Knowing More About Insomnia Diagnosis and Treatment

Nowadays, insomnia is on the rise. This has been confirmed by a research finding published in the online journal of The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). According to the research, 10 to 15% of people among the general population suffered from the inability to sleep or a total lack of sleep. Among the 10-15% population, older people, females, white population and those having a medical or psychiatric illness showed increased rates of insomnia. 

The research was performed by Dr. Saddiccha Sahoo, a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. For the research, the doctor accessed and studied all articles published on PubMed/MEDLINE from 1980 to January, 2009.

Such a large segment of insomnia patients has caused a big concern among doctors, governments, the common public and others.

Are you an insomnia patient or someone who is close to an insomnia patient? Then you may want to know more about insomnia in terms of its symptoms, risks, diagnosis and treatment. So we are sharing with you the knowledge about these aspects of insomnia.   

Let’s first tell you :-

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which people cannot fall asleep, stay asleep or get enough restful sleep. Insomnia can be short-term (acute) or it can last for a long time (chronic). It may also come and go. 

Acute insomnia can occur from 1 night to a few weeks. Chronic insomnia can occur for at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more.  

Over time, lack of sleep due to insomnia can give rise to health problems like weight gain, hypertension and diabetes. 

Symptoms of Insomnia

Insomnia patients tend to exhibit symptoms like difficulty falling asleep at night, waking up during the night and waking up too early. Also, they may feel not well rested after a night’s sleep and experience daytime tiredness or sleepiness. Irritability, anxiety or depression, difficulty paying attention and focusing on tasks or remembering tasks are some other insomnia-related symptoms. The patients also may have ongoing worries about sleep.

Chronic insomnia patients usually have daytime impairment of cognition, mood or performance. This affects not only the patient and his family but also affects his friends, coworkers and caretakers. The patients are more likely to visit physicians and hospitals, remain absent at work and make errors or have accidents at work. Also, they are more likely to have more fatal road accidents.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia can be caused by various factors including environmental, psychological and physiological. Some of these factors are :-

·         Life stressors related to your relationships, job, financial difficulties and more

·         Lack of healthy lifestyle and sleep habits

·         Anxiety disorders, depression and other mental health-related problems

·         Chronic diseases like cancer

·         Chronic pain resulting from fibromyalgia, arthritis or other conditions

·         Gastrointestinal disorders like heartburn 

·         Hormone fluctuations caused by menopause, mensturation, thyroid disease or other issues

·         Medications and substance abuse

·         Neurological disorders such as Idiopathic Parkinsonism or Alzheimer’s disease 

·         Other sleep-related disorders like sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome 

Let’s now tell you more about insomnia diagnosis and treatment.

To confirm the diagnosis of insomnia in you and to search its cause, the doctor may conduct the following :-

Physical Examination: If the cause of your insomnia is not known, your doctor may perform a physical exam on you. He will do this to find the signs of medical problems that may be related to insomnia. The doctor may order a blood test to check for any thyroid problems or other medical conditions associated with poor sleep. 

Sleep Habits Review: Apart from asking you sleep-related questions, the doctor may provide you with a questionnaire. In it, you have to give appropriate answers to the questions asked. This will enable the doctor to determine your sleep-wake pattern and judge the level of your daytime sleepiness. Also, he may ask you to maintain a sleep diary for a couple of weeks. The diary will help the doctor in specifically estimating the severity of your sleep problem. Also, it will help him estimate its night to night variability and the presence of maladaptive habits like taking naps or spending excessive time in bed. The sleep diary will also monitor your compliance with behavioral interventions and your response to treatment. 

Sleep Study:

It may be the case that the cause of your insomnia is not clear. Alternatively, you may have signs of another sleep disorder like restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea. In such situations, you may need to spend a night at a sleep center. Here sleep specialists and sleep technologists will conduct tests on you to monitor and record your various body activities when you sleep. These will include breathing, brain waves, eye movements, body movements and heart beat. For monitoring and recording your activities, the technologists will place sensors on your face, eyelids, scalp, chest, limbs and one finger. 

For performing a sleep study on you, you should choose a reputed California center for sleep disorders. It will have highly qualified sleep specialists and sleep technologists. Also, the center will have the latest and high-tech sleep monitoring equipment. Here you are going to get an enhanced and satisfactory sleep study experience. Also, the doctors will be able to make a precise diagnosis of your sleep problem for further treatment. 

The center may also provide you the facility to perform the study for diagnosis and treatment for insomnia at home. For doing the study at your place, it will provide you a portable sleep study equipment kit. Whether you choose to undergo the study at the center or at your home, the sleep study procedure will be non-invasive and painless. 

Once the sleep evaluation study confirms insomnia, your sleep specialist will move on to the next stage of providing treatment to you. Firstly, the specialist will advise you to change your sleep habits. Also, he will ask you to address any issues like stress, medical conditions or medications that may be associated with insomnia. Bringing these changes and resolving these issues may restore restful sleep in you. If these measures don’t remedy your insomnia, then the specialist may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy or medications or both to improve your relaxation and sleep.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help you control or get rid of negative thoughts and actions that keep you awake. This is generally recommended as the first line of treatment for people experiencing insomnia. In terms of effectiveness, this therapy usually is as effective as sleep medications or more effective than them.

The cognitive part of CBT-I teaches you to identify and change beliefs that affect your ability to sleep. It can help you control or do away with negative thoughts and worries that keep you awake. It may also involve removing the cycle that can develop where you worry excessively about getting to sleep, so you are unable to sleep.   

The behavioral part of CBT-I helps you develop good sleep habits and avoid behaviors that keep you away from sleeping well. Strategies for them include stimulus control therapy, relaxation techniques, sleep restriction, remaining passively awake and light therapy. 

Apart from these strategies, your sleep specialist may recommend some other strategies related to your lifestyle and sleep environment. These will help you build habits that promote sound sleep and daytime alertness in you. 

Prescription Medications

Prescription sleeping pills can help you in getting to sleep, staying asleep or both. Doctors usually don’t recommend the use of prescription sleeping pills for more than a few weeks. But there are certain medications that doctors approve for long-term use. These include Eszopiclone, Ramelteon, Zaleplon and Zolpidem.

The use of prescription sleeping pills can cause side effects to you. These include increasing the risk of falling, causing daytime grogginess or they can be habit forming. So before using them, you should talk with your doctor about these medications and other possible side effects of theirs. 

Over-the-counter Sleep Aids

Nonprescription sleep medications contain antihistamines that can cause drowsiness in you. But these medicines are not intended for regular use. Before taking them, you are advised to talk to your doctor as antihistamines may cause side effects to you. These can include dizziness, confusion, daytime sleepiness, cognitive decline and difficulty urinating, which may be worse in old-aged people. 

Now you have a better idea of what your insomnia diagnosis and treatment procedure will involve. So you can accordingly make plans for seeking appropriate medical intervention in this regard. 

Are you looking for a renowned sleep disorders center in Arizona for the diagnosis of your insomnia or any other sleep problem? Then you can opt for Pioneer. This imaging and diagnostic center has highly skilled and experienced sleep specialists and sleep technologists. Also, it has the latest sleep monitoring and recording equipment. They together will provide you a safe sleep assessment and a more precise sleep disorder diagnostic experience at the center or at your home. A precise sleep issue diagnosis obtained by them will help to direct your treatment in the right direction. Your sleep wellness journey starts exactly from here. So, why not begin it today.