest, the patient will feel tired and sleepy all day. He or she might find it difficult to concentrate, may experience loss of memory and may even develop narcolepsy. Chronic insomnia – no matter what the underlying reason – can be a frustrating affliction.

Types of Insomnia
Insomnia is typically divided into three separate categories: 1. Transient; 2. Acute; and 3. Chronic. Chronic insomnia involves several months or even several years of constant and regular insomnia. Acute insomnia is a short-term affliction that may induce insomnia for a period of three weeks to a longer period of six months. Transient, which is the shortest of all, will only last for one night to several weeks, and will experience no lasting effects. Transient insomnia is usually redolent of another secondary affliction with insomnia as a symptom.

Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia can be further classified into one of two categories: primary and secondary. A primary insomniac will experience sleeplessness with no initial physical cause. In other words, the insomnia is the original condition, and is not caused by another. Secondary insomnia, on the other hand, is a symptom of another disease, such as acid reflux disease, apnea, depression or anxiety.

Treatments
The exact cause of insomnia may be difficult to pinpoint, but this will be the first ask of a doctor who is seen for sleeplessness. You will probably be tested for related diseases and disorders before a physician will think about treating the insomnia itself. If no other problem is found that can be linked to insomnia, there are several treatment options.

Some doctors recommend prescription sleep aids for a short period of time to try to will the conscious mind to relax and succumb to sleep. This is not advised for prolonged use, however, and other treatment options may include relaxation therapy, massage, shiatsu, walking before bed, increased activity during the day, and medical tests, including an MRI.

Additional options include sleep centers, during which doctors observe the brain waves and other patterns during sleep, attempting to find a reason for insomnia in individual patients.