Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by having trouble sleeping and/or staying asleep [1]. People with insomnia may spend hours rolling around in bed before falling asleep, or wake up in the middle of night wide awake.
Insomnia comes in two forms:
It’s important not to confuse natural sleep cycles with insomnia – some people naturally go to bed earlier, some people naturally go to bed later. Insomnia is characterized by the following symptoms that interfere with natural function:
The best way to determine the severity of insomnia and begin the process of recovery from insomnia are to get a sleep study. Untreated long term insomnia can have physical, mental, and or mood effects that range from minor to life-interfering.
Though discussions about insomnia and lack of sleep tend to focus on the mental/emotional effects, chronic and acute insomnia have significant effects on our daily physical functioning:
In short, not getting enough sleep can deteriorate just about everything you do. You are still you, just a lower-performing, tired, version of your normal self.
Untreated chronic insomnia does not just affect daily physical function, but it can also increase your risk for, or increate the severity, medical conditions such as:
The physical effects of insomnia are very real and can be truly debilitating, greatly affecting work, athletics, play, relationships, and other aspects of physical health.
Insomnia greatly effects mental health and performance. We’ve all felt tired, and we all know how much feeling tired affects us by [WebMD]:
Sleep deprivation caused by insomnia lowers your ability to learn and perform. Insomnia can cripple your ability to perform in jobs that require a high degree of technical skill or focus. It can impair relationships and social interactions by reducing your ability to listen or have a coherent discussion.
Insomnia has long-term mood effects as well. Over time, limited sleep has a strong tendency to make you susceptible to:
What these effects amount to in real life is that people with chronic insomnia can tend have two emotional gears: high and low. They may lash out or overact, be “on edge” all the time, or make risky or reckless decisions (not necessarily on purpose). Depression and anxiety are particularly insidious as they can perpetuate insomnia.
Breaking the cycle of insomnia will sometimes happen naturally, such as in the case of acute insomnia when the cause of your insomnia is removed from your life – i.e., you change jobs, time passes after death/divorce, etc.
However, individuals with chronic insomnia may need to seek the help of sleep specialists. Undergoing a sleep study is a fantastic place to start, as it gives you a chance to:
If you would like a consultation for insomnia symptoms, then please click the blue button below to talk with one of our sleep health professionals.