What is Insomnia and Insomnia Disorder?
Insomnia is a condition that many people have experienced and understand the suffering it causes. If it becomes chronic or frequent, treatment is necessary because insomnia affects daily life, learning, work, and the ability to perform daily activities, and it may also lead to accidents.
Insomnia is a condition where sleep quality decreases, often caused by difficulty falling asleep, light sleep, or waking up earlier than usual, feeling that sleep is insufficient. It can be classified into 3 types:
- Initial insomnia means taking a long time to fall asleep, requiring more effort than usual. In some cases, it may take hours from lying down to falling asleep.
- Middle insomnia means light sleep with frequent awakenings throughout the night. When waking up in the middle of the night, it is often difficult to fall back asleep.
- Terminal insomnia means waking up too early, for example, 2-3 hours earlier than usual, resulting in insufficient sleep time.
- When insomnia occurs frequently and lasts too long, such as 3 days per week for more than 3 months, it qualifies as insomnia disorder.
Causes of Insomnia Disorder
Insomnia can be caused by various factors as follows:
- Physical causes such as illnesses or conditions that cause discomfort, like pain in various parts of the body, shortness of breath, acid reflux, which make it difficult to fall asleep or cause light sleep, affecting sleep quality.
- Psychological causes such as stress, general anxiety, or various psychiatric disorders often cause sleep problems.
- Environmental factors such as noise, overly bright bedrooms, or temperatures that are too hot or cold.
- Poor sleep hygiene such as playing games, using phones or smartphones, or heavy exercise before bedtime, and consuming caffeinated drinks before sleep.
Dangers of Insomnia Disorder
Insomnia negatively affects health in many ways, such as:
- The body feels tired and weak all day, and the immune system decreases.
- The mind is not refreshed, easily irritated, increasing the risk of psychiatric disorders or worsening existing conditions.
- Cognitive abilities decline, feeling confused, less alert, slow thinking, and poor decision-making.
- Lack of concentration at work or school, and poor memory.
Prevention and Sleep Behavior Adjustment
Adjusting sleep behavior to promote good sleep health can be done independently, even if insomnia symptoms are mild. Such care can prevent chronic sleep problems.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same or similar times every day, even on holidays.
- Go to bed only when close to sleep time; avoid other activities such as watching movies, dramas, or working in bed.
- Avoid napping during the day or keep naps to a minimum, and do not nap after 3 PM.
- Practice relaxing thoughts, letting go, and reducing stress before bedtime.
- Avoid stressful or anxiety-inducing information before bed and avoid screen time (blue light) 1-2 hours before sleep.
- Avoid heavy exercise or heavy meals close to bedtime.
- Avoid drinking stimulants like coffee or tea after lunch.
When Should You See a Doctor for Insomnia?
As mentioned above, if insomnia is chronic and meets the criteria for insomnia disorder, or if you feel that sleep problems persist despite self-care and affect work or daily life, with abnormal daytime sleepiness, you should consult a doctor promptly.
Treatment of Insomnia Disorder
Initial treatment of insomnia disorder involves diagnosis and differentiation from similar conditions. The doctor will take a sleep history, assess physical and mental conditions, and evaluate other causes. Patients may be asked to record sleep details such as bedtime, estimated sleep time, and wake time to assist the doctor’s analysis. Some patients may be referred for tests to identify other causes of insomnia, such as sleep quality assessment with Polysomnography (PSG) or Sleep Test to differentiate abnormal sleep patterns or conditions occurring during sleep, such as snoring and sleep apnea.
Treatment depends on the cause of insomnia in each patient. If caused by psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorders, the doctor may recommend medication for the underlying condition along with sleep aids and improving sleep hygiene if still problematic.
Insomnia is a condition that should not be ignored. If symptoms persist for a long time and affect daily life, causing harm to physical and mental health, it is recommended to consult a doctor to find the true cause and plan appropriate treatment. Patients should not risk self-medicating as the medication may not be suitable for their condition or illness and may cause side effects unknown to the patient.
