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ABC Medical Center > Insomnia

What is Insomnia?

21:54 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

This condition affects the patient´s sleep, making it difficult to fall asleep and sleep continuously for several hours, drastically reducing the quantity and quality of sleep, which does not allow adequate rest and recovery. So, if you suffer from insomnia you wake up tired and without energy, which affects your quality of life and your professional and personal performance.

The adequate sleep time for an adult is 6 to 8 hours per night, so sleeping for fewer hours impacts health, and if this happens for a long time it can cause serious complications.

Sometimes insomnia appears as a single disorder, but other times it can be part of a set of conditions that act together.

Although we have all experienced acute insomnia due to stressful situations or worries, which lasts from one day to two weeks, when the disorder lasts more than a month, it is chronic insomnia, which appears by permanent stress, a hectic lifestyle, or adherence to habits and behaviors that affect sleep.

Chronic insomnia appears for the following reasons:

  • Continuous stressful situations.
  • Excess alcohol, tobacco, and coffee: by having a stimulating effect, they alter your sleep cycle.
  • Anti-sleep behaviors: eating excessively, going to bed late, taking naps during the day, watching too many devices, video games, or television before going to sleep.
  • Diseases that prevent sleep: sleep apnea, cardiovascular diseases, hyperthyroidism, cancer, diabetes, and gastroesophageal reflux, among others.
  • Anxiety and depression.
  • Drugs that affect sleep.

Signs and symptoms Insomnia

  • Need to make an effort to fall asleep.
  • Shallow sleep that is interrupted several times.
  • Waking up several hours before the appointed time and being unable to sleep again.
  • Waking up tired and without energy.
  • Apathy and desire to sleep during the day.
  • Anxiety, anger, and depressive episodes.
  • Lack of concentration and memory problems.

How to prevent insomnia:

  • Reduce your consumption of alcohol, coffee, and tobacco, or better yet, avoid them.
  • Have a light dinner.
  • Establish an appropriate schedule of hours of sleep and stick to it daily.
  • Exercise daily.
  • Stop napping.

Diagnosis and treatment Insomnia

The diagnostic process must be adjusted on a case-by-case basis, but typically includes the following:

  • Review of symptoms and clinical history.
  • Physical examination.
  • Laboratory tests: blood tests to detect underlying conditions that may cause insomnia.
  • Sleep pattern test: through a questionnaire, your doctor will identify possible behaviors or habits that cause insomnia.
  • Specialized sleep test: if your doctor deems it necessary, they will refer you to a sleep disorders clinic so that they perform a series of studies while you sleep and thus be able to determine the causes.

The treatment will depend on your specific case, but in general, it will indicate a total change in your patterns and behaviors so as not to affect your sleep, it may also suggest cognitive or psychological therapy, sleep drugs, or a combination to relax and help you fall asleep.

At the Neurology Center, a select group of highly trained and certified doctors in various neurological specialties is ready to assist you with the quality and warmth that characterizes us.

Our mission is to provide you with comprehensive and multidisciplinary care programs for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating nervous system diseases, always focusing on your safety.

Specialists

  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Spine surgery
  • Pediatric neurosurgery
  • Neurophysiology
  • Neuro-rehabilitation
  • Neuro-pathology
  • Interventional neuro-radiology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Neuro-oncology
  • Neuro-otology
  • Epilepsy
  • Neuro-ophthalmology
  • Neuroimaging

Fuentes: 

  • mhanational.org
  • cun.es
  • mayocilinic.org 
  • medlineplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com
  • Rojas FOA, Palomino MLG, Romero VR, et al. Asociación entre el uso de medios tecnológicos y algunas alteraciones del sueño. CuidArte. 2015;4(8):46-54.
  • Sanz HA, Villamor OA, Hernández EJ, et al. Incidencia y factores condicionantes del insomnio en pacientes ingresados en hospital de alta tecnología. Rev Cuba Enf. 2019;35(2):1-16.
  • Ojeda-Paredes P, Estrella-Castillo DF, Rubio-Zapata HA. Calidad de sueño, síntomas de insomnio y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de medicina. Inv Ed Med. 2019;8(29):36-44.
  • Flores ALP, Guerrero MAL, Herrera OIG. Dolor neuropático y su asociación con el índice de gravedad de insomnio en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Aten Fam. 2020;27(2):71-75.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.