Have you ever experienced trouble falling or staying asleep, or even wake up feeling unrefreshed and unable to get a good night‘s rest? If you answered yes to any of these, then you may be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is a symptom. It may be caused by stress, anxiety, depression, disease, pain, medications, sleep disorders or poor sleep habits. Your health habits and sleeping environment may also play a role in your sleep problems. In April 2006, the prestigious National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine released a report saying that sleep loss and sleep disorders were an "immense" public health burden in the United States.
NATIONAL SLEEP FOUNDATION INSOMNIA POLL DATA:
- Forty-eight percent of Americans report insomnia occasionally, while 22 percent experience insomnia every or almost every night.
- Women are 1.3 times more likely to report insomnia than men.
- People over age 65 are 1.5 times more likely to complain of insomnia than younger people.
- Divorced, widowed and separated people report more insomnia.
Some medications can lead to insomnia as well, including those taken for:
- colds and allergies (some antihistamines & decongestants)
- high blood pressure (antihypertensive)
- heart disease (betablockers)
- thyroid disease
- birth control (hormones)
- asthma
- pain medications (containing caffeine)
- depression (especially SSRI antidepressants)
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, a number of other conditions can also cause insomnia, such as:
- Conditions that cause chronic pain, such as arthritis and headache disorders
- Conditions that make it hard to breathe, such as asthma and heart failure
- Overactive thyroid
- Gastrointestinal disorders, such as heartburn
- Stroke
- Sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and sleep-related breathing problems
- Menopause and hot flashes
Sleep is as essential to a person’s health and wellbeing as diet and exercise. Inadequate sleep can result in fatigue, depression, concentration problems, and can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system’s power which may lead to illness and injury. Treating insomnia with medication is the most common treatment for these sleep problems. Twenty-five percent of Americans take some type of medication every year to help them sleep.
INSOMNIA CONVERSATION WITH COACH McGUIRK
Related Links:
http://www.hci.utah.edu/patientdocs/hci/drug_side_effects/insomnia.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/insomnia/article_em.htm
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch081/ch081b.html
http://www.askdocweb.com/insomnia.html
References:
Gillin J.C., Roehrs T.,Roth T. (2009) Sleep Aids and Insomnia. National Sleep Foundation waking America to the importance of sleep. Retrieved on 1st October, 2009 from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-related-problems/sleep-aids-and-insomnia
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Heat lung and blood institute Disease and conditions index. What causes Insomnia? Retrieved on 1st October, 2009 from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/About/index.html
Insomnia Overview Medications. (2008). New York Times. Retrieved from http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/primary-insomnia/medications.html?print=1
Michael,W., Smith. (2008, September, 14). What is Insomnia? Good Sleeping habits for beating insomnia Retrieved on 11th October, 2009 from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/insomnia?page=2
For some patients, the strange side effect of sleep walking and sleep eating is unacceptable. They may gain a significant amount of weight, or worry about operating kitchen appliances while asleep. For others, like Rebecca Wiseman, 26, of Sumter, S.C., sleep eating happens only occasionally—and according to her it is a small price to pay for the relief that medication can bring. Mrs. Wiseman is hoping that by only taking it twice a week she'll keep her nighttime side effects to a minimum and be able to get back on a more regular schedule without medication. "But for now—even with the night eating and walking—a full night's sleep is still worth it all when you hit those lows," she says. "People don't realize what no sleep can do to you."
