Insomnia (asomnia, insomnia) is a sleep disorder, the main sign of which is its short duration and poor quality. The disease can be recognized by frequent awakenings, after which it is quite difficult to fall asleep again, drowsiness during the day, difficulties with falling asleep in the evenings. If a sleep disorder lasts about a month, then this means that the disease has passed into a chronic stage. Most often, it is diagnosed in women of reproductive age, the elderly and people suffering from mental pathologies.
Types of Sleep Disorders
Primary insomnia, what to do? The reasons that provoked her are:
- prolonged stress;
- shift work, including at night;
- constant noise;
- unusual atmosphere;
- violations of the regime of the day;
- intense physical activity in the evening;
- outdoor activities in places of entertainment;
- meat, fatty foods, alcohol at a later time;
- not enough time for a good rest due to a busy schedule at work.
Secondary asomnia is a consequence of taking certain medications and other pathologies:
- pain syndrome;
- nausea;
- vomiting
- diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, thyroid gland, lungs, restless legs syndrome, apnea and others.
Regardless of the type of insomnia, a person has depression, lethargy, swelling under the eyes. In addition, reduced performance, attention, fatigue is felt. Treatment is selected individually depending on the manifestations of the disease. If the reason lies in the disease that triggered the sleep disorder, then the underlying disease is treated first.
Chronic sleep disorder
What causes short-term insomnia contribute to its transition to the chronic stage? These can be behavioral, medical, or psychiatric problems. The first is the most important cause of chronic insomnia. A provocative factor may be:
- stress;
- the disease or its exacerbation;
- conflict;
- divorce;
- birth of a baby;
- change of time zone;
- and other.
The consequences of chronic asomnia are manifested by mood swings, a decline in the quality of life, poor performance, constant fatigue, and obsessive thoughts about suicide. To cure, it is important to determine the causes of insomnia. First of all, as for the treatment of usual sleep disorders, non-medical methods are used. If they did not bring the desired result, then they connect drug therapy, which consists of several stages:
- Minimally effective doses of drugs are prescribed.
- Change the dosage.
- They recommend medicines for a short course.
- Gradually cancel the drug.
- Complete drug withdrawal.
An ideal treatment for insomnia does not exist. The doctor carries out the selection of drugs individually.
Causes of insomnia in women at 30
At this age, women suffer from sleep disorders more than the opposite sex. This is due to deep experiences of various events taking place in them, as well as in the lives of loved ones. As a result, the nervous system and brain are strained, it is quite difficult for them to switch to rest. The main causes of asomnia in the fair sex are recognized as psychological. Overweight is also a cause for excitement and stress. If the body mass index is exceeded above 35, there is a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and other problems that subsequently lead to sleep disturbance. The next reason for insomnia in women of 30 years of age is the use of hormonal drugs, and selected independently, which provokes an imbalance, contributes to the development of pathologies of the pancreas and thyroid gland. In addition, some external factors contribute to the development of insomnia:
- night work;
- eating before bedtime;
- dramatic climate change;
- uncomfortable bed or pillow;
- loud night noise;
- drinking a lot of chocolate, coffee or strong tea;
- frequent visits to nightclubs and other entertainment venues.
Taking certain medications also causes insomnia in women. Treatment and prevention of this disease require an integrated approach. First of all, you need to follow some simple rules:
- observe the daily routine;
- daily exercise;
- ventilate the room before going to bed;
- to refuse from bad habits;
- create a convenient and comfortable environment;
- two hours before bedtime, do not eat, do not play computer games, do not watch TV.
Next, try to take herbal teas, which include plants with a calming effect: linden blossom, chamomile, hops, dill, mint and others. If there is no allergy, then you can take a glass of warm milk with a spoon of honey.
Causes of sleep disorders in menopause
Asomnia in this period is most often found in very impressionable females due to the fact that they react quite sharply to any information and endlessly scroll through it in their memory. These processes are amplified at night and interfere with full sleep. The causes of insomnia after 50 years with menopause are internal experiences that are associated with a decrease in self-esteem, a feeling of helplessness, the approach of old age, with external changes, etc. As a result, apathy, depression, or, conversely, aggression appear. Frequent hot flashes, pain, exacerbation of chronic pathologies, decreased physical and mental activity, immunity, and some medications interfere with full sleep. In addition, the reasons that triggered the asomnia are:
- worries about loved ones;
- various conflict situations;
- household troubles.
Improper diet is another reason for insomnia in women after 50 years, as during this period metabolic processes slow down due to hormonal changes. Therefore, familiar dishes or products are processed for a long time in the body. A night without sleep is guaranteed to a woman if she eats high-calorie foods in the evenings.
How to overcome insomnia with menopause?
- Initially, the hormonal background should be normalized. Several options are known: taking hormonal or homeopathic medicines, dietary adjustments, physical activity, sex, and others. Which of them will be most preferable, the gynecologist will tell, since in each case the approach is individual.
- Accept your new condition and learn how to live with it. Having found peace, a woman will regain her normal sleep.
- If the cause of insomnia in women after 50 is caused by the particular sensitivity of the nervous system, then you can take herbal preparations for a while. In the event of a depressive state, doctors will recommend more serious therapy.
- To relieve emotional stress, daily exercise in the morning, pleasant music, regular walking outdoors and sex have a good effect.
- Before going to bed, herbal teas with a sedative effect and sour-milk products are useful.
- Do not take medications that have sleeping pills, since with menopause they do not have the desired effect, but only exacerbate the problem.
Male Insomnia
This problem does not pass over the strong half of humanity, although men suffer from it somewhat less than the female sex. Sleep disorders can develop against the background of psychoemotional disorders or the presence of pathology, that is, the causes of insomnia in men can be divided into two groups: the first - based on which there are hormonal disorders and diseases of the internal organs, the second - psychological factors. Let's consider each of them in more detail:
- Hormonal is associated with testosterone production. It is scientifically proven that this hormone has a direct effect on the long phase of sleep. Its production depends on age. Up to 30 years, its highest concentration is observed, then it decreases significantly and reaches a minimum of 40 years. The causes of insomnia associated with this factor are becoming clear.
- Diseases - prostate adenoma, bronchial asthma, angina pectoris, sciatica and other pathologies of the spine, digestive system diseases, apnea. The causes of insomnia after 50 years are associated with problems of internal organs, which are considered provocateurs of night awakening. As a result, the body cannot recover completely overnight and all existing pathological processes are aggravated. Permanent sleep disorder affects working capacity.
- The psychological causes of insomnia in men are constant stress, depression, overwork, physical activity in the evening, heredity, a busy schedule, age, coffee and alcohol before bedtime, late dinner and overeating.
- External - noise, loud music, high or low temperature in the bedroom, high humidity.
Complications and treatment of insomnia
Sleep disorder, like any pathology, in certain circumstances gives complications. Self-treatment of insomnia can aggravate the situation. Contacting a doctor is necessary if a man:
- persistent irritability;
- always in a bad mood;
- reduced concentration;
- persistent drowsiness;
- lethargy;
- low concentration of attention, which affects the work.
The doctor’s first recommendations, regardless of the causes of insomnia, are giving up alcohol-containing drinks and drinking beer in the evenings, shortening cups of coffee and strong tea, dinner three hours before bedtime, observing the daily routine, i.e. getting up and going to bed at the same time, creating comfortable conditions for sleep. In addition to these simple measures, the doctor will prescribe medications that are taken in a three-week course.
If neurotic and psychopathological circumstances have caused insomnia in men, and treatment with sedative, hypnotic drugs does not give a result, then auto-training, hypnosis, and psychotherapy are additionally recommended. If lack of mood, depression, sleep disorder are combined, then the help of a psychiatrist is required, who will prescribe a course of treatment with antidepressants. In addition, physiotherapy has a beneficial effect on falling asleep and is a good addition to the main treatment. Good effect gives:
- electric sleep;
- baths with oxygen or mineral water;
- massage, electrophoresis, Darsonval collar zone.
Drug therapy and course treatment in the sanatorium contribute to the relief of symptoms of sleep disorders and improve the general condition of men.
Children's insomnia
The short duration of sleep in children leads to the following problems:
- behavior changes;
- aggression appears;
- contact with parents and peers is broken;
- in adolescents, the motivation for any activity, including the educational process, is reduced.
Thus, the younger generation has a malfunction in the mental activity of the body. The sleep disorder of children and adolescents must be treated in a timely manner, since they are still just forming a socio-psychological adaptation to adulthood and character. The causes of insomnia in adolescents and children can be divided into:
- Biological - these are organic brain lesions, infectious toxic pathologies, brain disorders and the constitution of the child.
- Psychological. These include problems in the family - parental disputes, analysis of behavior and punishment of children at bedtime, abuse of parents for poor grades. As well as reading or viewing scary stories, unrequited love or sympathy, problems with teachers, peers, and more.
Let us consider in more detail the causes of insomnia in children of different ages:
- Breasts. Sleep disturbance can be caused by bright light, noise, a change of scenery, or an uncomfortable ambient temperature. These factors are easy to fix, but there are more serious causes that are directly related to the health of the baby. These include encephalopathy, ear diseases, diseases of the stomach or intestines, diaper rash. If the baby does not sleep well, regardless of the time of day, it is advisable to contact a children's doctor.
- Toddlers from one to three years. In this age category, children do not sleep well due to the intense work of the nervous system due to motor activity and knowledge of the world. In rare cases, they are concerned about digestive problems in connection with the transition to the normal menu.
- Preschool children from three to six years. The causes of insomnia in this age category are associated more with the processing by the brain of the child of the information received during the day. Children communicate with people, watch TV, start reading books, that is, they get a lot of information and their minds mix up everything together. As a result, they often wake up, cry and call their parents. In addition, insomnia may be due to the presence of parasites in the child's body.
- Younger schoolchildren and adolescents. At the age of six, this is a large amount of new information, and at the age of nine, adaptation to the outside world. At an older age, this is a fear of a control or exam, problems with parents or peers, emotional overstrain, and high physical activity. In girls, the causes are associated with hormonal changes.
In addition, regardless of age, the cause of insomnia can be hidden in the pathology of the heart and blood vessels, the work of the endocrine and nervous system.
Treating childhood insomnia
Parents should establish a clear bedtime schedule and wakefulness period. In the evening, create a calm atmosphere for the child and comfortable sleeping conditions, give positive emotions. The use of drugs in the form of sedatives or sleeping pills is prohibited for up to three years. At an older age, the doctor may recommend herbal medicines. Adolescent courses are prescribed herbal teas. When there are serious causes of insomnia, treatment and prevention are carried out by the doctor with the use of drugs, for example, Sonapax, Tizercin, Nozepam, Reladorm, Phenibut, prescription drugs.
Insomnia during pregnancy: causes and consequences
In the early stages of pregnancy, sleep disorder is a consequence of hormonal failure. Excessive progesterone content provokes the work of all body systems to work with a vengeance, which does not allow the pregnant woman to relax at night. In the second trimester, usually there are no problems with falling asleep. Late insomnia is caused by physiological changes and manifests itself in the form of:
- severity in the stomach;
- heartburn;
- itching in the abdomen, provoked by stretch marks;
- pain in the pelvis and back;
- training fights;
- baby movements and shocks;
- frequent urination;
- difficulty in choosing a comfortable pose.
Insomnia before delivery is often accompanied by nightmares that undermine the future mother's nervous system.
The consequences of this condition are dangerous for a woman, as they can lead to the following ailments:
- tachycardia;
- unstable pressure;
- hormonal imbalance;
- impaired blood supply to organs, including the brain;
- concentration of attention and movement is weakened, which is the cause of injuries.
All of the above signs lead to serious consequences: the threat of miscarriage, fetal hypoxia, increased uterine tone, premature birth. In addition, they will affect the health of the future baby, manifested in the form of a neurological pathology, developmental delay.
How to deal with insomnia during pregnancy?
Initially, it is necessary to remove the causes of overvoltage, but it will help in this:
- auto-training;
- relaxing massage;
- pleasant music;
- needlework;
- reading of books;
- reduced time spent on the TV and computer;
- light physical activity;
- Hiking
- breathing exercises.
It should be remembered that taking sleeping pills and sedative drugs during this important period in a woman’s life is strictly contraindicated.
Forecast
What to do with the causes of insomnia? Of course, they should be eliminated, since only in this case the forecast will be favorable. In the case of a passive attitude to asomnia, psychological dependence on sleeping pills and sedatives, fear of sleep, refusal of treatment, the prognosis is poor and fraught with various complications. Scientists in some countries claim that a sleepless night is comparable in its effects to concussion, because sleep disturbance provokes changes in the central nervous system, similar to a traumatic brain injury. And in this case, the cause of insomnia does not matter. During sleep, the body of an individual releases tissues from harmful substances that have accumulated during the day. In people with insomnia, these physiological processes are disturbed, which leads to damage to brain tissue. For this reason, after a sleepless night, there is a violation of the concentration of attention, memory, headaches, nausea appear.
Insomnia - a cause for excitement
Unfortunately, there is an opinion that insufficient sleep is a trifle that you should not pay attention to. In fact, everything is not so simple. Insomnia is the cause of the following manifestations:
- persistent drowsiness;
- lack of interest in life;
- fatigue
- Conflict
- decreased intelligence;
- forgetfulness;
- low working capacity;
- distraction.
In addition, in a critical situation, asomnia can be fatal. The causes and treatment of insomnia in women, men and children are interrelated. For example, a sleep disorder that was triggered by stress leads to even more serious disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system - protracted hysteria, which requires specialized treatment in the psychiatric ward. Somnologists are engaged in the treatment of insomnia. It must be remembered that the disease is easier to prevent and completely cure than to suffer from its consequences in the future.