When talking about the problem of “Insomnia” or “Insomnia”, many people might focus their treatment on taking sleeping pills! Therefore, if we tell you that actually “sleeping pills” are not the best solution… it might cause many to disagree internally. But here is the approach to treating insomnia from Dr. Kobkulya Jungprasertsri, Director of Premier Life Center, Phyathai 2 Hospital that will help improve sleep quality… without relying on medication!
What is insomnia? How long of difficulty sleeping should you see a doctor?
Insomnia is divided into two main types: Acute and Chronic. Acute insomnia is short-term difficulty sleeping occurring about 1-2 times per week, lasting no more than 3 months. Chronic insomnia is long-term difficulty sleeping occurring more than 3 times per week and lasting more than 3 months.
Most people initially experience Acute insomnia. If you feel it is still manageable and does not affect daily life, it is not necessary to see a doctor yet. However, if insomnia starts to impact daily life, such as causing headaches, irritability, lack of concentration, or reduced work efficiency, you should see a doctor to find the cause and address it early. If left untreated and becomes Chronic, insomnia can affect both physical and mental health.
What causes the problem of “insomnia”?
Insomnia symptoms can also be caused by other diseases, such as lung diseases that cause breathing difficulties or acid reflux disease that causes stomach discomfort when lying down, including Obstructive Sleep Apnea, where patients often wake up suddenly during the night.
But for insomnia caused directly by “insomnia disorder”, it usually stems from three main factors:
- Emotional conditions such as stress, anxiety, or depression
- Hormonal imbalance due to abnormal hormone production, either too much or too little, affecting sleep. For example, low DHEA or happiness hormone, or high Cortisol or stress hormone levels
- Environmental factors, whether the bedroom environment or behaviors such as using a mobile phone before bed, which may cause blue light to inhibit Melatonin secretion in the body, making it harder to fall asleep
Be sure… check thoroughly with these methods!
Screening starts from initial symptom interviews to blood and urine tests to check hormone levels and other values. The first step is to diagnose whether the insomnia is caused by the disorder itself or by other diseases. If not caused by other diseases, the examination focuses on emotional conditions, hormonal balance, and other factors such as diet, exercise, and common behaviors before bedtime.
What hormones should be checked to find the cause of insomnia?
For hormone level testing, doctors mainly draw blood to check DHEA and Cortisol hormones, which are related to emotions, as well as Growth Hormone. If these are at abnormal levels, they can also affect sleep.
Not only hormone tests, but doctors also check vitamin levels in the body through urine tests. If levels are too high or too low, vitamin or supplement treatments may be necessary, such as Magnesium, GABA, Vitamin B6, L-Tryptophan, or Melatonin, which are key precursors that help improve sleep quality.
Is using sleeping pills as a helper good or bad?
Treating insomnia with sleeping pills is not entirely forbidden! However, sleeping pills should not be used continuously for more than 1-3 months because stopping them can make sleeping even harder. If you want to stop or adjust sleeping pills, always consult a doctor. More importantly… is to find the cause of insomnia to lead to targeted treatment.
Behavioral adjustment! The key that should be done alongside treatment
Treating insomnia usually focuses on behavioral adjustments alongside hormone balance correction in cases of abnormalities. For example, if hormone imbalance is due to obesity, weight control, insulin management, and diet control must be addressed. Diet is very important as it can significantly affect sleep quality. Behaviors to adjust for treating insomnia include avoiding eating at least 3 hours before bed, avoiding tea, coffee, or caffeinated drinks at least 6 hours before bedtime, and avoiding spicy foods because they stimulate neurotransmitter secretion that keeps you alert and makes it harder to sleep.
Regarding exercise, many believe that heavy exercise helps sleep better, but this is not entirely true! After exercising, the brain is in an alert state with adrenaline secretion, making it harder to sleep. Therefore, avoid exercising at least 3 hours before bedtime or shift exercise time to the morning for best results.
If you don’t want to face “insomnia,” you can prevent it yourself!
Preventing insomnia starts with behavioral adjustments, such as maintaining DHEA hormone balance, which the body can produce naturally through meditation, such as praying, reading, or listening to soft music. Additionally, before sleeping, adjust the lighting and room temperature to be suitable for sleep, not exceeding 27 degrees Celsius, and use natural extract scents to help the body relax. Most importantly… do not let the brain be stressed before bedtime.
