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Common Questions about Insomnia
Occasional insomnia is experienced by more than a third of American adults, and chronic insomnia affects more than 1 in 10. If you suffer from insomnia, you’re missing out on much more than a few hours of sleep. Studies show a restful night can reduce your risk for injury and illness as well as help you avoid emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. Here’s the good news: Simple changes in your routine, diet and environment can help you put this common sleep disorder to bed.
Questions
Answers
Who's at risk for insomnia?
Some studies show seniors have a higher risk of sleep disturbances, but age alone is not a predictor of insomnia. Women are twice as likely as men to have trouble sleeping. The difference is partly based on biology, with sleeplessness stemming from symptoms of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
How is insomnia diagnosed?
Along with performing a physical examination and obtaining your medical history, your physician will evaluate your sleep patterns and sleep history, mental health status, sleep habits and any prescription and non-prescription medications, herbal remedies, and vitamins you take. In some cases, a sleep study might be ordered to find out what is causing your sleep problems.
Is insomnia associated with other health problems?
Half of the patients with insomnia also experience anxiety or depression. Sleep is so important that studies have shown the treatment of insomnia for these people produces more improvement in the psychological disorder than treating the condition alone.
Pain makes sleeping difficult and lack of sleep can also significantly increase the pain or discomfort that people experience with arthritis, fibromyalgia, orthopedic problems or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In addition, acid reflux and insomnia go hand in hand – improving either condition will result in better outcomes in the other.
What are the first steps to beating insomnia?
See our Tips for More Restful Sleep for simple changes you can make to your daily routine to improve your sleep. These include behavior, diet, and exercise changes throughout the day and night.
What are some other ways to overcome insomnia?
Behavioral interventions to combat insomnia include relaxation therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic relaxation, biofeedback, breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation can help reduce arousal at bedtime. Access our autogenic relaxation podcast and other relaxation podcasts here.
For trouble with falling asleep, use stimulus control therapy (a cognitive-behavioral technique) to break negative associations with your pre-sleep nighttime routine. If don’t fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes of getting into bed, go to another room and read, watch TV or listen to calming music until you feel sleepy. Return to your bed. If sleep does not come in 15 or 20 minutes, repeat.
Like stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy (another CBT technique) reduces time spent awake in bed. To try this technique, stay up later than normal but maintain a constant wake-up time. If you sleep only five hours during the night and wake up at 6 am, go to bed at 1 am. Continue with the later bedtime until you achieve continuous sleep for most of the night, then gradually set your bedtime to earlier in the night. This technique might take several weeks to retrain your sleeping patterns.
Psychotherapists can offer a variety of cognitive-behavioral approaches. These approaches help insomnia patients address the negative thoughts and beliefs they have about their condition, which often lead to further disruption in sleep. Many Hill Physicians members, but not all, have behavioral health benefits. Those who have benefits can self-refer for cognitive-behavioral therapy. Learn more about behavioral health benefits.
Where to Go from Here
Create a personalized action plan to incorporate one of the ideas above into your regular routine.
If you’re unable to achieve significant improvement with diet, environment and behavioral changes, prescription medications might help. Talk to your doctor about which medications are appropriate for you.
Insomnia does not affect people every night, and the nature of the condition can change over time. Give one of these conservative treatments a try, and soon you could be on your way to a good night’s sleep!
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