Do I Have Acute Insomnia?
Insomnia does not affect every person who suffers from it the same or even in to the same degree; being a disorder that is loss of sleep it can be considered an acute disorder in some patients. There are two main types of insomnia, acute insomnia and chronic insomnia; with acute insomnia research has shown that approximately 10% of the population that suffer from insomnia has been diagnosed with acute insomnia. In some cases it is a disorder that can be caused by other illnesses or diseases, including mental disorders.
Acute insomnia can be short or long in duration and it is often caused by external factors such as stress either at home or at work, this can include changing jobs and beginning a new one. Personal factors such as divorce or the death of a loved one and a change in residence can be the cause of acute insomnia. Acute insomnia can develop for other reasons such as depression, anxiety or pain. It can also be developed due to other things that will interrupt sleep such as noise and light, and some medication can be a factor. Medications that are prescribed for illness like high blood pressure, along with allergies or asthma can have side effects that can be loss of sleep.
Acute insomnia can be diagnosed and the underlying problem found and when the insomniac deals with the underlying problem this often relieves them of their sleep loss. In other cases where it is cause by an external factor rather than a medical factor there are many options that can be approached to find the correct one.
Once the reason that is contributing to the loss of sleep is found some of the treatment choices can be relaxation techniques along with other behavioral techniques such as avoiding napping during the daylight hours, avoiding caffeine several hours within the time set for sleep. There is also setting a time each night for sleep and a set time to awake in the morning. Often by putting a routine into place along with other techniques or even medication can help to alleviate chronic insomnia.
One thing that is agreed upon by medical professionals is that with chronic insomnia over the counter medications should be avoided. While they may help with sleep it can be of short duration or they can loose the ability over time to loose the ability to assist the insomniac in sleeping. Someone suffering from insomnia should be properly diagnosed and should find the proper treatment. Self medicating with over the counter medications can be dangerous in the respect that the person suffering from insomnia can have underlying reasons that they are at a loss for nightly sleep.
When chronic insomnia is correctly diagnosed along with any underlying contributors then a plan can be put into place to begin a regiment to enable nightly sleep. Whether traditional or an alternative treatment is used the important factor is for the patient suffering from insomnia begins to have restful nights. In some cases therapies other than traditional medications can have an acceptable affect on the person suffering from insomnia.
