Have you ever laid in bed awake for hours, feeling so tired but you can’t just seem to fall asleep? Or maybe you woke up in the middle of the night and had trouble going back to sleep?
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.
Insomnia is one of the most common sleeping disorders there is, affecting everyone at least once in their lifetimes.
1. There Are Mainly 3 Types of Insomnia
- Transient or Short-term insomnia, generally lasts for less than a week, caused by stress, a bad sleeping environment, medication, changes to sleep habits, jetlag, and other factors.
- Acute insomnia, lasting anywhere between one to four weeks, is also caused by stress, a bad sleeping environment, medication, changes to sleep habits, jetlag, and other factors.
- Chronic insomnia, lasts more than a month, caused by the above factors along with chronic and mental diseases including anxiety, sleep apnea, and depression.
2. Commonly Found Symptoms
A person with insomnia will likely experience several symptoms outside of being unable to sleep, such as:
- Inability to concentrate
- Not feeling well-rested even after being able to sleep
- Mood swings and fluctuations
- Feeling of fatigue throughout the day
3. Who Are Most At Risk?
Numerous factors can cause you to be more susceptible to insomnia and other sleeping disorders. These include:
- Living an unhealthy lifestyle: studies found that your lifestyle choice greatly influences your sleeping quality. If you like to smoke, drink coffee in the afternoon, eat junk food, or even exercising too close to bedtime you’re more likely to experience insomnia.
- Age: those aged 65 or above are more at risk of insomnia. The reasons range from chronic diseases, medication, to age-related body changes.
- Gender: on average, more women are affected by insomnia and other sleeping problems than men according to research. This is tied mostly to hormonal changes stemming from things like pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, etc.
How Do I Treat Insomnia?
Short-term insomnia is fairly easy to cure. You just need to make small changes to your habits and you should be sleeping like a baby in no time!
- Do not ingest alcohol or caffeine near your sleeping time as these are considered stimulants.
- Avoid stressful activities before bed such as working or studying.
- Don’t exercise close to your bedtime.
- Do not look at your phone or other electronics before going to sleep; read a book instead.
- Optimize your sleeping environment; a cool and dark place is ideal for a good night’s rest.
- Manage stress throughout the day by listening to music, exercising, reading, or meditating.
If you are experiencing insomnia for more than a week, you should seek professional advice. Doctors would then recommend the appropriate therapy or medication to help fix your condition.
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