What Type of Insomnia do you Have?
November 5, 2009 by Kendall
Filed under Insomnia Information
There are three main types of insomnia that have been identified, they are transient, acute and chronic. It is important to know which category you fall under as there are different causes and treatments available for each person.
Transient Insomnia
Is a temporary bout of insomnia, often caused by environmental changes disrupting a persons sleep for a night or two. Other things such as jet-lag can disturb sleep patterns. The majority of people suffering from this type of insomnia just need a period of time to adjust to there new sleeping patterns.
Acute Insomnia
This can last from 1 night to a few weeks, a can be caused by a variety of factors, but is not as serious as chronic insomnia.
Chronic Insomnia
This is the most serious case of the three and is also known as long-term insomnia. It can last for years among sufferers, plaguing them throughout life. Insomnia is classified as chronic when a person has trouble sleeping for 3 times a week or more for over a periods of at least a month.
There are also 2 categories insomnia can fall into for causes, they are;
Primary insomnia
Meaning that your insomnia is not directly related to any other health problem or environmental cause.
Secondary insomnia
Is that your insomnia is the result of another health condition, the most common types of secondary (otherwise known as co- morbid) insomnia include;
• Depression – 70% of all sufferers report symptom of insomnia
• Side effects from other medications
• Being in pain or difficulty e.g arthritis or asthma can hinder sleep
• Substance abuse – such as alcohol or drugs
• Stress worry and anxiety
• Environmental change – such as difficulty adjusting to climate
Causes of Insomnia
September 30, 2009 by Kendall
Filed under Insomnia Information
Causes of Insomnia – Insomnia is one of the most often heard and talked about sleep disorders. It keeps a lot of people up and awake at night, and makes it difficult to function properly because of the lack of sleep. Most people who suffer from insomnia face many days where they find it difficult to get out of bed and try to function. The lack of sleep does a number of things to the mind and body, and over time, not getting the proper amount of sleep each night can add up to more health conditions.
So what do you do if you find yourself not being able to sleep or stay asleep at night? A lot of options are available to treat insomnia, and what you find to work for you may take some time. There are numerous natural remedies, as well as prescription strength medications and over the counter medications. Some people are afraid to start using any kind of sleep aid because of the potential negative side effects. While there are some risks associated with taking sleep aids, it can be necessary if you are unable to sleep for a period of time.
One of the first things that you can do if you are unable to sleep, is talk to your doctor about possible treatments and medications that you can try. If you are on any other kinds of medications, or have a history of medical conditions, your doctor may suggest other forms of remedies and treatments before a prescription is given. Some people find that simply changing a few things in their nightly routine is enough to combat insomnia. Getting rid of insomnia symptoms could be possible by changing the things that you eat and drink during the day, and before you go to bed. Certain foods and drinks stimulate your body and your mind, causing you to have problems falling asleep.
Exercising too close to when you go to bed can also be a common cause for insomnia, and can be avoided if you stop any activities for a couple of hours before you are ready to go to sleep. Some people find that practicing yoga, meditation or other relaxation exercises is also an excellent way to make it easier to fall asleep at night. You can try a number of different tricks to fall asleep, but if none of them seem to work for you, it may be time to talk to your doctor about taking a medication.
Common Insomnia Causes for Many People Who Have Sleeping Problems
August 17, 2009 by Kendall
Filed under Insomnia Information
Many people suffer from the sleeping disorder called insomnia. For some people, it can also keep them awake for nights at a time,without being able to catch any sleep at all. For others, it can be less frequent, and keep them from falling asleep or staying asleep. If you have the symptoms of insomnia, and have not been able to get a full nights rest or sleep for some time, there are some things that you can try to get relief and remedy your symptoms and get the rest that you need.
Insomnia can be a very difficult problem to correctly fix at first, because it can take a while to figure out what is causing it, and what you can do to prevent it. For some it may be as simple as eliminating certain foods or drinks close to the time that they go to bed, for others, it can be more complex and require the use of medications to fall asleep. When you find yourself having a hard time getting to sleep, there can be a number of relaxation techniques that you can try to see if you can relax yourself enough to eventually drift off into sleep.
One of the commonly used relaxation techniques is drinking hot tea. Decaffeinated hot tea is one of the best things that you can try before going to bed. The herbal goodness of hot tea, can relax you, and help your body relax. You can also try listening to relaxation music. This works for a lot of people who are having problems going to sleep because they are stressed out about something, or have a lot of other distractions that are keeping them from falling asleep. You can also do Yoga or other meditation exercises that when done at the time when you are trying to relax your body, can help you to fall asleep.
If you try many of these and other remedies and are still not able to get to sleep or stay asleep, it may be time to talk to your doctor about possible treatment options that may be available for you to try. Not getting the proper amount of sleep for a period of time, can cause other health conditions and can cause you to become more stressed and have difficulties during the day due to lack of sleep.
