Description insomnia
Insomnia or if insomnia is the most common sleep disorders group, whose main symptom is sleep disorder or sleep patterns(interrupted sleep, early awakening).
Sleep disorders are divided by principal causes for insomnia(sleeplessness), hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness), circadian rhythm disorders (ie. Breakdown alternation of sleep and wakefulness, intolerance exchange mode, eg. In the profession) and parasomnias (diseased conditions and phenomena occurring in the context of sleep, for example. náměsíčnictví, talking in their sleep, night cramps in the calves, and many others).
In terms of time, then insomnia are classified as short-term or occasional (intermittent) or chronic, lasting more than six months.
Insomnia can have many causative factors, which are distinguished on the external and internal.These should be carefully evaluated and developed so that it can properly treat insomnia.
Among the external factors we can mention stress and other influences from the environment (such as cold, heat, uncomfortable beds, noise or mere ticking of the clock) and inadequate sleep hygiene (regime measures). Sleep hygiene is a set of measures intended to facilitate sleep and help the normal process sleep (see below).
The internal factors, then we classify physical and mental problems. A frequent problem associated with the sleep disorder is the presence of the disease, which bothers the patient to the extent that it could not fall asleep. These may be conditions associated with pain (pain in muscles, joints, tumors), itching (various eczema), endocrine disorders such as increased thyroid function, pulmonary disease (cough, asthma), heart diseases (arrhythmia, dyspnoea in connection with heart failure), digestive problems (dyspepsia), followed by strong emotional experiences, anxiety and other ailments, which concerned the so-called “can not sleep”.
The need for sleep is very individual, but on average is around 6-8 hours, and unfortunately due to the current challenging lifestyle is sleep time ever deliberately shortened. A disease can be considered a condition where sleep does not bring sufficient rest, said they do not feel recovered during the night is often awakened repeatedly can not sleep during the day is tired. This book creates a vicious circle in the sense that it then tries to catch up with sleepless time relaxing during the day, going in the afternoon and at night again could not sleep and unconsciously so shapes the habit of sleep during the day, and wakefulness in the evening, the night until the morning. The scientific publications are talking about the so-called. Diabolical circle.
Risk factors for insomnia
Risk factors understand the conditions and incentives leading to insomnia, ie. Inadequate sleepenvironment including noise (ticking clock and other electronics in the bedroom), odor, heat, cold, inadequate bedding or bed (eg. Hard or too soft mattress).
Furthermore, the use of stimulating drinks such as coffee, energy drinks and alcohol shortly before bedtime, smoking and consumption of other addictive (particularly stimulants) substances.
Also, dispute resolution and stressful issues before scheduled bedtime and increased activity or sport less than 5 hours before bedtime can disrupt the process of falling asleep and sleep.
Also pospávání during the day and stay in bed when the normally do not sleep or even do not seek, we can form a habit, when you lie down and no longer associate with the times, usually when we go to sleep and a place to sleep normally.
Preventing insomnia
As has been mentioned several times, it is especially important sleep hygiene, solve all risk factors for sleep and timely solutions to problems encountered already sleeping. Generally, the more problems procrastinate, the more a nuisance and may be harder to solve, or are already unable to find where the topic is coming from.
Signs and symptoms of insomnia
Dominating symptoms of insomnia is prolonged sleep latency, disrupted sleep and waking up early. Sometimes the patient waking up during the night to remember, however, may be increasingly tired, difficult to wake up in the morning, do not feel recovered after a sufficiently long period of stay in bed during the day and is generally less efficient.
treatment of insomnia
Proper treatment would primarily be focused on the regime measures, which includes training of sleep hygiene and the treatment of the underlying cause, which we are trying to remove, which means actively searching for other diseases that may be causing insomnia without it even sick realized.
Sleep hygiene involves a few simple rules – avoid lying down to bed early, therefore, to the time when we feel really tired and usually when we go to sleep (it is appropriate to set hour of bedtime, and here every day to follow).
It should pay strict ban on sleep during the day, which is usually a series of patients fairly common habit. If we are unable to fall asleep, we can try some simple activities and again return to bed and try to sleep. The bed should only be used for sleep, we have formed a habit.
From the menu discarded alcohol, coffee, black or green tea, too energy drinks (sodas, juices) and foods, mostly in the afternoon and late evening. Restrictions on smoking also helps. Also, sports and other physically or mentally demanding activities, we have approximately five hours before bedtime to limit or omit.
During the day we should have reasonable physical activity. We should learn to manage stress, both at work and in private (there are a number of freely available courses or books), or him try to limit (to employ other family members eg. In the care of children, siblings, grandparents, etc., Leave too stressful job or if we have more occupations, keep one and to fully concentrate).
The standard treatment is a step in the bedroom in the sense of isolation, silence, peace, creation of facilities and safety.
If the training does not help sleep hygiene and create your own sleep rituals, such as reading books at bedtime approaches to pharmacological treatment. This includes administration of drugs from the group of. Hypnotics (benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine), if part of the problems and anxiety administered anxiolytic (anti-anxiety silencing).
Circadian rhythm disorders (alternating disorder of sleep and wakefulness) is solved by administering melatonin, a hormone naturally produced by the body and normally sleep inducing (usually used when traveling by plane).
How can I help myself
You can help in several ways. First, compliance, and training of sleep hygiene and avoiding risk factors including avoiding excessive stress and problems at work or family.
Additionally, it may try to induce sleep using a variety of teas, which are widely available in pharmacies, drug stores and supermarkets. Such teas or tea mixtures usually contain lemon balm, valerian and hops rotating. There are also drops or tablets with these herbs. Some patients look very favorably.
complications of insomnia
The main complication is mainly fatigue and insomnia mental problems which logically entails. Of Fatigue is a source of accidents during the day, whether car, job or other, decreased concentrationand ability to learn.
Fear of inability to fall asleep in the affected causes ever-increasing anxiety, the result is then a patient can cope with depression.
Other names: insomnia, sleep disorder and sleep continuity, sleep disorder