Insomnia is a pathological condition manifested by night sleep disturbance and concomitant daytime sleepiness. According to statistics, approximately 30% of adult men and 37% of women, as well as 3 out of 4 pregnant women, face this problem. Chronic lack of sleep often becomes a trigger for a variety of diseases and conditions, ranging from obesity to depression. For regularly recurring problems, you need the help of qualified specialists who will identify the cause of the pathology and find a way to eliminate it quickly.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia occurs for various reasons. The most common include:

• severe stress and chronic overload of the nervous system;
• chronic pain of any location;
• heart rhythm disturbances;
• hyperthyroidism (increased amount of thyroid hormones in the blood);
• heartburn;
• significant physical fatigue;
• restless legs syndrome;
• hormonal changes in the body (puberty, pregnancy, menopause);
• mental disorders and diseases: depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, etc.;
• taking certain medications (psychostimulants);
• drug addiction, alcoholism;
• coffee abuse;
• night apnea (breathing disorders in a lying position due to excess body weight, deviated nasal septum, and other reasons);
• occasional night shift work;
• sudden change of time zones.

Pregnant women, the elderly, and people suffering from excessive nervous excitability are most prone to insomnia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of insomnia vary, but they are all associated with decreased sleep duration.

The disease can manifest itself:

• difficulty falling asleep: a person tosses and turns for a long time, looking for a comfortable position, etc.;
• single or multiple awakenings during the night followed by lack of sleep;
• early awakening, due to which the total duration of sleep does not exceed 6.5 hours.

Treatment of Chronic Insomnia

The treatment for chronic insomnia depends on its cause. If sleep problems arise against the background of any somatic disease, it is necessary to eliminate it or reduce the severity of symptoms as much as possible.

To eliminate insomnia itself, medicinal and non-medicinal means are used. Doctors have a large number of drugs at their disposal that affect one or another aspect of sleep.

Most often used:

• sleeping pills: Ambien (Zolpidem), Eszopiclone (Lunesta), Zaleplon (Sonata) makes it easier to fall asleep and reduces the risk of waking up at night;
• tranquilizers: prescribed for concomitant anxiety;
• melatonin: a hormone produced by the body at night; promotes sleep; the drug is especially relevant when changing time zones or the need to restore the normal rhythm of sleep and wakefulness after several night shifts.

Psychotherapy, in combination with Ambien (Zolpidem), has a good effect on insomnia, especially if the problem is caused by acute or chronic stress. Typically, cognitive-behavioral techniques are used.

They help the patient:

• successfully cope with the influx of anxious thoughts;
• tune in to a positive perception of reality;
• independently eliminate factors that contribute to excessive anxiety;
• promptly seek help from loved ones and doctors, as well as accept their help.

In some cases, sleep disorders can be effectively eliminated with the help of hypnosis.

Possible Complications

Most people do not perceive insomnia as a serious problem.

Meanwhile, chronic lack of sleep can trigger a complex of pathological changes that can provoke:

• a noticeable decrease in immunity: during sleep, the body restores strength and produces cytokines, which are one of the important components of the immune system; their lack leads to a decrease in resistance to colds and other infectious diseases;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• development of pathology of the cardiovascular system: chronic lack of sleep leads to instability of blood pressure, changes in heart rate, and an increased risk of dangerous conditions;
• weight gain: in an effort to regain strength in another way, a person begins to subconsciously reach for high-calorie carbohydrate foods, which leads to weight gain; in addition, lack of sleep provokes a decrease in the production of hormones responsible for the feeling of satiety;
• exhaustion of the nervous system: insufficient night rest reduces the ability to concentrate on any activity, the speed and quality of thinking suffer;
• depression and anxiety disorder: these conditions often form a vicious circle, further exacerbating the severity of insomnia;
• decreased libido: with a lack of strength, the body “turns off” the least important aspects of activity, which is expressed in the absence of libido, anorgasmia in women, and impotence in men.

In addition, a sleep-deprived person can find himself in a dangerous situation, causing harm to himself and others while driving a car or working with mechanisms that require constant concentration.