Insomnia and Sleep Disorders

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What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects a significant portion of the population. It is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving restful, restorative sleep. This can lead to daytime fatigue, irritability, and difficulty focusing. If you suspect you have insomnia, it's important to seek out the underlying causes and find appropriate treatment options, which may include a referral to a sleep clinic for diagnostic testing and potentially, medication. Don't let insomnia control your life, there are effective ways to manage it and sleep better.

What Is a Healthy Sleep Pattern?

A healthy sleep pattern is essential for maintaining overall well-being. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, but generally, the average adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. It's important to establish a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, to help regulate your body's internal clock. Additionally, a healthy sleep pattern involves falling asleep within 30 minutes, having relatively uninterrupted sleep, and allowing the body to cycle through the different stages of sleep, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. By achieving a healthy sleep pattern, the body and mind can fully restore and rejuvenate, leading to improved physical and mental health, increased energy, and better overall quality of life.

Why Do You Need sleep?

Sleep is an essential aspect of overall health and well-being. Adequate sleep is necessary for the proper functioning of the body and mind. Some of the key benefits of sleep include:

  • Supporting muscle and tissue repair and growth
  • Improving cardiovascular health by reducing the risk of high cholesterol and heart attack or stroke
  • Enhancing brain health by allowing the brain to clear away waste and metabolic products
  • Maintaining liver health by regulating liver metabolism and fat content
  • Increasing energy levels by allowing the body to renew and repair itself
  • Helping with weight management by regulating hormones that control appetite
  • Regulating hormone levels, including melatonin, growth hormone, cortisol, and leptin and ghrelin.

These benefits demonstrate the importance of getting enough sleep every night. A consistent, healthy sleep pattern is crucial for maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. It is recommended to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night and establish a consistent sleep schedule to ensure the body can fully restore and rejuvenate.

What Are the Symptoms of Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving restful, restorative sleep. Symptoms of insomnia may include:

  • Difficulty falling asleep at night
  • Waking up during the night or waking up too early
  • Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
  • Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
  • Irritability or difficulty with mood regulation
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks, or remembering things
  • Increased errors or accidents
  • Ongoing worries about sleep

If you're experiencing these symptoms on a regular basis, it may be a sign of insomnia and it's important to seek out the underlying causes and find appropriate treatment options. This may include a referral to a sleep clinic for diagnostic testing and potentially, medication. 

What are the Types of insomnia?

  • Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects a significant portion of the population. There are different types of insomnia, including:

  • Acute insomnia: This type of insomnia lasts for a short period of time, usually from one night to a few weeks. This can be caused by stress, jet lag, or other temporary factors.

  • Chronic insomnia: This type of insomnia consists of at least three nights a week with disturbed sleep lasting for three months or longer. This can be caused by underlying medical conditions, lifestyle factors, or medication side effects.

  • Primary insomnia: This type of insomnia is not linked to any other health condition or problem. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as poor sleep habits, stress, or anxiety.

  • Secondary insomnia: This type of insomnia is linked to another health condition, such as asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn, pain, medication or substance use (like alcohol or drugs).

What Are the Causes of insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of the most common causes of insomnia include:

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Environmental factors such as noise, light, or temperature
  • Irregular sleep schedule
  • Poor sleep habits
  • Changes to your sleep schedule, such as jet lag or a new shift at work
  • Genetics
  • Mental health conditions such as depression or PTSD
  • Certain medications, such as those for colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, or asthma
  • Pain or discomfort at night
  • Caffeine, tobacco, or substance use (drugs and alcohol)
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Hormone imbalances
  • Other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome (RLS)
  • Pregnancy
  • Alzheimer's disease, and other types of dementia
  • ADHD

How Is Insomnia Treated?

Conventional medicine treats insomnia using medication. If insomnia continues or seems more complicated, a patient may be sent to a sleep clinic. There are lifestyle changes that can help, such as quiet time without screens before bed, and making sure the bedroom is dark. Ananta Health works with the body to reduce physical and emotional stress, so that the root cause of the insomnia can be addressed. This process starts by assessing the patients’ history and testing with the BioScan SRT. It is important to screen for physical causes or contributors to stress such as candida, parasites, Lyme disease, post-viral syndrome, food sensitivities and allergies or poor diet, and environmental sensitivities need to be determined. Treatment will often include diet recommendations, lifestyle changes and supplements and herbs according to each patient’s needs. 

Can Acupuncture Help Treat Insomnia and Sleep Disorders?

Acupuncture is a holistic therapy that has been used for centuries to help treat a wide range of health conditions, including insomnia and sleep disorders. Acupuncture works by inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate the body's natural healing processes. Acupuncture can help regulate cortisol in the body, which can help to encourage a normal sleep cycle. Additionally, acupuncture can help relieve pain, regulate hormones, and calm anxiety and depression, which can all contribute to insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Acupuncture can help to improve the quality of sleep, increase the duration of sleep and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. The treatment can also help to reduce the symptoms of insomnia such as restlessness, waking up during the night, and feeling tired during the day.