INSOMNIA

SYMPTOMS:

– difficulty falling asleep, including difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position

– waking during the night and being unable to return to sleep

– feeling unrefreshed upon waking

– daytime sleepiness, irritability or anxiety

– interrupted sleep

– poor quality of sleep

TYPES:

Insomnia can be classified as transient, acute, or chronic.

1. Transient insomnia lasts for less than a week. It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, severe depression, or by stress.

2. Acute insomnia /short term insomnia/ stress related insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of less than a month. There is difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or when the sleep that is obtained is non-refreshing or of poor quality.

3. Chronic insomnia lasts for longer than a month. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. People with high levels of stress hormones or shifts in the levels of cytokines are more likely than others to have chronic insomnia. Its effects can vary according to its causes. They might include muscular weariness, hallucinations, and/or mental fatigue ,double vision.

CAUSES:

Conditions that can result in insomnia include psychological stress, chronic pain, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, heartburn, restless leg syndrome, menopause, certain medications, and drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol induced , genetics, pain, mental disorders, lack of exercise, exercise – induced insomnia in atheletes, poor sleep hygiene,anxiety/fear/depression, medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis , hyperthyroidism. Other risk factors include working night shifts and sleep apnea, old age, nocturnal breathing disorder( deviated nasal septum), etc.