Going to sleep may be the highlight of many people’s day. Resting properly after a long day of working and moving around is a great feeling. Unfortunately, for some people, that feeling doesn’t come with ease. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that causes this. So, how common is insomnia?
Everyone has, at some point or another, struggled to sleep. This is a reoccurring issue for some people that can hinder concentration, health, and quality of life, depending on the severity. Someone who struggles to fall asleep or stay asleep may have insomnia.
There are some ways that insomnia can be treated, giving you the good sleep quality you deserve.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get good-quality sleep. Creating the perfect sleep environment helps you sleep. Your sleep environment includes room temperature, bedding, mattress, lighting, sounds, and more. For some people, creating the perfect sleep environment isn’t enough. The extra effort people with insomnia need to fall asleep can become draining.
There are many classifications of insomnia that are generally caused by different things. Two main types of insomnia are commonly diagnosed:
Acute Insomnia
Acute insomnia is also known as short-term insomnia. This type of insomnia can last for days and sometimes even weeks. Short-term insomnia is usually caused by stress or a traumatic life event. Many people experience this type of insomnia at some point in their lives, and it usually isn’t a cause for concern.
As the personal issues that may cause short-term insomnia to begin to resolve, you can be on your way back to your regular sleep pattern. Sometimes, this may require a little more work from you (which will be discussed later).
Chronic Insomnia Disorder
Chronic insomnia is also known as long-term insomnia. Unlike acute insomnia, chronic insomnia can last for months—feeling like a permanent condition. While this is likely insomnia that has already or needs to be diagnosed, chronic insomnia can also be caused by certain medications. Other preexisting medical conditions may also be the reason behind the sleepless nights.
Risk Factors of Insomnia
So what are the major risk factors for insomnia? Researchers have a limited understanding of what causes sleep disorders like insomnia. According to researchers, the following factors can increase the risk of insomnia:
Genetics
It’s no surprise that insomnia can be genetically passed down. Recent studies have shown many gene regions that are linked to insomnia. Your family lineage can give you a 31-58% chance of having insomnia.
Your genes can also affect other factors of sleep, like how long you sleep or how much your body requires.
Mental Health Disorders
Mental health conditions play a role in how well you sleep at night. People with anxiety disorders, depression, etc., usually have trouble falling asleep. While people with these conditions may be prescribed things like sleeping pills to alleviate their lack of sleep, it doesn’t always work for everyone.
Stressful Life Events
Tension in the body makes it difficult to sleep and rest properly. High levels of stress make sleep ineffective and can determine how long it takes for a stressed person to fall asleep. If the body is tense, it’s also unable to rest. Stress hormones like cortisol trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response. This is your body’s response to an occurrence that is deemed harmful. When your body is always alert, relaxation and sleep become difficult tasks.
Alcohol Consumption
If you drink alcohol, that may be the root of your insomnia problem. Sixty percent of people who drink alcohol and become dependent on it suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders, like sleep apnea. Alcohol decreases your need to breathe as you sleep. While the use of alcohol may help you feel relaxed and stress-free, the feeling is temporary. The starting and stopping of breathing while sleeping can lead to the lack thereof.
Hormonal Changes
Changes in hormones may also cause insomnia. This is especially true for women with PMS or premenstrual symptoms. The fluctuation of hormones and physical symptoms during the menstrual cycle can decrease the necessary hormones that bring sleep. This is also why more women are diagnosed with insomnia than men.
If hormonal changes are causing your insomnia, women’s health centers can help you take the proper measures to ease your sleep problem. They can also let you know if other health problems may be the cause of abnormal hormonal fluctuation.
Age
Older people are at risk for insomnia because of bodily changes that make it difficult for them when sleeping or have trouble staying asleep. These bodily changes include chronic pain, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, restless leg syndrome, and more. Older adults more frequently take medications to help with other health conditions. These medications may have side effects that disturb sleep and increase your risk for insomnia.
Sudden Occurrence of Insomnia
Not everything that causes insomnia is health-related. Some life events can also impact your sleep in ways you didn’t expect. Maybe you recently moved into your new home. It’s common for some people to experience insomnia as a result of being in a new environment. Insomnia in this situation usually resolves itself after you get more comfortable with your space. Other people may have trouble sleeping if they are sleeping with or without a partner for the first time.
Symptoms of Insomnia
It may be difficult to determine if you have insomnia or another sleep disorder. This can get more difficult if you try to find out the cause of your insomnia. It’s important to see your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms of insomnia. Your doctor can help you properly diagnose this sleep disorder to start treating it.
Insomnia symptoms include but are not limited to the following happenings:
- Insomnia causes difficulty falling asleep. People with insomnia may have to lie awake for a long period before they can fall asleep. This symptom is more common in young adults.
- Insomnia causes you to sleep for shorter periods. While this sleep disorder makes it difficult to fall asleep, people who finally fall asleep don’t experience it for long. Insomnia causes you to fall asleep and wake up shortly after. This symptom is common for older adults.
- Insomnia makes it difficult for you to concentrate. This is why people with this sleep condition are more likely to see increased errors in work and other daily activities. You may realize that your ability to function normally has decreased. This is because the brain has practically been working nonstop with no rest. Consistent lack of sleep will make it more difficult to perform everyday tasks.
- People with insomnia face extreme fatigue. This can occur no matter the time of day. You may feel like you are never well-rested. While you feel this way, the ability to sleep may still be difficult.
- Insomnia can lead to poor mental health. Mental health can impact the body and lead to insomnia, returning the favor. As a result, people with insomnia are likely to experience depression, anxiety, mood changes, and irritability.
It can be easy to mistake a symptom or side effect of insomnia for another health condition. Be sure to seek professional advice first instead of self-diagnosis.
When to Visit a Doctor
You should visit a doctor if you have been experiencing symptoms for more than 4 weeks. At this point, insomnia is considered chronic and will need different treatments. Your doctor may run a series of tests and a physical exam that will help adequately diagnose your insomnia. These tests can also help determine if another preexisting condition may contribute to your insomnia.
If insomnia is chronic, it can’t always be cured with home remedies. Your doctor may need to give you sleep aids or treatments that can help improve your condition. The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine can also help with information about insomnia.
What Happens if Insomnia is Untreated?
Sleep is a necessary part of your day, not a choice. Letting your insomnia go untreated puts you at risk for the following:
Accidents or Injuries
People who aren’t well-rested commonly make mistakes. A recent study showed that people with insomnia are at a higher risk of death by accidental injuries. Lack of sleep can lead to car accidents, injuries, falling from dangerous places, etc. The same study also showed that people with insomnia are 2.4 times more likely to die from a vehicle accident. Unintentional injuries are the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S.
Heart Disease
Sleep plays a big role in the cardiovascular system and how it functions. Medical conditions like heart disease, stroke, and heart failure can all occur if insomnia goes untreated. Researchers aren’t sure how insomnia and heart failure are linked, but it leans toward the body’s stress response.
High Blood Pressure
When you’re sleeping, blood pressure naturally drops. This gives your body time to control things like stress or metabolism hormones. If you never sleep, your blood pressure stays high and may continue to increase if not changed.
Weight Gain/Obesity
You may not think that sleep and weight gain are linked, but it’s just as important as exercise and making good food choices. Studies show that people who get less sleep are more likely to gain weight than those who do.
Poor sleep increases appetite. This is due to the hormone increase that makes you crave carbohydrates and fatty foods. People who get more sleep also exercise more because they are better rested. Fatigued people tend to cut their workouts shorter because their muscles tire faster.
How to Ease Insomnia
Wishing you could have fewer sleepless nights? In addition to consulting your doctor, here are some tips to help you sleep better with insomnia:
Practice Better Sleep Habits.
Sometimes your sleep habits are what causes insomnia. Going to bed at different times every day can confuse the body. Sleep patterns help your body to go to sleep when the time comes naturally. This also helps go to sleep and wake up at the same time daily, which is important for overall health. This is something that people with insomnia may struggle with.
Avoid Napping.
Napping during the day can throw off your body’s internal clock, also known as circadian rhythm. This is basically what helps determine your sleep schedule. This can also make you less tired at night, which makes falling asleep difficult when you are ready to rest. If you are tired during the day, a 30-minute power nap is enough to get the job done.
Change Your Diet.
Ensuring you eat enough healthy meals during the day can help with insomnia. In the same sense, be sure to avoid eating late at night. This can keep you up because your body may still be trying to digest food. This can also lead to heartburn and upset stomach, heightening your insomnia.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works just as well as prescription medications for insomnia. This type of therapy helps improve the thoughts and actions you have that may cause insomnia. Some techniques used in CBT include, but are not limited to:
- Keeping a sleep diary to track your sleep
- Talking with your therapists about your normal routine to help find triggers
- Learning new habits to improve poor sleep quality
Try Hypnosis
Sleep hypnosis isn’t a magic spell that will put you to sleep right away. This method uses hypnotherapy to guide you into a deep state of relaxation. When you’re in this state, you become more open to sleep.
Meditate Before Bed.
You can try to meditate before you go to bed. Whether you meditate on your own for a few minutes or listen to a guided meditation, you can slow down your thoughts and breathing. Insomnia is a common sleep concern, but it doesn’t have to be for you.
BetterSleep was created specifically to improve your sleep, whether you struggle with chronic, acute, or just have difficulty falling asleep every night because of other sleep disorders. Try out the app for free to discover a wide range of music, guided meditations, sounds, and bedtime stories so you can experience a good night’s sleep and fewer health problems.
