A Sign Of Distress-Determining The Causes Of Insomnia
Insomnia is a fairly common medical condition, and doctors are just beginning to get the hang of treating it. The key to treating insomnia in most cases is to determine the cause of the insomnia. Oftentimes, this is more difficult than it sounds. Yet, being aware of the risk factors and potential causes of insomnia could help you to treat your own case of the disorder.
Risk Factors Add to the Causes of Insomnia
There are certain characteristics that make a person more likely to experience insomnia. For example, females, the elderly, and people who suffer from depression are all much more likely to get insomnia than other groups. When conditions such as anxiety, stress, use of medications, or a medical problem occur, then these might cause someone to become more susceptible to the disorder as well.
Different Causes of Insomnia – Different Lengths of Time
One of the ways to classify insomnia is by how long it lasts. Transient insomnia is short term, intermittent insomnia occurs on and off, and chronic insomnia is long term. Each of these variations is caused by different factors. Transient and intermittent insomnia are frequently caused by one or more of the following factors: extreme temperatures, stress, change in surrounding environment, noise, jet lag or other schedule disruptions, and medication side effects.
Causes of chronic insomnia are different and are usually more difficult to pinpoint. Typically, chronic insomnia is caused by an underlying mental, emotional, or physical disorder. Depression, kidney disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, heart conditions, asthma, restless leg syndrome, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s Disease, and narcolepsy are all potential underlying causes of chronic insomnia.
However, chronic insomnia can also be caused by behavioral factors. For example, substance abuse, such as the misuse of caffeine or alcohol, can lead to chronic insomnia. Other behavioral factors include: excessive napping, smoking cigarettes, disrupted sleeping habits, and prolonged anxiety over lack of sleep.
Going to the Source
Looking at the causes of insomnia can help to determine what the best method of treatment might be. Frequently, you can solve your insomnia problems simply by removing the cause. This typically means ending a behavior that might be causing the condition.
Getting Help
Nobody expects you to determine the cause of your insomnia on your own. Your doctor can be a major help in finding out what causes your insomnia; so make sure to consult him or her before you give up hope. http://www.about-sleep-disorder.com/
Sleep Problems Among Adolescents And What To Look For
November 26, 2009 by insomniac
Filed under Sleepwalking
A great many teenagers do not get anything like the amount of proper regular sleep the need. Not having enough sleep on a regular basis can lead to a sleep deficit, which can create emotional problems and also the inability to be able to concentration on their work and studies.
Sleep problems among adolescents are much more common in comparison to adults and younger children because of several reasons. Some doctors will tell you that a teenager’s biological clock alters during adolescence, which makes it more difficult for teenager’s to fall asleep and wake up early and refreshed the next morning. The changes to a teenager’s body are created by the brain hormone called “melatonin” that is produced by a teenager later at night in adolescents, this makes it difficult teens to sleep properly. This sleep disorder is known as “delayed sleep phase syndrome”, which affects very many teens. Other causes of sleep problems among adolescents include stress, drugs, physical discomforts or poor sleeping environment.
5 sleep problems that can disrupt your teenager’s sleep:
*Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) this happens when your leg and arm movements disturbs sleep, making your teenager’s bad tempered and tired from lack of sleep. With this complaint, the teenager is unaware that they are moving their arms or legs whilst sleeping.
*RLS or Restless Leg Syndrome as some similarities to the condition called PLMD, the feeling of burning, itching, and tingling in the legs being the main differences. Moving the legs and arms in a vigorous way will help those who are suffering from this particular sleep disorder. The medical profession have medication that will help people that are suffering from RLS and PLMD.
*Sleep apnea is also a very common sleep disorder. A person who as this particular problem/c stops breathing when asleep. Sleep apnea is caused by several by several different conditions such as/c swollen adenoids/c obesity/c and enlarged tonsils. Teenager’s who are suffering from this sleep disorder will have difficulty breathing/c probably snore and sweat whilst asleep.
*Teenager’s do not often experience nightmares, however, when they do, these nightmares can definitely disturb a teen’s sleep. Insomnia, stress, anxiety and other emotional issues, drugs, alcohol, medication and lack of sleep can cause nightmares. A counselor, doctor, or therapist, help to treat frequent nightmares.
*Adolescents don’t often suffer from sleepwalking. this can be caused by a fever or even lack of sleep. Also, these types of sleep problems can often run in your family, and if this is the case, try not to worry because sleepwalking is not harmful. All you have to do is help the sleepwalker back to bed.
Doctors can now help sleep problems among adolescents, because they have medicine and techniques to do so. However, if the problem does not go away within a certain time, be sure to get medical help.
Symptoms and treatment of common sleep disorders
November 15, 2009 by insomniac
Filed under Narcolepsy
Common sleep disorders include , sleep apnea , insomnia , restless leg syndrome also known as RLS, narcolepsy , sleep walking , and sleep talking. I believe these would be the most common although there are many more sleep disorders. Let’s begin with sleep apnea.
Everyone has apnea’s during their sleep. An apnea is where a person stops breathing for just A short period of time or can be longer and many more of them then that of the average person causing the oxygen in their blood to drop to dangerous levels. This can be caused by to much pressure on the chest while sleeping,throat relaxing and closing during sleep etc.. To be considered dangerous is around 80 percent oxygen or so while most normal non-smoking people have an 02 or oxygen level of 95% to 100%. Treatments for sleep apnea include night time oxygen and/or A CPAP/BiPAP. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. It’s like a small minor noise air pump that has a hose running to a mask to cover your nose and/or mouth there are many other designs of masks some cover the entire face. It keeps just enough pressure going to keep your throat open and lungs open so you can get the oxygen you need. BiPAP stands for Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure. The only difference between a BiPAP and A CPAP is that A BiPAP is dual pressurized. It adjusts the pressure to what you need going by what pressure it receives from A person breathing.
Now let’s take a look at insomnia. Insomnia can be caused by many things , paranoia , anxiety , stress , obsessive compulsive disorder and many others including fear of sleeping knowing you have sleep apnea and that you awake with headaches feeling like you havn’t slept at all. Insomnia is where A person is unable to sleep sometimes days at a time. The only way to treat this particular disorder is to find the root of the problem and work on it. They have many medications available on the market for sleep but if the person is not dealing with the main problem these pills may have little to no effect or severe side-effects.
Next on the list is restless leg syndrome. RLS is a neurological disorder. A persons mind is continuously telling the person that they need to move their legs. A crawling feeling or nervous feeling in the leg but with motor activity gets rid of the feeling while the activity continues which is why it would make sense that it would be difficult to sleep since the person cannot relax because you have to keep moving. As soon as the person relaxes the feelings of nervousness etc return to the legs. It seems at this time the only treatment they have for RLS are medications.
Next we will talk about narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is caused by Excessive Daytime Sleepiness or EDS. The person who suffers from this disorder may fall asleep at any given time which makes it quite dangerous and sometimes confused with sleep apnea. People who have untreated severe sleep apnea can fall asleep at any given moment usually from boredom or talking and in some cases driving or doing uninteresting activities. The only treatments for narcolepsy are medications to stimulate the brain to stay awake during the day.
Sleep walking/sleep talking. Both are caused by excessive stress , nightmares , illness , fever , restlessness , even some medications can cause this. This area can also include night terrors where the person acts out their dreams usually nightmares. The most common treatments for these problems are behavioral therapy and sleep medications.
For help with these disorders , finding out more information , or for finding out more about medications don’t hesitate to talk with your local care physician , that is what they are there for.
Useful Information on Sleeping Disorders
Anyone suffering from a related sleep disorder condition can find an immense amount of important information on sleeping disorders which can help them become familiar with their condition or that of a loved one’s condition. For sleeping disorders the information is practically endless and essential for anyone who wants to be educated on the subject.
Main Types of Sleeping Disorders
The different types of disorders that are out there is the most important information on sleep disorders that you can learn. The most common disorders today are: sleep apnea, sleep walking, parasomnias, night terrors, sleep eating, restless leg syndrome, bruxism, narcolepsy, periodic limb movement disorder, delayed sleep phase syndrome, hypopnea syndrome, jet lag, insomnia, rapid eye movement behavior disorder, shift work sleep disorder and sleep paralysis Soundsleeping Disorder.
When occurs physically during some of these more commonly experienced types of sleeping disorders is another important piece of information on sleeping disorders that is significant. A person with insomnia for instance experiences the inability to fall asleep or even rest for a decent amount of time. Typically it is considered that insomnia is as a result of emotional issues such as stress, fear, anxiety and nervousness. Insomnia can also be caused by an overactive mind or even physical pain. A negative situation isn’t necessarily the cause – sometimes overexcitement can keep a person from getting a good night’s sleep.
Clenching and grinding of the teeth during sleep is a disorder known as bruxism. This can results in chips in the teeth in addition to wear of the biting surface, along with fractures and cracks in the teeth. Before sufferers are actually aware of their condition, the effects of bruxism may be quite advanced which unfortunately means that by the time the condition is recognized significant dental damage is done.
Brief interruptions of breathing during sleep is the primary characteristic of sleep apnea. During these interruptions, several entire breaths can actually be skipped which are referred to as apneas. A common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea and it may result in upper respiratory infection that causes nasal obstruction or swelling of the throat including a case of tonsillitis that can temporarily produce enlarged tonsils.
A neurological condition is the basis for the narcolepsy sleeping disorder which is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. Cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnologic hallucinations and automatic behavior are the main symptoms of narcolepsy Medical Conditions.
Sleepwalking treatments – Part 5
October 4, 2009 by insomniac
Filed under Sleepwalking
After sleepwalking is established and diagnosed, you should start looking into different types of treatments for this disorder. Depending on what causes sleepwalking to occur, whether it is a medical problem, or stress related issues, the appropriate treatment should apply.
If sleepwalking is related to medical problem, such as, gastroesophageal reflux, obstructive sleep apnea, seizures, periodic leg movements or restless leg syndrome then consulting a sleep specialist would be a better choice. Only your doctor knows what type of medication is suitable for your symptoms. Although it is not necessary to take medication to treat sleepwalking, these are the name of the drugs that you should know: ProSom, Klonopin, Trazodone (Desyrel). These medications are useful only if the sleepwalker is in danger of hurting oneself. Usually, medication is the last resource if sleepwalking causes a significant disruption in the family, or too much daytime sleepiness, and all other treatments failed.
Stress related problems such as worries, or lack of sleep, or emotional overwhelmed can cause a person to sleep walking. The treatment for this is simple. Empty your mind from all unsolved problems, meditate, exercise, learn relaxation techniques, avoid stimuli (audible, video, caffeine, and nicotine), at least 20 minutes before going to bed. Another option for treating sleepwalking is to just simply wake the person up 15-20 minutes before the usual time it occurs and keeping the person up during the length of his episode.
Although sleepwalking is not a serious disorder, taking the time to understand it and finding the right treatment will improve the condition since it is disruptive and frightening. Safety measure should be taken into account to prevent the sleepwalker from injuring oneself. Make sure no sharp objects are available around the home, and place a bell or alarm on doors and windows. These prevention tips are a good part of helping sleepwalking.
Chronic Insomnia
Chronic insomnia is one of the sleep disorders, which affects one’s quality of life. Statistics shows that one third of Americans are facing the danger of chronic insomnia. The sleeplessness is generally classified into different categories, according to its period of consistent occurrence. Of these, chronic insomnia is the most serious type, which lasts consistently for a prolonged period of time, say one month or more. It is clear that insomnia does not result any lethal problems, however, it affects the normal functioning of a person and results in reduced productivity.
Causes
On the basis of the cause of occurrence, chronic insomnia is classified into primary insomnia and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is caused by personal ill-effects, whereas secondary insomnia is resulted as a side effect of any external disturbances such as medication, environmental reasons, and psychiatric conditions.
The general causes for insomnia include poor sleep hygiene, anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalance, and circadian rhythm disorders. Most often, chronic insomnia is not a disorder of its own but a symptom of more serious physiological and psychological disorders. The people suffering from the diseases such as allergy, asthma, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), rheumatologic complaints, neurodegenerative diseases, endocrine diseases, kidney failures, and restless leg syndrome are more likely to get affected by the disorder. The behavioral disorders such as excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and drugs could also lead to insomnia. Due to biological specialties, women and elderly people are more prone to the risk of chronic insomnia.
Effects of insomnia
Chronic insomnia affects the mental stability of a person and weakens the immune system. It shows the symptoms such as dizziness, dilemma, anxiety, impaired concentration, lowering thinking capability, and deteriorates decision making skills. Chronic insomnia will increase chances of accidents while driving and may lead to many serious clinical manifestations.
Symptoms
Chronic insomnia feature troubles in a sound sleep, such as reduced sleep time, frequent wake ups in the middle of the sleep, and day symptoms of irritability and sleepiness. A person has to seek the assistance of a physician, if he experiences any of the conditions such as absence of sleep even in tired conditions, only light sleep in night that results fatigue on awakening, and waking up very early.
Diagnosis
Physician will diagnose the disease, with the help of certain questionnaires such as the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Multiple Sleep Latency test is the diagnostic tool to confirm chronic insomnia. An expert physician will focus to find out underlying reason for chronic insomnia.
Treatment
Chronic insomnia is often a curable disease. Early diagnosis and proper medication will help for speedy recovery. Physicians generally suggest hypnotics for the treatment of insomnia. The common prescriptions for chronic insomnia include benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, and antihistamines. The behavioral therapies such as stimulus control, progressive muscle relaxation, paradoxical intention, biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, and light therapy are recommended in some cases of chronic insomnia. The natural herbals such as Valerian root, Kava kava, and melatonin are practiced in alternative therapy as remedies for chronic insomnia.
Remember, healthy sleep habits and proper lifestyle including balanced diet and exercise, relieves a normal person from the risk of chronic insomnia.
