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Are you tired of tossing and turning, desperately seeking a peaceful sleep? If so, you may be one of the countless individuals battling insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder that can disrupt your nights and leave you feeling drowsy during the day. Insomnia can affect anyone, preventing you from falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving the restful sleep you crave, regardless of the time or environment. Haute MD expert Dr. Deborah Houk provides valuable insights on the causes of insomnia and offers strategies to overcome the condition.
Insomnia: Short-term or Long-term?
Insomnia can be both short-term or long-term. Short-term insomnia may be caused by acute stress, changes in your daily routine, or alterations in your surroundings. One common trigger for short-term insomnia is traveling. Whether you’re traveling to a new time zone or just to a new place (staying in a hotel or away from your usual sleeping arrangements), it’s very easy to develop trouble sleeping. Short-term insomnia can linger for a few days or weeks. Chronic (long-term) insomnia is the type of insomnia that occurs three or more nights a week, lasting more than three months. Chronic insomnia can be caused by medical conditions like those that cause chronic pain, hormonal imbalances, or conditions that cause one to have to go to the bathroom multiple times a night. Psychiatric conditions can also lead to chronic insomnia, including anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, medications and drugs can cause chronic insomnia as well, as many interfere with sleep initiation and sleep quality.
Why is Getting Enough Sleep Important?
Getting enough sleep is extremely important for your health. People who don’t get enough sleep are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and a variety of mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Not getting enough sleep also makes people less effective at work, irritable, and more distractible, which can have varying implications.
How Much Sleep is Recommended?
The amount of sleep you need varies with age and depends on the individual person. But as a general guide, I recommend that adults aged 18 to 60 years should get seven or more hours of sleep per night on average.
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Diagnosing Insomnia
Diagnosing insomnia involves a comprehensive evaluation of your symptoms, medical history, sleep patterns, and any underlying conditions that may contribute to sleep disturbances.
Typically, your doctor will inquire about your overall health, including any underlying medical conditions, medications you're taking, and your sleep patterns. They may ask you to maintain a sleep diary to track your sleep habits. After this, a detailed sleep assessment will be done to determine sleep latency (the time it takes for you to fall asleep), the frequency and duration of awakenings during the night, and the overall quality of your sleep. Next, a physical examination would be performed to check for any underlying medical conditions that could contribute to your sleep problems. This may involve examining your airway, heart, lungs, and other relevant body systems. In some cases, your doctor may recommend a sleep study (polysomnography) to evaluate your sleep more thoroughly. This involves spending a night at a sleep clinic where your sleep is monitored using various sensors to measure brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate, and breathing patterns. To cover all bases, sometimes a psychological evaluation may be conducted to assess your mental health, stress levels, and any psychological factors that could be impacting your sleep.
Melatonin: Can it Solve Your Sleepless Nights?
Melatonin is a hormone that your brain naturally produces in response to darkness. It holds the key to regulating your circadian rhythm, your body’s natural 24-hour clock, putting you into the realm of restful sleep.
The scientific community suggests that melatonin has the potential to stretch far beyond sleep. Its exact impact is still under investigation. For now, let’s focus on melatonin dietary supplements – one common pathway to replenishing this vital hormone.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2017) and the American College of Physicians (2016), there’s not enough strong evidence on the effectiveness or safety of melatonin supplementation for chronic insomnia to recommend its use. Despite this, many patients have had success improving their sleep after taking melatonin, whether this effect is purely coincidental or not, melatonin is a medication where the risk-benefit ratio is in favor of trying it out to see if it works for you.
If melatonin doesn’t help, the American College of Physicians guidelines strongly recommend the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as an initial treatment for insomnia.
Unlocking the Secrets of Serene Slumber
Embracing good sleep habits, often referred to as “sleep hygiene,” holds the key to unlocking the door to a good night’s sleep. Some habits that help you get to a revitalizing sleep experience include:
- Embrace consistency: Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning.
- Create a haven of tranquility: Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
- Remove electronic devices: TVs, computers, and smartphones.
- Nourish your body: Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
- Embrace the power of movement: Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
Let the pursuit of sound slumber begin. Once you unleash the potential of these good sleep habits recommended by Dr. Deborah Houk, you will embark on a journey toward revitalizing your nights and reclaiming your days. The path to a fulfilling and restful sleep awaits, and it starts with you.
