Insomnia (in-SOM-ne-ah) is a common sleep disorder.
People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep,
staying asleep, or both. As a result, they may get too little
sleep or have poor-quality sleep. They may not feel refreshed when they wake up.
Insomnia, or trouble sleeping :
is a sleep disorder in which there is an inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep as long as desired.While the term is sometimes used to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic or actigraphic evidence of disturbed sleep, this sleep disorder is often practically defined as a positive response to either of two questions: "Do you experience difficulty sleeping?" or "Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep?"
Insomnia is most often thought of as both a medical sign and a symptom that can accompany several sleep, medical, and psychiatric disorders characterized by a persistent difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep or sleep of poor quality. Insomnia is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomnia can occur at any age, but it is particularly common in the elderly. Insomnia can be short term (up to three weeks) or long term (above 3–4 weeks); it can lead to memory problems, depression, irritability and an increased risk of heart disease and automobile related accidents.
Insomnia can be grouped into primary and secondary, or comorbid, insomnia. Primary insomnia is a sleep disorder not attributable to a medical, psychiatric, or environmental cause.It is described as a complaint of prolonged sleep onset latency, disturbance of sleep maintenance, or the experience of non-refreshing sleep.A complete diagnosis will differentiate between free-standing primary insomnia, insomnia as secondary to another condition, and primary insomnia co-morbid with one or more conditions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is useful in insomnia that is present for a long duration. Those who are having trouble sleeping sometimes turn to sleeping pills, which may help, but also may lead to substance dependency or addiction if used regularly for an extended period.
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia can be caused by physical factors as well as psychological factors. There is often an underlying medical condition that causes chronic insomnia, while transient insomnia may be due to a recent event or occurrence.
Insomnia can commonly be caused by:
- Disruptions in circadian rhythm: jet lag, job shift changes, high altitudes, noisiness , hotness or coldness
- Psychological issues: people with mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder or depression, as well as anxiety disorders or psychotic disorders are more likely to have insomnia.
- Medical conditions: brain lesions and tumors, stroke, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, congestive heart failure, angina, acid-reflux disease (GERD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, sleep apnea, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, hyperthyroidism, arthritis
- Hormones: estrogen, hormone shifts during menstruation
- Other factors: sleeping next to a snoring partner, parasites, genetic conditions, overactive mind, preganancy
- Media technology in the bedroom - researchers from the University of Helsinki, Finland, reported in the journal BMC Public Health that media technology in the bedroom disrupts sleep patterns in children. They found that children with TVs, computers, video games, DVD players and mobile phones in their bedrooms slept considerably less than kids without these devices in their bedrooms. In addition, a study conducted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that back-lit tablet computers can affect sleep patterns.
Medications
according to the American Association of Retired Persons3 (AARP) the following medications are known to cause insomnia in some patients:
- Corticosteroids - used for treating patients with allergic reactions, gout, Sjögren's syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammation of the muscles and blood vessels. Examples include: prednisone, triamcinolone, methylprednisolone and cortisone.
- Statins - medications used for treating high cholesterol levels. Examples include: simvastatin, rosuvastatin, lovastatin and atorvastatin.
- Alpha blockers - used for treating hypertension (high blood pressure, Raynaud's disease and BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). Examples include: terazosin, silodosin, alfuzosin, prazosin, doxazosin and tamsulosin.
- Beta blockers - used for treating hypertension and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias). Examples include: timolol, carvedilol, propranolol, atenolol, metoprolol and sotalol.
- SSRI antidepressants - used for treating depression. Examples include: fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, escitalopram, sertraline and fluvoxamine.
- ACE inhibitors - used for the treatment of hypertension, and other heart conditions. Examples include: ramipril, fosinopril, trandolapril, quinapril, benazepril, enalapril, lisinopril, moexipril, perindopril and captopril.
- ARBs (Angiotensin II-receptor blockers) - used when the patient cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors or has type 2 diabetes or kidney disease from diabetes. Examples include: candesartan, valsartan, telmisartan, losartan and irbesartan.
- Cholinesterase inhibitors - used for treating memory loss and other symptoms for patients with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Examples include: rivastigmine, donepezil and galantamine.
- 2nd generation (non-sedating) H1 agonists - used for treating allergic reactions. Examples include: loratadine, levocetirizine, fexofenadine, desloratadine, cetirizine and azelastine.
- Glucosamine/chondroitin - dietary supplements used for relieving the symptoms of joint pain and to reduce inflammation.
Who gets insomnia?
Some people are more likely to suffer from insomnia than others. These include:
Travelers
Shift workers with frequent changes in shifts
The elderly
Drug users
Adolescent or young adult students
Pregnant women
Menopausal women
Those with mental health disorders
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