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What are common insomnia causes?

August 5th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Everyone experiences insomnia at times, and occasionally you know the causes of your insomnia very well: you’re stressed, going through a life change, or are ill.

Common causes of insomnia

One of the most common insomnia causes is stress or anxiety, which keeps a person’s mind racing, making them unable to fall asleep.

Primary insomnia is described as sleeplessness that cannot be traced to an environmental or medical condition. Secondary insomnia means that a person is having trouble sleeping due to an underlying cause, which may be treatable.

Circadian sleep disorders occur when something messes up a person’s internal clock, which regulates their normal sleep pattern. Traveling through time zones where the rising and setting of the sun no longer matches the times a person is used to, often referred to as jet lag. Another of the insomnia causes can be those who alternate shift work and have trouble adjusting to a new sleep pattern.

Parasomnia, another of the insomnia causes can include sleep walking, violent nightmares and behavior disorders in which a person physically responds to action occurring in their dreams. While these disorders can be disruptive to a person’s ability to sleep, they can be treated by a sleep specialist or through medical treatment. Clinophobia, often attributed to stress or a physical ailment, can also be treated by eliminating the underlying cause of the stress or the pain.

Beware of stimulants

Since people drink caffeine in order to wake up in the morning, it only makes sense that caffeine is another of the insomnia causes that can easily be avoided. Nicotine, sugar and some medications can have a stimulating affect causing the inability to fall asleep. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, which causes stomach acid to flow into the throat waking a person up frequently, is also considered one of the insomnia causes that can be eliminated through medical intervention.

Dehydration has also been known to rob a person of sleep as it causes stimulants and hormones to build up in the blood causing sleeplessness. Drinking a glass or two of water can generally cause relief in an hour or two. Sleep hygiene is another of the insomnia causes that can readily be cured. Sleep hygiene is defined as having an established sleep routine such as going to bed at the same time every night. Sleeping in the bedroom only and keeping the room as dark as possible.

Having an established bedtime routine and try to avoid stressful situations and demanding physical activity prior to going to bed. Limit stimulants to an hour before your bedtime, unless directed by your doctor and keep your bedroom as peaceful and stress free as possible.

If the causes of your current insomnia aren’t evident, see your doctor.

Newest Surgery for Snoring: Somnoplasty

July 30th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Somnoplasty, the newest surgery for snoring, may provide a relief for some sleep apnea and snoring sufferers.

In 1997 this surgery was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat upper airway disorders.  Somnoplasty is a common sense solution for sufferers of sleep apnea and is an out patient procedure.

An ear, nose, and throat surgeon can perform operation using low-powered radiofrequency energy on the base of the tongue. The lesions created by this process are absorbed by the tissue and the remaining tissue is stiffer. This is preformed using local anesthesia and pain medication is only required for two to three days after the surgery.  In the past the same types of surgeries would require weeks of narcotics to cope with the after surgery pain.

Somnoplasty has very few side effects and there have been no reports of bleeding, infection or airway compromises.  There have been a few complaints of soreness immediately following the surgery. All patients that have undergone this newest surgery for snoring have reported absolute improvement in breathing.  Also over 75 per cent of patients reported a decrease in the severity and frequency of breathing problems. Most of the patients recorded decreased daytime sleepiness and a huge 77 per cent decrease in snoring.

Chronic snoring can also be treated by the newest surgery for snoring; it is still an out-patient procedure often preformed right in the doctor’s office.  The radiofrequency waves are used to reduce soft-palate tissue volume. The snoring has been shown to decrease significantly with this procedure.

Patients average a 69 per cent reduction in snoring and nearly 40 per cent reduction of waking tired after sleeping.  Also this surgery is safe enough to be used for the same problem twice if necessary to produce sufficiently taut skin and eliminate or decrease the incidence of snoring. Ask your doctor if you can enjoy a better quality of life by opting for this surgical procedure.

Insomnia Treatments

July 16th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Can’t sleep? You’re not alone. Many people suffer from insomnia and search for insomnia treatments.

There are many causes of insomnia, and perhaps the most common is stress, which causes transient insomnia - you can’t fall asleep for a few days.

For these people insomnia treatments include eliminating stress and dulling the pain that is keeping their mind focused on something other than falling asleep. In some folks, a system of preparing for bed is needed to clear their minds before attempting sleep. Getting ready for bed is usually more involved than pulling down the sheets and without proper preparation, sleep will be denied.

Medical Intervention May Provide Temporary Relief

Those suffering a temporary inability to fall asleep, and more importantly stay asleep for a reasonable amount of time, sleep aids may be helpful. However, using sleeping pills as insomnia treatments is not recommended by medical provider as the person can develop a dependency on them and many have undesirable side effects. Whenever a sleep problem exists, experts agree it is better to treat the symptom rather than the inability to sleep.

In extremely rare cases, there may be a hereditary problem called fatal familial insomnia in which the person lacks a specific gene that regulates sleep patterns. This ailment, although extremely rare, is almost always fatal with two or three years from the onset and insomnia treatments do not work.

Other forms of sleeplessness can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and insomnia treatments may include things as simple as practicing good sleep hygiene.

Do not take naps during the day, or stay away from stimulants such as caffeine, chocolate and alcohol within an hour of bedtime. Behavior modification may be necessary to reduce episodes of insomnia such as heavy physical activity at least an hour before bedtime and the importance of quiet time prior to going to bed.

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