Ignoring Chronic Insomnia At Your Your Risk

Insomnia is health problem and it has three types. Intermittent insomnia happens when the person experiences on and off sleeping disturbances. Transient insomnia occurs when it lasts for less than a week. Acute insomnia happens when it last for less than a month. Chronic insomnia is when a person’s difficulty falling asleep lasts for more than a month or so.

Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia is the most alarming type of insomnia for the reason that it is more complex than acute transient insomnia and requires a more directed approach in relation to its identification, etiology and treatment.

Insomnia is indeed a symptom and not a diagnosis. Thus, it is very important for a person to seek for help from a qualified health care provider so that the cause of the insomnia, primarily the chronic type, can be determined — not just instinctively treat the person with sedative-hypnotic medications or those home insomnia remedies.

About the Etiology

It is very important to understand and know the etiology of chronic insomnia, from which a suitable intervention can be rendered. Chronic insomnia may have something to do with the effect of prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as beta-adrenergic blockers, thyroid preparations, corticosteroids, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, methyldopa (Aldomet), phenytoin (Dilantin) and some chemotherapeutic agents.

Also it may be an indication of a psychiatric illness, like depression. Sleep-related breathing disorders, like apnea, could also be the cause. Movement-related disorders, such as restless leg syndrome, is another etiology.

Other medical conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peptic ulcer disease, prostatic hypertrophy, which can result in overflow incontinence, and congestive heart failure with dyspnea and frequent bouts of disturbed sleeping patterns may also be interpreted as insomnia. Another etiology is the circadian rhythm disorder, which is also commonly known as the sleep-wake rhythm disorder.

There are two common types of circadian rhythm disorders: the advanced sleep-phase syndrome, which is early bedtime and early awakening, and the delayed sleep-phase syndrome, which is at late bedtime and late awakening.

The advanced sleep-phase syndrome can be corrected through exposing the insomniac to bright light for two hours during the evening, which may shift the body’s circadian timing mechanism as well as delay the onset of sleep until a typical bedtime hour. On the other hand, the delayed sleep-phase syndrome can be treated by exposing the person to bright light in the morning.

Treating Chronic Insomnia

Treatment for chronic insomnia could be following the usual sleep hygiene tips, behavioral therapy, and drug therapy, of course, with the prescription of the doctor.

When Left Untreated

So what happens if chronic insomnia remains untreated? Ignoring chronic insomnia at your risk? This could lead to further medical and more serious disturbances. A person is at risk for accidents, in particular, certain psychiatric problems, as well as other possibly terminal health conditions. A person experiencing chronic insomnia should combat it by first consulting with qualified health care providers so he or she will not put his or her health in jeopardy.