Insomnia is a common symptom affecting many individuals living in Anguilla. The inability to obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep can have many consequences, some of which can be serious and have long lasting effects. Sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular exercise.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Feeling tired upon waking
Types of Insomnia
There are two types of insomnia: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia.
• Primary insomnia: Primary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem.
• Secondary insomnia: Secondary insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems because of something else such as a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication they are taking; or a substance they are using (like alcohol).
Is it acute or chronic insomnia?
Insomnia also varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. It can be short-term (acute insomnia) or can last a long time (chronic insomnia). It can also come and go, with periods of time when a person has no sleep problems. Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called chronic when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for a month or longer.
How many hours of sleep are enough for good health?
It seems like a question that is as old as time itself. The nonprofit National Sleep Foundation and a panel of 18 prominent medical scientists and researchers reviewed over 300 sleep studies to try and finally answer it.
The short answer is, of course, “it depends.” There’s no perfect sleep number that can fit every person, but The National Sleep Foundation’s major report—recently published in their own Sleep Health Journal—has revealed an updated list of sleep duration recommendations for all age groups. Here are the recommendations:
• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours each day.
• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours each day.
• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours each day.
• Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours each day.
• School age children (6-13): 9-11 hours each day.
• Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours each day.
• Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours each day.
• Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours each day.
In addition to age, other factors can affect how many hours of sleep you need. For example:
• Pregnancy. Changes in a woman’s body during early pregnancy can increase the need for sleep.
• Aging. Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults. As you get older, however, your sleeping patterns might change. Older adults tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans than do younger adults. This might create a need for spending more time in bed to get enough sleep, or a tendency toward daytime napping.
• Previous sleep deprivation. If you are sleep deprived, the amount of sleep you need increases.
• Sleep quality. If your sleep is frequently interrupted or cut short, you are not getting quality sleep. The quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity.
Although some people claim to feel rested on just a few hours of sleep a night, research shows that people who sleep so little over many nights do not perform as well on complex mental tasks as do people who get closer to seven hours of sleep a night. Studies among adults also show that getting less or much more than seven hours of sleep a night is associated with a higher mortality rate.
What causes insomnia?
There are many causes of insomnia – some are not serious, while others might be life threatening. Common causes of insomnia include:
• Stress. Stressful life events — such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss — may lead to insomnia.
• Anxiety. Everyday anxieties as well as more serious anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may disrupt your asleep.
• Depression. You might either sleep too much or have trouble sleeping if you are depressed. Insomnia often occurs with other mental health disorders as well.
• Medical conditions. If you have chronic pain, breathing difficulties or a need to urinate frequently, you might develop insomnia.
• Change in your environment or work schedule. Travel or working a late or early shift can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythms, making it difficult to sleep.
• Poor sleep habits. Poor sleep habits include an irregular sleep schedule, stimulating activities before bed, an uncomfortable sleep environment, and use of your bed for activities other than sleep or sex.
• Medications. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep. These include some antidepressants, heart and blood pressure medications, allergy medications, stimulants, and corticosteroids. Many over-the-counter (OTC) medications — including some pain medication combinations, decongestants and weight-loss products — contain caffeine and other stimulants.
• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Coffee, tea, cola and other caffeine-containing drinks are well-known stimulants. Nicotine in tobacco products is another stimulant that can cause insomnia. Alcohol is a sedative that may help you fall asleep, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep and often causes you to awaken in the middle of the night.
• Eating too much late in the evening. Having a light snack before bedtime is fine, but eating too much may cause you to feel physically uncomfortable while lying down, making it difficult to get to sleep.
Whatever your reason for sleep loss, insomnia can affect you both mentally and physically. People with insomnia report a lower quality of life compared with people who are sleeping well.
Management of insomnia
Prior to treating insomnia, it is important to identify the cause and once this is dealt with insomnia can managed successfully. No matter what your age, insomnia usually is treatable. The key often lies in changes to your routine during the day and when you go to bed. Good sleep habits promote sound sleep and daytime alertness. If you experience frequent daytime sleepiness, even after increasing the amount of quality sleep you get, consult your doctor. He or she might be able to identify any underlying causes — and help you get a better night’s sleep.
Changing your sleep habits and addressing any underlying causes of insomnia, such as medical conditions or medications, can restore restful sleep for many people. If these measures do not work, your doctor may recommend medications and other treatment options to help with relaxation and sleep.
Conclusion
Insomnia, or sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which there is an inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep as long as desired. In many individuals the cause for insomnia can be readily identified and treated, while in others finding the underlying cause might be difficult. If you have insomnia that is negatively affecting your health you should see a doctor as most cases of insomnia can be successfully treated.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty two years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
