1. You’re Not Alone
Statistical Facts About Insomnia
These hard statistical facts about insomnia will tell you that you’re not alone in your affliction.
• According to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, about 30 to 40 percent of adults experience insomnia in a given year.
• About 10 to 15 percent of adults experience insomnia that is chronic or severe.
• Insomnia is more common among women, especially after menopause, and the elderly.
• About half of people over age 65 have frequent sleep problems.
2. Do You Have Insomnia?
Symptom Checker Facts About Insomnia
Check if you have any of the symptoms below:
• You have a hard time falling asleep
• You wake up frequently during the night and find it hard to get back to sleep
• You wake up too early in the morning
• You still feel lousy and lethargic after waking up
• You feel irritable and can’t concentrate for the rest of the day
3. Is Your Insomnia Acute, Intermittent or Chronic?
Classification Facts About Insomnia
• Transcient (short-term): lasting from a single night to a few weeks
• Intermittent (on and off): transient insomnia episodes occur from time to time
• Chronic (constant and long term): occurs on most nights and lasts more than a month
Insomnia is not defined by the total number of hours slept. Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep a night, but some only need four or five.
Bear in mind that these classification facts about insomnia are not to be confused with sleep disorders or dyssomnia.
4. What Caused Your Insomnia?
Causative Facts About Insomnia
If you have transient and intermittent insomnia you are probably temporarily experiencing one or more of contributing factors:
• stress
• environmental noise
• extreme temperatures
• change in the surrounding environment
• sleep/wake schedule problems such as those due to jet lag
• medication side effects
If you have chronic insomnia which is a bit more complex, you probably have a
combination of factors, including underlying mental disorders or physical conditions:
• mental disorder like depression
• physical conditions like arthritis, kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, sleep
apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, Parkinson’s
disease and hyperthyroidism.
However, chronic insomnia may also be due to behavioral factors:
• misuse of caffeine, alcohol, or other substances;
• disrupted sleep/wake cycles as may occur with shift work
• chronic stress
Overall, these causative facts about insomnia reflect how straightforward or complicated insomnia can be.
5. What Happens When You Want Your Insomnia Diagnosed?
Diagnosis Facts About Insomnia
• You will be asked for your medical history
• You may be asked to keep a sleep diary to document sleep patterns and behaviors.
• Your bed partner may be interviewed regarding the quantity and quality your sleep.
• If sleep disorder e.g. sleep apnea, narcolepsy is suspected, you would be referred to a sleep center where your sleep is analyzed by sleep disorder professionals.
Of course, these diagnosis facts about insomnia are not exhaustive especially when influencing lifestyle factors may not be easily unearthed through your medical history and sleep diary.
6. How Can Your Insomnia Be Treated?
Treatment Facts About Insomnia
Several approaches may be used to treat insomnia, depending on its cause.
Transient and intermittent insomnia:
• If episodes last only a few days at a time e.g. jet lag treatment may not be required.
• If you are grappling with impaired daytime performance, your doctor may recommend short-acting sleeping pills to improve sleep next-day alertness
Chronic insomnia:
• underlying medical or psychological problems are assessed
• behaviors that may worsen insomnia and stopping (or reducing) them are identified
• Possibly using sleeping pills, although the long-term use of sleeping pills for chronic insomnia iscontroversial. A patient taking any sleeping pill should be under the supervision of a physician toclosely evaluate effectiveness and minimize side effects. In general, these drugs are prescribed at thelowest dose and for the shortest duration needed to relieve the sleep-related symptoms. For some of thesemedicines, the dose must be gradually lowered as the medicine is discontinued because, if stopped abruptly, it can cause insomnia to occur again for a night or two (rebound insomnia)
• Behavioral techniques to improve sleep, such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, and reconditioning
Other treatment facts about insomnia include:
o Lifestyle changes, such as increased exercise or elimination of alcohol or caffeine, may help improve insomnia.
o Other forms of insomnia treatment without side effects are gaining popularity such as cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy and brainwave entrainment.
