Insomnia is a sleep disorder usually involves difficulty sleeping, preventing proper body recovery, so the person feels tired. The insomnia person has problems falling asleep and staying asleep and usually wakes up during their sleep hours. The number of hours of sleep that a person must sleep varies with age, 8 for adults and 6 for older adults. At FastlyHealwe, tell you the causes and symptoms of insomnia.
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Consequences of insomnia
Insomnia occurs when the person tries to rest at night, but it has consequences the next day since the person cannot regain energy and get enough rest. This leads to difficulties concentrating, staying active, and feeling tired throughout the day. It is important to note that insomnia is usually a symptom of another disorder in most cases.
Bad habits
The leading cause of insomnia is usually a bad habit in the day to day for not having a regular schedule when going to sleep. When we do not go to bed simultaneously each day or get up at different times, the body does not adapt to a fixed schedule and has problems regulating an internal clock that helps it know when to sleep and wake up. Consuming alcohol, tea, caffeinated soft drinks, or certain drugs can also help with insomnia since they are stimulants.
Psychophysiological insomnia
There are specific previous actions that we carry out before going to sleep that unconsciously warn our body that we are about to go to bed. Sometimes the opposite effect may occur, so these actions are associated with not sleeping.
Physiological changes
As people age, changes occur in the sleep cycle. That is why older people sleep fewer hours, but sleep quality worsens. This causes them to feel more tired throughout the day.
Insomnia is a symptom of another disorder.
- Jet-lag. A mismatch in the schedule impairs the sleep cycle. When we travel to other places with another time slot and, especially in those where the difference is very high, we feel tired because we have to sleep when in reality, in our country, we would be awake.
- Cardiovascular disorders. Cardiac arrhythmias, coronary insufficiency, or other conditions make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Medical and neurological diseases. Symptoms such as coughs, heartburn, among others, make it difficult for us to sleep usually. As for neurological disorders, night headaches and degenerative diseases also impair sleep.
- Fatal family insomnia. It consists of a condition that develops progressively. There comes the point where the subject cannot fall asleep. It is a disorder that is transmitted genetically.
- Restless legs syndrome. I need to move my legs to stop uncomfortable sensations.
Insomnia treatment
The treatment of insomnia will depend on its cause and the intensity with which it occurs. That is why we must solve the cause of the origin of insomnia and not only the symptom and symptoms that are suffered. The treatments that can be applied are pharmacological or non-pharmacological.
Non-pharmacological treatment
In this case, it is not necessary to take medication to solve the problem. We need to change our life habits.
- Go to sleep simultaneously each day and try to get up simultaneously each day. Establishing a routine will help create a schedule for our body and, in this way, get used to it.
- Avoid consuming stimulant products, such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, etc.
- I was not sleeping during the day. In this way, we ensure that, at night, we will be more tired.
- Eat at the right time, try to follow a balanced diet, and avoid overeating at dinner.
- Perform physical exercise. Playing sports demands energy from our body and makes us more tired. However, it is better to avoid playing sports before going to sleep.
- Avoid lights, sounds, or other elements that can attract our attention and make it difficult for us to fall asleep.
Pharmacotherapy
The goal is to treat the root problem that causes insomnia, such as anxiety, depression, etc.
- Mild drugs that cause few side effects to facilitate falling asleep: zolpidem, zaleplon.
- Depending on insomnia, benzodiazepines are used to solve short-term insomnia.
- Neuroleptics with sedative effects, used for resistant insomnia: haloperidol, clozapine, clotiapine.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Insomnia: causes and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Mental Disorders.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.