Many struggle to sleep in the night even if it’s been a tiring day. Some wake up in-between and find it difficult to fall back asleep. Some stay awake for hours just trying hard to sleep. And there are those who sleep only for a maximum of two hours a day. This condition is called insomnia. Dr B N Gangadhar of National Institute Of Mental Health and Neuroscience tells us more about it. Insomnia, in Latin means sleeplessness, and is the inability to get the appropriate amount of sleep one needs in a day to feel rested. Without sleep, one can not be relaxed or refreshed.
Insomnia is defined by the quality of your sleep and how you feel after sleeping – the number of hours you sleep or how quickly you doze off. Although insomnia is the most common sleep complaint, it is always associated with some other physical or mental problems. Some of these are mental stress, depression, anxiety, traumatic experiences and disturbing environment. Physical problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, kidney disease, thyroid problem and malfunctioning of liver may also cause insomnia. Some medications which contain alcohol or caffeine may also cause insomnia. But, later, it leads to daytime fatigue, irritability and drowsiness.
Acute insomnia is most common and may last for one or several nights. This may lead to inadequate sleep quality which further leads to increased depression or fatigue and drowsiness.
Is it genetic?
Insomnia is not a genetic disorder. But conditions that cause insomnia could be. In most cases, a person with diabetes or any depressive disorders may also suffer from insomnia, both conditions being genetic.
Hormonal imbalance?
Insomnia is not linked to hormone imbalance. But sleeping less affects 10 different hormones causing them to shift and disrupt appetite, fertility, mental health as well as cardiac health. Estrogen, a sleep-maintaining hormone, when produced less in the body, may lead to insomnia. Testosterone and progesterone may also cause insomnia, if produced less in the body.
Is it curable?
Depending on the underlying conditions of insomnia, it can be treated successfully, if the stress factors are eliminated or handled. Remarkable benefits can be achieved without drugs. “Common sense” advices such as dark, quiet room, decluttered surroundings, avoiding stimulants like nicotine or after 6pm tea or coffee, freshly made light meals early in the evening, avoiding TV viewing till late evening, are useful. Reassurance and demonstration that the day’s activities have been satisfactory can help too. Lifestyle changes including practice of yoga, pranayama and some
form of meditation has been known to be helpful. “Maintaining a sleep diary helps in diagnosis. Polysomnography can identify some of the specific insomnias. It can sometimes validate the sleep diary and can help confirm the sleep misconception/misrepresentation in those who may simply be complaining of insomnia,” says Dr B N Gangadhar.