What you should know about each type of insomnia
Insomnia is a condition that can manifest in many different ways.
It’s not necessary to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning to suffer from insomnia. Sleep disorders can be characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Here’s what you need to know about seven types of insomnia:
General Insomnia
General insomnia is the classification of sleep disorders where a person experiences difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up early.
Primary and secondary disorders can be either chronic or short-term. Primary insomnia occurs independently of other conditions. Secondary insomnia, also known as comorbid insomnia, occurs in conjunction with another condition. Anxiety can cause sleep disorder. Both anxiety and sleep disorder. are difficult to manage.
In the United States, sleep disorder affects about one-third of all people. Insomnia is the most common sleeping disorder in the US. 2
Other factors that contribute to insomnia include:
- Stress
- Losing someone you love
- Jet lag
- Shift work
- Poor sleeping conditions (noise and light, temperature, poor sleeping surfaces)
The development of sleep disorder. and anxiety is closely related.
Adjustment Insomnia
The cause of the adjustment Insomnia is usually a particular source of stress. This is a primary form of insomnia. It’s also known as acute insomnia. It is usually short-term and lasts for a few days to a couple of weeks. About 15% to 20% of people experience this type of insomnia each year, and it is more common among older adults. 4
Sleep problems resolve themselves when you have adapted to stress or the source has been removed. Stress does not always come from negative experiences. You may be too excited by something positive, like a pregnancy or a new job, to go to sleep.
Nevertheless, chronic insomnia can develop from adjustment insomnia. You should consult a sleep specialist if you have been unable to sleep for more than three months.
Children with behavioral insomnia
The sleeping habits of children change dramatically as they grow. As children grow, their sleep patterns change dramatically.
These changes are known by the term behavioral insomnia of childhood” (BIC). Sleep disturbances can occur in 30% of children. There are three types of insomnia:
- Sleep onset associations type: difficulty falling asleep or returning to sleep when awakened without certain conditions For example, having a parent present or needing to use a blanket that you like to fall asleep
- Limit setting type: A child is refusing to sleep and tries to delay bedtime by asking to drink a beverage or go to the toilet.
- Mixed Type: Behaviors from other subtypes combined
BIC can be managed with a sleep schedule that includes a specific bedtime and a relaxing routine.
Psychophysiological Insomnia
It can be caused by excessive anxiety and worry that is focused on the inability to sleep. This type of sleep disorder can be treated by sleeping in a different place than your bed. 6
When you worry about sleep, it is difficult to accomplish anything. Sleep disorders can cause:
- As bedtime approaches, you may feel tense or anxious.
- Negative associations with rest
It can be difficult to manage, but it is possible to improve with time.
Treatment of psychophysiological insomnia may include sedative antidepressants and sedative-hypnotic drugs, as well as behavioral therapy. 2 8
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Paradoxical Insomnia
Paradoxical insomnia is a form of primary insomnia in which people who report severe insomnia do not show signs of sleep disruption or have difficulty functioning during the day.
People who suffer from this disorder report sleeping little or nothing for one or several nights. The disorder is also characterize by an intense awareness of external or internal processes.
9 One of the key features is that they overestimate how long it takes to fall asleep.
Insomnia due to a medical condition
Secondary insomnia can caused by a neurological or medical disorder. Insomnia is one of the symptoms.
- Chronic Pain
- Cancer
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Thyroid problems
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
The severity and course of sleep disorder. are directly related to the medical condition. If insomnia is severe, it will treated.
You should consult a doctor if you suspect that your insomnia could caused by another medical condition.
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Insomnia due to a drug or substance
Secondary insomnia is when sleep patterns are disrupt by substances such as caffeine, alcohol, food, or medications.
Sleep problems can caused by food or other substances. This is because they stay in your system for a long time, especially if you consume a lot.
You should aware that sleep disorder. can occur even if you stop taking the substance or eating it. It may be wise to consult a doctor to find out the best way to reduce or stop taking the substance.
