Trouble falling or staying asleep could be a disorder
Insomnia is an inability to get enough sleep.
Symptoms can include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, orwaking earlierthan desired.
People with insomnia often report chronically poor quality sleep that may be light and unrefreshing.
Verywell / JR Bee
There are three types of insomnia: transient, short-term, and chronic.
Transient insomnia lasts less than a month.
Short-term insomnia lasts between one and six months.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Chronic insomnia lasts longer than six months.
Depression may be associated withearly morning awakeningand difficulty returning to sleep.
Moreover, insomnia may affect serotonin levels and the function of thefrontal lobeof the brain.
Studies suggest that the risk of suicide may double among those with insomnia.
Predisposition
Everyone has the potential to develop thekind of difficulty sleeping that characterizes insomnia.
This is referred to as a predisposition or threshold.
The threshold for developing insomnia will vary for each person.
Believe it or not, there are people who rarely or never develop trouble sleeping at night.
On the other hand, some people may be unlucky and are simply predisposed to have insomnia.
Insomnia may also be attributed to an increased alerting signal.
This relates to the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “fight or flight” response.
Some people may have an increased sympathetic drive, meaning they are primed to respond to an external threat.
Some have described this as being “tired but wired.”
These triggers are called precipitating or provocative factors.
However, it can also become perpetuated by changes you make.
Perpetuation
The final components that transform a passing difficulty sleeping intochronic insomniaare called perpetuating factors.
These factors can best be understood by considering an example.
You decide to start going to bed two hours earlier to compensate.
As you lie awake more of the night, your frustration increases, and you compound your initial insomnia.
In the end, there are a variety of choices that might perpetuate your insomnia.
Some people choose to limit their daytime activities because of sleepiness.
This avoidance may reduce your physical activity.
Since you aren’t exercising, you may be less tired and unable to sleep.
Thelight from your computerand the activity may worsen your ability to sleep.
The existence of perpetuating factors prolongs your struggle with insomnia.
Diagnosis
Insomnia is usually diagnosed based on a careful history alone.
Here are a few key interventions that healthcare providers, especiallysleep specialists, use totreat insomnia.
Addressing Your Triggers
For many people, insomnia goes away on its own.
Other triggers can be alleviated once they are properly identified and addressed.
If you are suffering from chronic insomnia, you may need to seek professional help.
With this phenomenon, the medication becomes less effective, so higher doses are needed for the same effect.
Ultimately, the medication stops working, and when discontinued, rebound insomnia occurs.
Long-term insomnia also increases your risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
In the end, if you are struggling with insomnia, c’mon speak with your healthcare provider.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Markwald RR, Iftikhar I, Youngstedt SD.Behavioral strategies, including exercise, for addressing insomnia.ACSMs Health Fit J.
International classification of sleep disorders, 3rd ed.
Darien, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2014.
Kryger, MHet al.
“Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.
“ExpertConsult, 6th edition, 2016.
Spielman AJ, Caruso LS, Glovinsky PB.A behavioral perspective on insomnia treatment.Psychiatr Clin North Am.
1987;10(4):541-553.
