Advertisement

Thursday 6 March 2014

INSOMNIA

Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying unslept despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not .1 .land-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia In difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both and it rimy be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. It is lyplciilly followed by functional impairment while awake. It iminiacs have been known to complain about being unable lo Hose their eyes or rest their mind for more than a few NilnuUs at a time. Both organic and non-organic insomnia iniitllliite a sleep disorder.

TYPES OF INSOMNIA


All though there are several different degrees of insomnia, symptoms of insomnia have been clearly identified: It can be  by cinotliur disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, severe depression, or by stress. Its consequences - sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance - are similar to those of sleep deprivation. Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Chronic insomnia lasts for years at a time. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. Its effects can vary according to its causes. They might include sleepiness, muscular fatigue, hallucinations, and/or mental fatigue but people with chronic insomnia often show increased alertness. Some people that live with this disorder see things as though they were happening in slow motion, whereas moving objects seem to blend together. Can cause double vision.

Pattern of Insomnia


The pattern of insomnia often is related to the etiology. Onset insomnia - difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night, often associated with anxiety disorders.

Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia - Insomnia characterized by difficulty returning to sleep after awakening in the middle of the night or waking too early in the morning. Also referred to as nocturnal awakenings. Encompasses middle and terminal insomnia.

Middle insomnia - waking during the middle of the night, difficulty maintaining sleep. Often associated with pain disorders or medical illness.

Terminal (or late) insomnia - early morning waking. Characteristic of clinical depression.

INSOMNIA VERSUS POOR SLEEP QUALITY


Poor sleep quality can occur as a result of sleep apnea or clinical depression. Poor sleep quality is caused by the individual not reaching stage 4 or delta sleep which has restorative properties. There are, however, people who are unable to achieve stage 4 sleep due to brain damage who lead perfectly normal lives Sleep apnea is a condition that occurs when a sleeping persons breathing is interrupted, thus interrupting the normal sleep cycle. With the obstructive form of the condition, some part of the sleepers respiratory tract loses muscle tone and partially collapses. People with obstructive sleep apnea often do not remember awakening or having difficulty breathing, but they complain of excessive sleepiness during the day. Central sleep apnea interrupts the normal breathing stimulus of the central nervous system, and the individual must actually wake up to resume breathing. This form of apnea is often related to a cerebral vascular condition, congestive heart failure, and premature aging. Major depression leads to alterations in the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, causing excessive release of cortisol which can lead to poor sleep quality.
Nocturnal polyuria, excessive nighttime urination, can be very disturbing to sleep.

No comments:

Post a Comment