Insomnia (asomnia, insomnia) is a sleep disturbance, the main symptom of which is its short duration and poor quality. You can recognize the disease by frequent awakenings, after which it is quite difficult to fall asleep again, drowsiness during the day, and difficulty falling asleep in the evenings. If the sleep disorder lasts for about a month, then this means that the disease has passed into the chronic stage. It is most often diagnosed in women of reproductive age, the elderly and those suffering from mental pathologies.
Types of sleep disorders
Primary insomnia, what to do? The reasons that provoked her are:
- prolonged stress;
- work in shifts, including at night;
- constant noise;
- unusual environment;
- violations of the daily routine;
- intense exercise in the evening;
- active recreation in entertainment venues;
- meat, fatty foods, alcohol late;
- insufficientthe amount of 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;
- vomit;
- diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, thyroid gland, lungs, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and others.
Regardless of the type of insomnia, a person has depression, lethargy, puffiness under the eyes. In addition, reduced efficiency, attention, fatigue is felt. Treatment is selected individually depending on the manifestations of the disease. If the cause lies in the disease that provoked 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 may be behavioral, medical, or psychiatric problems. The first is the most important cause of chronic insomnia. A provocative factor could be:
- stress;
- disease or its exacerbation;
- conflict;
- divorce;
- baby birth;
- change timezone;
- and more.
The consequences of chronic asomnia are manifested by mood swings, a decrease in the quality of life, deterioration in performance, constant fatigue, obsessive thoughts about suicide. To cure, it is important to determine the causes of insomnia. First of all, as for the treatment of a common sleep disorder,using non-medical methods. If they did not bring the desired result, then drug therapy is connected, which consists of several stages:
- Prescribe minimally effective doses of drugs.
- Change dosage.
- Recommend medication for a short course.
- Take off drug gradually.
- Complete drug withdrawal.
There is no perfect cure for insomnia. The doctor selects drugs individually.
Causes of insomnia in women in their 30s
At this age, women suffer from sleep disorders more than the opposite sex. This is due to the deep feelings 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 tense, it is quite difficult for them to switch to rest. The main causes of asomnia in the fair sex are recognized as psychological. Excess body weight is also a cause for unrest and stress. If the body mass index exceeds 35, there is a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other problems that further lead to sleep disturbance. The next cause of insomnia in women of 30 years of age is the use of hormonal drugs, moreover, chosen 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:
- work at night;
- meal before bedtime;
- drastic climate change;
- uncomfortable bedor pillow;
- strong night noise;
- drinking a lot of chocolate, coffee or strong tea;
- frequent visits to nightclubs and other places of entertainment.
The intake of certain medications is also a cause of insomnia in women. Treatment and prevention of this disease require an integrated approach. First of all, you need to follow some simple rules:
- follow the daily routine;
- exercise daily;
- ventilate the room before going to bed;
- give up bad habits;
- create a convenient and comfortable environment;
- 2 hours before bedtime do not eat, do not play computer games, do not watch TV.
Next, try taking herbal teas, which include plants that have 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 spoonful of honey.
Causes of sleep disorders in menopause
Asomnia during 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 intensify at night and interfere with proper 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 appears,depression or, conversely, aggression. Interfere with full sleep and frequent hot flashes, pain, exacerbation of chronic pathologies, decreased physical and mental activity, immunity, and taking certain medications. In addition, the reasons that provoked asomnia are:
- feelings about loved ones;
- various conflict situations;
- domestic troubles.
Unhe althy diet is another cause of insomnia in women over 50, as during this period metabolic processes slow down due to hormonal changes. Therefore, the usual dishes or products are processed in the body for a long time. A night without sleep is guaranteed to a woman if she eats high-calorie foods in the evenings.
How to beat insomnia during menopause?
- Initially, you should normalize the hormonal background. Several options are known: taking hormonal or homeopathic drugs, adjusting the diet, physical activity, sex, and others. Which of them will be most preferable, the gynecologist will tell you, since in each case the approach is individual.
- Accept your new state and learn to live with it. Having found peace, a woman will regain normal sleep.
- If the cause of insomnia in women over 50 is caused by a particular sensitivity of the nervous system, then you can take herbal preparations for some time. In case of depression, doctors will recommend more serious therapy.
- To relieve emotional stress, daily physical activity inmorning, pleasant music, regular outdoor walks and sex.
- Before sleep, herbal teas with a calming effect and fermented milk products are useful.
- You should not take drugs that have a hypnotic effect, as they do not have the desired effect during menopause, but only exacerbate the problem.
Insomnia in males
This problem does not bypass the strong half of humanity, although men suffer from it somewhat less than the female sex. Sleep disorders can develop against the background of psycho-emotional disorders or the presence of pathology, that is, the causes of insomnia in men can be divided into two groups: the first is based on hormonal disorders and diseases of internal organs, the second is psychological factors. Consider each of them in more detail:
- Hormonal is associated with the production of testosterone. It has been scientifically proven that this hormone has a direct effect on the long phase of sleep. Its production depends on age. Until the age of 30, its highest concentration is observed, then it significantly decreases and reaches a minimum at 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, diseases of the digestive system, sleep apnea. The causes of insomnia after 50 years are associated with problems of internal organs, which are considered provocateurs of nocturnal awakening. As a result, the body cannot fully recover overnight and that's it.existing pathological processes are exacerbated. Constant sleep disorder affects the ability to work.
- Psychological causes of insomnia in men are constant stress, depression, overwork, exercise in the evening, heredity, busy work schedule, age, drinking coffee and alcohol before bed, 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, under certain circumstances gives complications. Self-treatment of insomnia can aggravate the situation. Seeing a doctor is necessary if a man has:
- constant irritability;
- always a bad mood;
- reduced focus;
- constant sleepiness;
- sluggishness;
- low concentration, which affects work.
The very first recommendations of the doctor, regardless of the causes of insomnia, are to avoid alcohol and beer in the evenings, reduce cups of coffee and strong tea drunk, have dinner three hours before bedtime, follow the daily routine, i.e. get up and go to bed at the same time, creating comfortable conditions for sleep. In addition to these simple measures, the doctor will also prescribe medicines that are taken in a three-week course.
If neurotic and psychopathological circumstances have caused insomnia in men, and treatment with sedatives,hypnotic drugs does not give a result, then auto-training, hypnosis, psychotherapy are additionally recommended. If the lack of mood, depression, sleep disturbance 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. Gives a good effect:
- electrosleep;
- baths with oxygen or mineral water;
- massage, electrophoresis, Darsonval collar zone.
Drug therapy and course treatment in a sanatorium contribute to the relief of symptoms of sleep disorders and improve the general condition of a man.
Children's insomnia
Low sleep in children leads to the following problems:
- changing behavior;
- aggression appears;
- contact with parents and peers is broken;
- teenagers are less motivated to any activity, including the learning process.
Thus, the younger generation fails in the mental activity of the body. The sleep disorder of children and adolescents must be treated in a timely manner, since their socio-psychological adaptation to adulthood and character are still being formed. 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 - quarrels of parents,analysis of the behavior and punishment of children at bedtime, scolding parents for a bad mark. As well as reading or watching scary stories, unrequited love or sympathy, problems with teachers, peers and more.
Let's take a closer look at the causes of insomnia in children of different ages:
- Babies. Sleep disturbance can be caused by bright lights, noise, change of scenery, uncomfortable ambient temperature. These factors are easy to fix, but there are more serious reasons that are directly related to the he alth 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 pediatrician.
- Kids from one to three years old. 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 around them. On rare occasions, they suffer from digestive problems due to the transition to the regular menu.
- Preschool children from three to six years old. The causes of insomnia in this age category are associated to a greater extent with the processing of the information received by the child's brain during the day. Children communicate with people, watch TV, start reading books, that is, they receive quite a lot of information and their consciousness confuses 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 students and teenagers. At the age of six, this is a large amount of new information, and atnine years - 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, high physical activity. In girls, the causes are related to 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.
Treatment of childhood insomnia
Parents should develop a clear schedule for going to bed and waking hours. In the evening, create a calm atmosphere for the child and comfortable conditions for sleeping, give positive emotions. The use of drugs in the form of sedatives or hypnotics is prohibited for up to three years. At an older age, the doctor may recommend herbal medicines. Adolescents are prescribed herbal teas in courses. When serious causes of insomnia are present, treatment and prevention is carried out by a doctor using prescription drugs, for example, Sonapax, Tizercin, Nozepam, Reladorm, Phenibut.
Insomnia during pregnancy: causes and consequences
In the early stages of pregnancy, sleep disturbance is a consequence of hormonal failure. The excess content of progesterone provokes the work of all body systems to work with a vengeance, which does not allow the pregnant woman to rest at night. In the second trimester, there are usually no problems with falling asleep. Late term insomnia is caused by physiological changes andappears as:
- heaviness in the stomach;
- heartburn;
- Itching in the abdomen caused by stretch marks;
- pain in the pelvis and back;
- training bouts;
- baby moving and pushing;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- difficulties in choosing a comfortable position.
Insomnia before delivery is often accompanied by nightmares that shake the nervous system of the expectant mother.
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;
- Focus concentration and movement weakens, causing injury.
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 he alth of the future baby, manifesting itself in the form of 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 books;
- reducing TV and computer time;
- light physical activity;
- hiking;
- breathing exercises.
It should be remembered that taking sleeping pills and sedatives during this important period in a woman's life is strictly contraindicated.
Forecast
What to do about the causes of insomnia? Of course, they should be eliminated, since only in this case the prognosis will be favorable. In the case of a passive attitude to asomnia, psychological dependence on hypnotics and sedatives, fear of sleep, refusal of treatment, the prognosis is unfavorable and is fraught with various complications. Scientists in some countries claim that a sleepless night is comparable in its consequences to a concussion, since 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 individual's body releases tissues from harmful substances that have accumulated during the day. In people with insomnia, these physiological processes are disrupted, resulting in damage to brain tissue. It is for this reason that after a sleepless night there is a violation of concentration, memory, headaches, nausea.
Insomnia is cause for excitement
Unfortunately, there is an opinion that insufficient sleep is a trifle that should not be paid attention to. In fact, everything is not so simple. Insomnia causes the following symptoms:
- constant sleepiness;
- lack of interest in life;
- fatigue;
- conflict;
- decrease in intelligence;
- forgetfulness;
- lowperformance;
- absent-mindedness.
Also, 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 provoked by stress leads to even more serious disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system - prolonged hysteria, which requires specialized treatment in a psychiatric department. Somnologists treat insomnia. It must be remembered that the disease is easier to prevent and completely cure than to suffer from its consequences in the future.
