INSOMNIA TREATMENT
Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep three or more times a week? Has this been a problem for three or more months? Are your sleep difficulties making it hard for you to function in your daily life?
According to the American Psychological Association, if you answered yes to these questions, you might have insomnia.
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders. With it comes many negative symptoms.
Symptoms of Insomnia
Individuals don’t have to experience all of the following symptoms to have insomnia, but many people find one leads to another. For example, insomnia can cause people to feel too tired, leading to irritability and mood changes.
If one doesn’t get a good night’s sleep, they may also find it hard to concentrate and stay focused on tasks. Clumsiness, forgetfulness, and the inability to fight off the common cold or flu are other symptoms. A weakened immune system makes one feel like as if they catch every illness that goes around, even with preventative measures.
Untreated insomnia can lead to unwanted physical and mental health effects.
Physical Effects of Insomnia
Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on the body. Many people experience higher blood pressure and weight gain, leading to diabetes, asthma, inflammation, heart disease, and stroke. Others report sensitivity to pain, weakness, and an immune system that cannot fight off infections.
Insomnia can make reactions slower, which can be dangerous when driving or working with machinery. There have been insomniacs who complain of having more accidents or wrecks. This happens because the mind is not refreshed during the night, as it cannot get restful, restorative sleep.
Mental Health Effects of Insomnia
Physical health is directly related to mental health. Someone with insomnia may start noticing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Because it can negatively affect memory and concentration, they may begin to feel confused and frustrated.
Further, judgment and decision-making skills are hindered, creating difficulties at work, school, home, and other responsibilities.
At the Mental Health Center, our staff of professionals know how to treat insomnia. We start by understanding the cause, which can vary among individuals.
Causes of Insomnia
There are temporary causes of insomnia, like after taking a flight to a different time zone and feeling the effects of jet lag. An upcoming project that is causing stress can also be a cause. Sometimes a small change in ones sleep routine, like having a late-night snack out of the ordinary, can affect how you sleep.
These are temporary, though, and will subside after having returned to the usual routine.
Persistent insomnia can cause significant problems for one’s health. That’s why we look for medical causes, like restless leg syndrome, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, sleep apnea, or more severe conditions like cancer.
We also take a look at the medications individuals take. Both prescribed and over-the-counter medications have side effects that may include insomnia.
Finally, we look at lifestyle factors related to the inability to sleep. For example, not being on a routine, lack of exercise, too much caffeine, and too much time online can lead to insomnia. Sleep environment is something we can help patients improve to overcome sleep disorders.
A person’s sleep environment and sleep habits are called “sleep hygiene.”
Together, we can create the perfect sleep hygiene for your lifestyle and your physical and mental health.
Sleep Hygiene
To create positive sleep hygiene, it helps to complete sleep-signaling activities at the same time each night.
Habits to form include brushing your teeth, turning off all electronics, taking a hot bath or shower, reading a book, journaling, laying out clothes for the next day, washing your face, turning off the lights, meditating, taking melatonin, and any other action performed before falling asleep.
Completing these habits in order and at the same time each night signals to the brain that it is time to slow down and prepare for sleep, starting with the first action. They become part of the circadian rhythm. When disrupted, develop anxiety, depression, or both can develop.
Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia
One can lead to the other. Insomnia can cause anxiety and depression, and anxiety and depression can cause insomnia. We understand the physical and mental effects can be devastating, and we work with you to create a treatment plan to eliminate depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other symptoms.
When left untreated, insomnia can become chronic, leading to more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Just thinking about the inability to sleep well can lead to anxiety and depression. Over time, individuals with insomnia find themselves in a vicious cycle, not knowing which condition needs the most attention.
We know that all three disorders need equal attention to ensure positive physical and mental health, leading to a good night’s sleep.
Insomnia Treatment
Little changes like committing to making difficult decisions only during the daytime, or talking on the phone with discouraging family and friends for ten minutes or less in the early morning, can improve sleep. Anything that causes you stress or anxiety should not be done close to bedtime.
Our licensed professionals are skilled in multiple trauma therapies to help those with anxiety related to past traumatic events.
For example, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing allows us to help you rewire your brain to overcome the trauma you experienced.
Lifestyle tips like these can be combined with cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and medicinal therapies. Our team may consider serotonin reuptake inhibitors when seeking medication to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Serotonin is a brain chemical that is deficient in those struggling with anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
If you are struggling with any of these issues, reach out to us today. We can start your evaluation and treatment planning online or in-person. Because we follow endorsed clinical guidelines and current and emerging therapies for diagnosing and treating insomnia, we are confident we can develop the right solution for you. In a short time, you will be feeling the benefits of restful sleep.