What is Insomnia?
November 3, 2011 in Sleep Disorders
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, you may have insomnia. Ultimately, insomnia results in you feeling tired or not refreshed when you awake.
How common is insomnia?
Insomnia is very common. The National Sleep Foundation has estimated that about 30% of Americans experience some form of insomnia. About 10% of Americans have daytime activities impaired due to daytime consequences of insomnia (like reduced alertness or mental performance).
What causes insomnia?
About 80% of insomnia is due to another medical condition or medication. In essence, it is a symptom of another condition or it is caused by a side-effect of a medication. Potential causes include:
- Pain, anxiety or depression.
- Some medical conditions, like certain heart and lung conditions.
- Caffeine, tobacco or alcohol.
- Many prescription and non-prescription medications (like prescriptions for depression or over-the-counter cold and allergy medications that contain a decongestant such as pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine).
- A poor sleep environment or a change in sleep patterns.
- Another sleep disorder (like restless legs syndrome).
What are the symptoms of insomnia?
The most obvious symptom of insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. However, insomnia can lead to you waking up and feeling that you are not well rested, anxious, depressed, and sleepy during the day.
How is insomnia diagnosed?
Insomnia can be diagnosed by your doctor based on your history of symptoms, a physical exam, a review of your sleep history and a sleep study. The review of your sleep history will involve your doctor obtaining a better understanding of your sleep habits or patterns. It is often helpful to keep a sleep diary to record your sleep habits (like when you go to bed and when you awaken during sleep, what you eat or drink before bedtime, what medications you take, and other information that may be helpful for your doctor). A sleep study will have you sleep overnight in a sleep center. Your movements, breathing and heart rate will be among many thing recorded during the night. The sleep study can help your doctor determine whether you have a medical condition like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome as possible causes of your insomnia.
