Why are you Suffering from INSOMNIA?

Insomnia is a situation where one can’t get enough sleep or has irregular sleeping patterns. Sometimes one can have disturbed sleeping patterns, one cannot sleep back once he wakes up, or maybe one is facing it as a side effect of other health issues. It is quite common in adults and youngsters as well. Many people may take it normal to not have proper sleep but this is not normal if it starts happening regularly. For this, we will be discussing the types of it to clearly understand its intensity. 

Types of Insomnia: 

• Primary insomnia 

This can be treated with the passage of time or some medicine. It is not linked to any other health issues. 

• Secondary insomnia 

This happens as a side effect of any other disease, such as asthma, stress, depression, heartburn, etc. According to the time period, it is again classified into two types:

• Short term insomnia 

 For some reason, short-term insomnia happens for a week only. 

• Chronic insomnia 

Chronic insomnia is more than a week and can exceed up to a month. This needs proper medication to treat. 

Causes of Insomnia:

There are many causes of insomnia. Some are listed below:

• Problems in life 

Insomnia can be due to some reasons and problems in life. One can have some uncertainties in life going on, which will not help in peaceful sleep.         

• Anxiety disorders 

Depression, anxiety, and stress are the major causes of insomnia. By treating those, he can also treat insomnia as well. 

• Unhealthy lifestyle 

An unhealthy diet, use of excessive caffeine, junk food, energy drinks, and an improper sleeping schedule can all cause insomnia. 

• Reaction of medicine 

It can also happen as a reaction to the medication. That’s why self-medication is not suggested. Only Insomnia specialist can suggest medicines, having the side effect in mind. 

• Use of drugs 

Use of alcohol, any kind of drugs or tobacco can also lead to insomnia. 

• Pregnancy 

During pregnancy, women can develop insomnia. As the body is already going through a lot of changes. It will be cured with the passage of time.

• Inherited 

If it travels in the family, one can also inherit it. Proper medical treatment is suggested to them. 

• Traveling 

Continuous traveling patterns can also cause insomnia as well. One needs a peaceful environment to sleep. 

• Noisy surroundings 

A peaceful environment is necessary to have a good sleep. A comfy bed, no noise, and dim lights are key points to peaceful sleep. 

Symptoms of Insomnia:

• Feeling sleepy during the day 

• Having no sleep at least for a week 

• Difficulty in sleeping again 

• Fatigue 

• Dizziness 

• Memory loss 

• Problem in concentration 

• Depression 

• Mood swings 

• High blood pressure 

Diagnosis of Insomnia: 

Insomnia can be diagnosed with specific tests. It needs a proper medical checkup for it. The doctor will ask about the complete family plus the patient’s history. He will try to figure out the real problem behind it. For that, he can perform tests such as:

• Blood test 

Blood tests can be performed to study the actual cause of the problem. It can be dire to many other health problems like thyroid, diabetes, iron deficiencies, and blood pressure issues. 

• Sleep records

A doctor can ask the patient to make sleep records in order to know the severity of the disease. He will properly make a chart of his night sleeping schedule and his feelings throughout the day. 

• Polysomnograms

These are the sleep studies that are done in order to help insomnia. A doctor can perform these if he has doubt of their connection to other sleep disorders. There are proper centers to treat these disorders as well. 

How to treat it?

It is easy to treat short-term insomnia. One can have some suggested changes in their lifestyle and can get better. But, if he is suffering from acute insomnia, it is necessary to seek medical help. Psychologists are there to examine and prescribe medicines according to the situation. Here are some treatments prescribed for acute insomnia. 

• Therapy 

Psychologists can perform some therapies on the patient. These will help him to get better and give him peaceful nights. CBT (cognitive behavioral theory) is designed for such patients. It actually helps to find out the real cause behind it. Psychiatrists basically address the issue behind the sleeping problems and suggest some healthy lifestyle changes to the patients. 

• Medicines

Medicines are not suggested to take during this period. However, for some time, doctors can prescribe some sleeping pills. As it can make the person’s condition worse and dependent on the medicines. Besides that, melatonin supplements can also be prescribed. It is a hormone that promotes sleep. Through medicine, production can be increased.

Preventions: 

Here are some preventive measures to avoid insomnia: 

• Avoid caffeine before going to bed 

• Eat less before sleep 

• Don’t have any screen time before sleep 

• Avoid smoking 

• Have a comfy environment for sleep 

• Adapt to a healthy lifestyle 

• Sleep preferably at night 

• Do some light exercise before going to sleep 

• Take warm milk 

• Have warm bath 

Consult the best Psychologist in Lahore for the treatment of insomnia and other mental disorders.