Definition

Insomnia is a recurring sleep disorder in the form of difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. Decreased sleep quality can cause tiredness when you wake up, disturbed mood, and low energy levels. This can affect your work performance and quality of life. Insomnia occurs quite often. In America, 70 million people experience insomnia every year.

Sleep time varies for each individual; on average, each adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep at night. However, sleep quality also plays an important role in keeping you in top condition.

Causes

Insomnia can be the main problem, but it can also be a symptom of other medical conditions.

Chronic insomnia is generally caused by stress or habits that can interfere with sleep quality. Treating the underlying cause can help overcome insomnia, but insomnia can persist for years later.

The main causes of chronic insomnia include:

• Stress. Anxiety about school, work, health, financial conditions, or family can cause the mind to be active at night so that a person can experience insomnia. Events that trigger high stress or psychological trauma—such as the death of a close relative, divorce, or loss of a job—can also cause insomnia.
• Travel and work schedule. Your circadian rhythm works as an 'internal clock' that helps your body's organs undergo sleep-wake cycles, metabolism and body temperature. Things like traveling across different time zones, working at night, and changing work schedules can disrupt the circadian rhythm. This can lead to insomnia.
• Bad sleeping habits. Bad sleep habits include an irregular sleep schedule, often taking naps for too long, doing activities that increase brain activity before bed, an uncomfortable sleep environment, using the bed for work, eating, watching TV, playing video games, and using a smartphone before bed can disrupt your sleep cycle.
• Eating too much at night. Eating large amounts before bed can cause the body to feel uncomfortable when lying down. Some people can experience bloating and a burning sensation that rises to the throat (heartburn), which disrupts sleep quality.

Chronic insomnia is also related to other medical conditions or the use of certain medications. Treating these basic medical conditions can help reduce insomnia, but insomnia generally persists even though the medical condition has improved.

Other common causes of insomnia are:

• Mental health. Anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can disrupt your sleep. Waking up too early is one of the early signs of depression. Insomnia can occur due to other mental health conditions.
• Drugs. Several medications can disrupt sleep, such as antidepressants, asthma medications, and blood pressure control medications. Some over-the-counter pain or flu medications also contain caffeine or other stimulants that interfere with sleep.
• Medical condition. Other medical conditions such as chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, GERD, thyroid hyperactivity, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's can cause insomnia.
• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Consuming tea, coffee, soda and other caffeinated drinks in the afternoon or evening can make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night. Nicotine in cigarettes is also a stimulant, so it can disrupt sleep. Alcohol may help initiate sleep, but it prevents you from entering deeper sleep and wakes you up in the middle of the night.

Elderly people can experience insomnia. Elderly people have decreased sleep quality and are more sensitive to sounds around them. Increasing age can also disrupt the sleep-wake cycle, so you tend to sleep earlier and wake up earlier every day. Decreased activity, general health, and medication use can also disrupt sleep.

In teenagers and children, insomnia is caused by an irregular sleep schedule.

Risk Factor

Almost everyone has experienced sleep disorders in their lives. However, you have a higher risk of insomnia if you:

• Woman. Hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle and menopause can affect sleep quality. During menopause, night sweats and a warm face can disrupt sleep. Insomnia is also often experienced by pregnant women.
• Over 60 years old. Changes in sleep patterns and health can affect sleep quality
• Have a mental disorder or other medical condition.
• Are experiencing stress. Stressful conditions or traumatic events can cause short-term insomnia. Long-term insomnia is generally related to continuous stress
• Not having a regular sleep schedule. For example, if your job has alternating shifts.

Symptoms

Symptoms of insomnia include:

• Difficulty getting to sleep at night
• Waking up at night
• Woke up too early
• Feeling not fully rested after sleeping
• Feeling sleepy and tired during the day
• Irritability, depression and anxiety
• It's difficult to concentrate, focus on doing things, and remember things
• Increased errors or accidents at work
• Feeling anxious about sleep quality

Diagnosis

There is no specific test to diagnose insomnia. Your doctor will ask about your complaints, the risk factors you have, your daily activities, and the medications you are currently taking. The main key to diagnosing insomnia is reviewing your sleep history. Your doctor can also perform an IFIS examination to look for signs of other medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders. If necessary, your doctor will carry out further examinations, namely:

• Blood examination. Blood tests aim to exclude other causes of sleep disorders, such as thyroid disorders or low iron levels.
• Sleep diary. Your doctor will ask you to keep a record of your sleep schedule for 1-2 weeks. This information can help look for certain patterns that may be causing sleep disturbances.

Management

Short-term insomnia may get better on its own. For chronic insomnia, your doctor may recommend:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy aims to find thoughts or habits that interfere with sleep and replace them with better habits. Unlike sleeping pills, this therapy can treat the underlying condition of your sleep disorder.
• Sleeping pills. Lifestyle changes can help improve sleep quality in most cases. However, taking sleeping pills can help you sleep temporarily. Medication is still not the main choice for sleep disorders.

Consult your doctor if you want to take certain supplements, such as melatonin.

Complications

Sleep is an important aspect of your health. Disturbed sleep for any reason can reduce the quality of life physically and mentally. Complications of insomnia include:

• Low performance at school and work
• Have slower reaction times, thereby increasing the risk of accidents
• Experiencing mental disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse
• Increases the risk and severity of chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart disease
• Increased body weight and obesity

Prevention

Good sleep habits can help you prevent insomnia and improve sleep quality, including:

• Schedule a consistent bedtime and wake-up time every day, including on weekends
• Do regular physical activity
• Check the side effects of the medicines you take
• Limit nap time to just 1 hour before 3 pm
• Avoid using gadgets 30 minutes before bed
• Avoid or limit consumption of caffeine and alcohol, and do not consume nicotine 6 hours before bed
• Avoid large meals before bedtime
• Condition your room so that it is comfortable for sleeping
• Don't do work in the bedroom
• Create a routine that can help you relax, such as taking a warm bath, reading, or listening to soft music 30 minutes before bed

When to See a Doctor?

If the symptoms of insomnia you are experiencing are disrupting your work performance and daily life, consult your doctor about this. Your doctor can help identify the cause of your sleep problems and how to treat them.