Insomnia Overview
Insomnia is one of many sleep disorders often diagnosed when someone has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both. While this concept seems simple, there are many forms of insomnia doctors treat. More commonly, doctors define insomnia as
"primary" or
"secondary" or "acute" vs. "chronic". In this article you will learn how to distinguish between acute and chronic insomnia. Acute insomnia is often less serious than chronic insomnia, but can still prove troubling for the millions of people affected by short-term insomnia yearly.
Acute Insomnia
Insomnia that is short-lived or lasts for a short time only qualifies as "acute" insomnia. Acute insomnia may occur after an illness or injury, after a traumatic event, or because of jet lag or some other event that disrupts a person's normal sleeping patterns. While not considered by many a "serious" health condition, acute insomnia can disrupt your day in many ways. It may cause you to have trouble concentrating at work. You may find you are more irritable than usual, or have difficulty remembering facts and figures. You may even find you forget what tasks you need to get done for the day. This is because sleep is critical to our health and wellness, and even one night of missed sleep has lasting effects on our health.
Causes of Acute Insomnia
There are many reasons someone might develop acute or short-term insomnia. Some typical reasons for developing acute insomnia include:
- occupational stress
- life or lifestyle stress
- emotional problems
- anxiety & depression
- staying up too late
- drinking too much alcohol
- getting up too early
There is no way to predict the exact causes of acute insomnia. Most people experience insomnia when traveling to different time zones, a form of acute insomnia associated with jet lag. Take some time to think about acute insomnia, and whether you experience any of the causes for acute insmonia listed in this article.
Causes of Chronic Insomnia
Chronic insomnia is characterized by long-bouts of sleepless nights, fatigue, or frequent trouble with falling or staying asleep. Sometimes acute insomnia, if left untreated (as in the case of depression or anxiety), can lead to chronic or long-term insomnia. Some symptoms of chronic insomnia include:
- chronic pain
- chronic diseases including fibromyalgia
- sleep apnea
- major or clinical depression
- related sleep disorder
If you feel you have chronic insomnia it is important you seek medical care for a proper diagnosis. Your doctor can help decide whether you have primary or secondary and acute or chronic insomnia. Acute and chronic insomnia can relate to either of the two common types of insomnia. Only your doctor is qualified to help you decide whether your insomnia is short or long-term.
Insomnia Symptoms and Treatments
No matter the "type" of insomnia you have, you likely have one or more of the following symptoms of insomnia:
- difficulty getting to sleep
- waking frequently at night
- experiencing chronic fatigue
- feeling angry or irritable
- falling asleep during the day
- feeling sad or depressed
If you have any of these symptoms, your doctor will take a complete medical history and recommend several treatment choices for you. Some of these will depend on whether your insomnia is a disease alone, or whether your insomnia results from an underlying medical condition.
Treating Acute Insomnia
There are many simple tools you can use to treat acute insomnia. These include going to bed at a regular time and avoiding alcohol one to two hours before sleeping. If you try to "catch up" on sleep during the weekends, your body will never develop a normal sleep rhythm, something that is essential for your health and wellness. Rather than try to skimp on sleep, try to get an average of seven to eight hours of sleep most nights. If you do stay up too late or too early once or twice a month or week, make sure you rest the next day and take it easy. This will prevent you from experiencing chronic insomnia, irritability and anxiety (which often result from too little sleep).
Treating Chronic Insomnia
Depending on how long your insomnia lasts, or the causes of your insomnia, your doctor may recommend several different treatment alternatives. All of the treatment tools recommended for acute insomnia can help with chronic insomnia. With this, your doctor may also recommend an over-the-counter or prescription sleep aid to help you sleep. Some common examples include
Ambien,
Lunesta, Tylenol PM, or other
prescription sleep medications to help you sleep better in the long-term. Your doctor may also prescribe medication to treat underlying conditions like chronic pain so you can sleep better at night. Your doctor may ask you to participate in a sleep study if he or she thinks you may suffer from a sleep disorder so you can receive proper treatment.
Taking Charge of Insomnia
There are many other steps you can take to combat insomnia, whether acute or chronic. Exercise is a great tool for improving your overall health and wellness. Many people also find meditation and relaxation techniques like massage or yoga helpful for reducing insomnia. Still others find setting up a daily nighttime ritual helpful for resolving insomnia that is lifestyle related. Take some time to evaluate your life, and think about the activities you engage in that may affect your health, and your ability to sleep. Once you identify these important elements, you can work to resolve them and say goodnight to insomnia.
