What to do if you suspect insomnia

Insomnia is a disorder that interferes with sleep. It can also cause symptoms to affect the person’s performance during the day. These include excessive sleepiness, poor concentration, and daytime fatigue.

Insomniacs have problems.

Sleeping well
Getting enough sleep
Enjoying good sleep

Sleep can harm a person’s day-to-day functioning, causing various symptoms which affect their health, work performance, and relationships.

A common problem is not getting enough or any sleep. In the United States, more than one in three people (Source) have trouble sleeping regularly.

This article discusses insomnia and its symptoms. It also includes possible causes, diagnostics, and treatment.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, is a type of insomnia. This can happen despite a good sleeping environment and enough sleep time.

People with insomnia can experience the following:

Having difficulty falling asleep
Sleeping Problems
Early morning awakenings
Sleeping problems

This condition may be acute or short-term, lasting from a few days to a few weeks. This is due to stress and changes in the person’s schedule or environment.

Chronic or long-term insomnia can occur three or more times per week (Trusted Source) for over three months.

According to research, according to the Trusted Source, women are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia as men. In addition, sleep disturbances and insomnia are reported by up to half of older people.

How to tell if you suffer from insomnia

Insomnia occurs frequently. In the United States, according to preliminary research, about one in four people experience acute insomnia every year. In addition, about 6-10% suffer from symptoms that are diagnostic of insomnia.

The following symptoms could indicate that someone has insomnia.

Sleeping problems at night

Insomnia can make it difficult to fall asleep in the early stages of sleep. Sleep-onset insomnia is the term used for this.

Some triggers can cause difficulty falling asleep.

drinking caffeine
Stress is a significant problem
having poor sleep hygiene

It can also appear in other conditions, such as:

delayed sleep phase syndrome
childhood phobias
Restless Legs Syndrome
Chronic psychophysiological insomnia

Sleepiness or fatigue during the day

Persistent sleep problems can cause hypersomnolence or excessive sleepiness during the daytime.

It is difficult for a person with excessive daytime sleepiness to remain awake and alert throughout the day. The urge to sleep is vital during the day. Unintentionally falling asleep at the wrong time or unintentionally falling asleep may cause a person to feel “tired” all the while.

Wake up in the middle of the night.

Some people find it difficult to maintain sleep once they have started sleeping.

Frequent arousals during sleep can cause fragmented sleep. In addition, rapid eye movements indicate that the brain is in high arousal while sleeping, which can cause insomnia.

This can be due to conditions like:

chronic pain
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
sleep apnea

Older adults are more prone to waking up in the middle night.

Other causes of sleep-maintenance insomnia include

major depression
Sleep apnea, central and obstructive
Periodic limb Movement Disorder

Wake up early and then not be able to go back to sleep.

The person may wake up very early in the morning and not be able to go back to bed. Researchers call this terminal insomnia or sleep-off insomnia.

Low energy or motivation

In a 2022 research, insomnia reduced reward responsiveness. This resulted in Anhedonia or loss of enjoyment or interest in previously loved activities.

Deep sleep is essential for energy production. As a result, sleep-deprived people are less able to do tasks that require extra energy, such as schoolwork or meal preparation.

Memory, concentration, or focus problems

Sleep deprivation affects cognitive performance. In a small 2021 studyTrustedSource of 10 males, sleep deprivation for 24 hours led to impaired cognitive performance.

In a study by 2020, 16 men were studied, and it was found that sleep deprivation of 36 hours led to impairments in working memory.

Lack of coordination or increased errors can lead to accidents or increased errors.

Research by Source Trusted links sleep disorders with accidents at work and on the road.

Sleep loss can harm a person’s ability to make choices related to effort.

According to a study conducted in 2019 (Trusted Source), workers who reported more insomnia symptoms engaged in fewer workplace safety behaviors and were at greater risk for injuries.

Mental health disorders and mood disorders

Sleep affects mood. A study by 2019TrustedSource found a strong correlation between air and sleep quality. In addition, researchers discovered that the quality of your sleep predicted how you would feel the next day.

People who have difficulty sleeping throughout the year may be more likely to suffer from mental disorders, including:

Generalized anxiety disorder
Major depressive disorder (MDD)
bipolar disorder

According to doctors, sleep disturbances are one of the most common symptoms of MDD.

Sleep anxiety or worry

Sleep paralysis or nightmares are common causes of homophobia in people with insomnia. It is commonly caused by recurrent paralysis or nightmares.

Alcohol or medication to help you fall asleep

According to a study conducted in 2019, more than one-third of older adults with sleep problems use sleep aids.

In a 2018 study, between 20 and 30 percent of insomniacs said they used alcohol to help them sleep because of the soothing effect.

This effect will usually wear off within a few days as the liver begins to metabolize alcohol. Alcohol can harm sleep.

A person who has difficulty falling asleep can seek help from a doctor.

Causes

Insomnia is caused by a combination of factors, including:

environmental
Genetics
psychological

That followsTrusted Source may increase the risk of insomnia:

being female
Age (65 and older)
Stress at work is one example of a psychosocial factor.
Separation anxiety
Certain personality traits, such as perfectionism and excessive worrying
Certain psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders
Misuse of alcohol and other substances
Heavy caffeine consumption
heavy smoking

Diagnosis

No specific test can be used to diagnose insomnia. Instead, a doctor will conduct a physical examination to rule out other causes of insomnia. Then, the doctor will ask a few questions and ask the person to fill out an insomnia questionnaire.

A doctor might also ask that patients keep a sleep diary or log to record their sleeping patterns over 2-4 weeks.

The doctor can refer the patient for a sleep test if they suspect other sleep disorders.