Chronic Insomnia
Chronic Insomnia is a serious type of Insomnia which lasts for longer period of time and most often people with this disorder will not be able to sleep for many days. In other words, chronic insomnia is best defined as the subjective experience of an inadequate quantity or quality of sleep that has persisted for at least one month. This disorder is caused due to stress, anxiety, depression, medications, disease, pain, sleep disorders or poor sleep habits. Chronic insomnia requires a lot of physical examination, alteration normal living styles, and perhaps psychotherapy to identify the underlying cause.
Chronic insomnia is a severe problem than other types of insomnia (transient, intermittent), requiring a more directed approach to its identification, etiology and treatment. After establishing the chronicity of the complaint, a differential assessment of this disorder can be made on the basis of whether the patient has difficulty staying asleep as opposed to difficulty falling asleep
Chronic Insomnia is generally managed by attempting to identify and treat any underlying causes. There is obviously more than one cause of insomnia, but those causes may be difficult to identify. It needs holistic management rather than a simple treatment. Health Care professionals can help and guide, but the patient is the one who should manage the condition. At first, it is important to treat the underlying physical or mental disorder. There are many treatments available for this problem such as modifying life style habits; creating a correct environment for sleeping; mild aerobics exercises; snacks before bedtime containing tryptophan found in milk, bananas, figs, dates and tuna; avoiding foods containing tyramine and medically supervised drug therapy. Some other treatment options include relaxation therapy, hypnotism, yoga, meditation, music and aromatherapy, recondition therapy, and sleep restriction therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy, which seeks to correct the perception of the patient of inadequate sleep.
If chronic insomnia is not managed correctly, it can lead to many serious consequences. Driving and handling machinery becomes dangerous, as sluggishness and dizziness are commonly found among insomniacs. Patients with this disorder normally experience problems at work because of poor performance, low energy level and lack of concentration. Apart from this, they experience problems with family and friends, as irritability make the patient flare up for no reason. In many cases, it is unclear whether chronic insomnia is a symptom of some physical or psychological condition or if it is a primary disorder of its own. Sometimes, a collaboration of psychological and physical conditions also causes the failure to sleep.
Insomnia Relief Techniques
There are some tips for insomnia relief that may work for you such as avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime. Don’t eat a heavy meal before going to bed as this may keep you awake also. Another technique is to exercise regularly, and try going to bed at the same time each day, without taking a nap in the afternoon. Ensure that the bed you are sleeping is comfortable, and that the room is relatively dark and quiet. All these things can bring insomnia relief and possibly allow you to have good night’s sleep.