According to the American Association of Sleep Medicine, an estimated 30% of adults in America suffer from insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleeping disorder that makes it difficult to either fall asleep or go back to sleep after an insufficient amount of sleep. Insomnia can greatly impact the quality of life of those that suffer from it. At some point or another you may have experienced some form of insomnia, but it may have left you wondering whether or not you suffer from insomnia enough to be concerned.
Here’s some information about insomnia that may be helpful in determining whether or not you have it. For more information about insomnia treatment, allows Sleep MD to be your guide to a better night’s sleep.
Acute vs. Chronic Insomnia
There are two types of insomnia. The first one most people experience at some point in their life, which is acute insomnia. Acute insomnia is a short-term form of insomnia that is usually the result of a temporary event or cause, such as a stressful or traumatic event, food substance, or some other disturbance making it difficult to sleep. Chronic insomnia is long-term and on-going difficulty to fall or stay asleep and typically lasts for a month or longer.
Causes of Insomnia
There are many things that can cause someone to struggle to fall asleep or go back to sleep. Here are just some of the known causes of insomnia:
- Stressful or traumatic events
- Depression and anxiety
- Irregular sleeping schedule and over-napping
- Food and diet (especially caffeinated drinks, alcohol and nicotine)
- Over-eating
- Medical conditions, including:
o Back pain
o Arthritis
o Asthma
o Gastrointestinal problems (e.g. acid reflux)
o Restless leg syndrome
o Sleep apnea
o Parkinson’s Disease
o Sinuses - Exercise and over-activity
When Should You See a Sleep Doctor?
One of the hardest things to determine is figuring out whether or not you should seek the help of a doctor. You may be experiencing some symptoms and they may seem temporary or within your control. You should consider seeking the help of a medical professional when struggling to go to sleep, waking up in the middle of the night, and/or struggling to fall back to sleep becomes too frequent and too regular. You don’t want this to become a habit, as the long-term impact of not getting enough rest on your overall health and quality of life is important to consider.
A doctor will be able to help diagnose you properly and offer you an appropriate form of treatment, depending on your diagnosis.
Insomnia Treatment Options
Since there are a number of potential causes of insomnia, there are also a variety of treatment options. First, a doctor will want to rule out certain environmental factors that may be impacting your quality of sleep. This includes your bedtime routine, your diet, noises and lights that may be in the bedroom, the temperature of the room you sleep in, etc. Once you can rule out some of these factors, if you are still experiencing difficulty falling or staying asleep, doctors may consider psychotherapy to help provide you treatment for managing any impact that your mental or emotional well-being may have on your ability to sleep. This can be the result of your over-thinking or over-analyzing something from your past or possibly being overly worried or anxious about the future.
Additionally, some doctors may consider medication or other forms of treatment to help you manage insomnia.
Insomnia Treatment in New York City
If you think that you may be suffering from insomnia in any way, please contact the sleeping experts at Sleep MD today us at 212-661-7077 or send us a message online. The medical professionals at Sleep MD can help treat you for your insomnia, as well as any other sleeping disorders that you may experience. The folks at Sleep MD are located throughout the state of New York, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Islands and the surrounding communities. Please contact us today to schedule your initial consultation and make insomnia a thing of your past!
