Insomnia

What is insomnia?

People with insomnia struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia might also occur, when the environment is perfectly fine and calm. 

Insomnia is regarded as chronic, when it turns up at least three nights a week and lasts for three months or longer. Imagine that you can’t get a wink of sleep at night but you still have to get out of the bed early in the morning. You feel tired but you still have to drive responsively and you have to work all day. It means that insomnia is very dangerous and it can lower your life quality. Insomnia is responsible for the following symptoms

• low energy, fatigue, or sleepiness
• irritability, anxiety, or depression
• difficulty focusing or remembering

What causes chronic insomnia?

A variety of factors can contribute to persistent insomnia, including chronic stress, traumatic life events, and routine habits that disrupt a normal sleep cycle.

Psychological stress brought on by major concerns such as work, finances or health can keep your mind going and make it difficult to shut down at bedtime.

Even if you’re not under stress or affected by upsetting memories, you may have disruptive habits that lead to chronic insomnia. Poor sleep habits include the following

• lack of bedtime routine
• irregular work or travel schedule
• daytime napping
• stimulating activities before bedtime
• overconsumption of caffeine

It is also important to note that insomnia is sometimes a symptom or a byproduct of another condition such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Certain prescription medications can also interfere with sleep.

How is chronic insomnia diagnosed?

Dr. Battle and her team of experts at SleepCues use a multilayered approach to diagnose insomnia and understand what’s contributing to your individual sleep problem.

You may be asked to keep a sleep log that details what time you fall asleep each night, the amount and quality of sleep you get and how many times you wake during the night.

Dr. Battle may also suggest that you take part in an at-home sleep testing program, which will help collecting information about your sleep patterns, including your stages of sleep, oxygen levels, body movements, heartbeat and breathing patterns.    

Why is it important to fix insomnia?

Sleep is very important for your physical and mental wellbeing. Even if you generally have enough energy to make it through the day, after each sleepless night insomnia isn’t easy to handle.

Sleep loss can take a heavy toll, impacting both the quality of your daily life and your long-term health. It can affect your job performance, short-term memory and your ability to drive safely. It can also increase your risk of developing a serious illness or condition, including high blood pressure, heart disease or addiction.

As a physician, who specializes in finding natural solutions for chronic insomnia, Dr. Battle has the expertise and experience to assess your sleep problem and help you take the right steps to resolve it.