My Insomnia » Sleep Disorders http://www.my-insomnia.com Insomnia Causes, Symptoms & Cures Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:47:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 When should I talk to a doctor about my insomnia? http://www.my-insomnia.com/when-should-i-talk-to-a-doctor-about-my-insomnia/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/when-should-i-talk-to-a-doctor-about-my-insomnia/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:28:24 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=113 Most insomnia is caused by a short-term change in the sleep/wake schedule, as with jet lag, your sleep schedule may return to normal on its own. If you’re under stress at work or school, insomnia usually occurs for a few days to several weeks. But if the condition worsens, or prolongs, you should talk to your doctor. Many people call their doctor even when insomnia lasts just a few days because the condition interferes with their daily life.

Talk to your doctor if you are having problems falling or staying asleep, especially if lack of sleep is affecting your daily activities. Keep a sleep diary for 2 weeks before you see your doctor. Note the time of day you fall asleep and wake up, changes in your daily sleep routine, your bedtime routine, and how you feel during the day.

Your doctor may do a physical exam and take medical and sleep histories. He or she may also want to talk to your bed partner about how much and how well you are sleeping. In some cases, you may be referred to a specialist or a sleep center for special tests.

 

Source:  the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/when-should-i-talk-to-a-doctor-about-my-insomnia/feed/ 0 What is insomnia? http://www.my-insomnia.com/what-is-insomnia-2/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/what-is-insomnia-2/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:41:57 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=96 Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. If you have insomnia, you may:

  • Lie awake for a long time and have trouble falling asleep
  • Wake up a lot and have trouble returning to sleep
  • Wake up too early in the morning
  • Feel like you haven’t slept at all

Lack of or poor quality sleep causes other symptoms that can affect daytime function. You may feel very sleepy and have low energy throughout the day. You may have trouble thinking clearly or staying focused. Or, you might feel depressed or irritable.

Insomnia is defined as short and poor quality sleep that affects your functioning during the day. Although the amount of sleep a person needs varies, most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night to feel refreshed.

Insomnia can be mild to severe and varies in how often it occurs and how long it lasts. Acute insomnia is a short-term sleep problem that is generally related to a stressful or traumatic life event and lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Acute insomnia might happen from time to time. With chronic insomnia, sleep problems occur at least 3 nights a week for more than a month.

Insomnia tends to increase as women and men age.

 

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/what-is-insomnia-2/feed/ 0 Waking up too early is a sign of insomnia? http://www.my-insomnia.com/waking-up-too-early-is-a-sign-of-insomnia/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/waking-up-too-early-is-a-sign-of-insomnia/#comments Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:23:47 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=90 Most people experience temporary insomnia from time to time. You don’t have to worry about it. Stress at work, loss of a job, or financial problems can cause insomnia. But if it lasts more than a few weeks, you need to see your doctor. Insomnia is more common in females, people with depression, and in people older than 60. Typically, insomnia symptoms includes having trouble falling asleep; waking up frequently at night; waking up too early.

Although older people tend to wake up more frequently and wake up too early, it is a sign of insomnia if it persists even if there are no significant life events to trigger such. As mentioned above, any of the symptoms lasts for more than a few weeks and it bothers you and affects your daily activities, talk to your doctor.

Source: FDA

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/waking-up-too-early-is-a-sign-of-insomnia/feed/ 0 Don’t stay on bed if you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes http://www.my-insomnia.com/dont-stay-on-bed-if-you-cant-fall-asleep-after-20-minutes/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/dont-stay-on-bed-if-you-cant-fall-asleep-after-20-minutes/#comments Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:33:40 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=85 If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes or don’t feel drowsy, get out of bed and sit in your bedroom or another room. The harder you try, the harder to fall asleep. Read or do a quiet activity until you feel sleepy. Don’t read books that might keep you reading, read encyclopedia or technical books. Then try going back to bed.

Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. If light is a problem, try a sleeping mask. If noise is a problem, try earplugs, a fan, or a “white noise” machine to cover up the sounds. Bedrooms should be used only to sleep. Don’t bring laptop to your bedroom as web surfing can keep you awake.

Source: Office on Women’s Health Office at the Department of Health and Human Services.

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/dont-stay-on-bed-if-you-cant-fall-asleep-after-20-minutes/feed/ 0 Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia http://www.my-insomnia.com/secondary-insomnia-is-the-most-common-type-of-insomnia/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/secondary-insomnia-is-the-most-common-type-of-insomnia/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:43:23 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=72 The reason this type of insomnia is called secondary insomnia is because it’s a symptom or side-effect of something else. It often is caused by a medical reason such as depression, anxiety, migraine, arthritis, heartburn, restless leg syndrome, stroke, and menopause. Even external influences such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and some medicines can cause secondary insomnia.

It is the most common type of insomnia that people suffer from. This type of insomnia tends to last longer and usually requires medical attention. It doesn’t usually go away on its own.

Source: Women’s office

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/secondary-insomnia-is-the-most-common-type-of-insomnia/feed/ 0 Not all insomia need medical attention. Some go away. http://www.my-insomnia.com/not-all-insomia-need-medical-attention-some-go-away/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/not-all-insomia-need-medical-attention-some-go-away/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:38:07 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=69 If you can’t go to sleep, whether it’s life long or triggered by other situations such as traveling, work hour changes, daily stress, stressful events, or other things in life, it might not be a symptom of another medical disorder. It’s called primary insomnia. In other words, it’s plain old insomnia, an sleeping disorder by itself.

A primary insomnia sometimes can end on its own without medical attention. If it was stress related, it’ll go away once the stressful events are over. If it was travel related, it’ll go away once you go back to your normal routine. But if it’s pure life long insomnia, not triggered by external events, it can last for years. Research has shown that some people tend to be prone to primary insomnia.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/not-all-insomia-need-medical-attention-some-go-away/feed/ 0 How do I know if I have insomnia? http://www.my-insomnia.com/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-insomnia/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-insomnia/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:06:10 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=64 Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. Many people will experience it sometime in their lives. Some insomnia symptoms are temporary and some are long term. If you occasionally experience sleep troubles, it might not be insomnia. But if you notice the following symptoms for a week, then you need to pay attention and seek help: if you lie awake for hours and have trouble falling asleep; wake up frequently and can’t go back to sleep; wake up at 3 in the morning; feel sleepy during the day. If you have chronic insomnia, you can experience the symptoms for over a month. As a result of that, you will feel constantly irritable and depressed.

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-insomnia/feed/ 0 Sleep and Aging http://www.my-insomnia.com/sleep-and-aging/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/sleep-and-aging/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:14:28 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=62 About Sleep

We all look forward to a good night’s sleep. Sleep allows our body to rest and to restore its energy levels. Without enough restful sleep, not only can we become grumpy and irritable, but also inattentive and more prone to accidents. Like food and water, adequate sleep is essential to good health and quality of life.

There are two types of sleep: non-rapid eye movement — or NREM sleep — and rapid eye movement — or REM sleep. NREM sleep includes four stages, ranging from light to deep sleep. Then we go into REM sleep, the most active stage of sleep when dreaming often occurs. During REM sleep, the eyes move back and forth beneath the eyelids and muscles become immobile. We cycle through the NREM-REM stages of sleep approximately every 90 minutes.

Source: National Institute on Aging

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/sleep-and-aging/feed/ 0 Most insomniacs suffer from depression, stress, anxiety http://www.my-insomnia.com/most-insomniacs-suffer-from-depression-stress-anxiety/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/most-insomniacs-suffer-from-depression-stress-anxiety/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:55:02 +0000 admin http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=60 Insomnia for many people is caused by stresses in everyday life. Most insomniacs suffer from depression, stress, anxiety and other psychological problems, though there are individuals who just suffer from it with no apparent reasons.

Some people are not affected by it until it suddenly hits them one day. Insomnia is characterized by lack of sleep, waking up in the night and overall trouble falling back asleep once you’re awake. Insomnia interrupts all stages of sleep, and every stage is vital for a refreshing night in bed. Without Deep Sleep, the REM cycle or any other phase of sleep you wake up feeling groggy.

Most people are able to reduce the effects of insomnia by simply cutting back on caffeine, not eating or exercising before bed and changing their diets. Though these things may help Insomnia is rooted in issues the individual faces everyday. Change in diet will help, but you need to find the source of the stress, anxiety and depression.

]]> http://www.my-insomnia.com/most-insomniacs-suffer-from-depression-stress-anxiety/feed/ 0 People with narcolepsy have frequent “sleep attacks” at various times of the day http://www.my-insomnia.com/people-with-narcolepsy-have-frequent-sleep-attacks-at-various-times-of-the-day/ http://www.my-insomnia.com/people-with-narcolepsy-have-frequent-sleep-attacks-at-various-times-of-the-day/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 20:13:49 +0000 megdilts http://www.my-insomnia.com/?p=36 Narcolepsy affects an estimated 250,000 Americans. People with narcolepsy have frequent “sleep attacks” at various times of the day, even if they have had a normal amount of night-time sleep. These attacks last from several seconds to more than 30 minutes. People with narcolepsy also may experience cataplexy (loss of muscle control during emotional situations), hallucinations, temporary paralysis when they awaken, and disrupted night-time sleep. These symptoms seem to be features of REM sleep that appear during waking, which suggests that narcolepsy is a disorder of sleep regulation. The symptoms of narcolepsy typically appear during adolescence, though it often takes years to obtain a correct diagnosis. The disorder (or at least a predisposition to it) is usually hereditary, but it occasionally is linked to brain damage from a head injury or neurological disease.

Once narcolepsy is diagnosed, stimulants, antidepressants, or other drugs can help control the symptoms and prevent the embarrassing and dangerous effects of falling asleep at improper times. Naps at certain times of the day also may reduce the excessive daytime sleepiness.

In 1999, a research team working with canine models identified a gene that causes narcolepsy–a breakthrough that brings a cure for this disabling condition within reach. The gene, hypocretin receptor 2, codes for a protein that allows brain cells to receive instructions from other cells. The defective versions of the gene encode proteins that cannot recognize these messages, perhaps cutting the cells off from messages that promote wakefulness. The researchers know that the same gene exists in humans, and they are currently searching for defective versions in people with narcolepsy.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

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