Insomnia – Causes and Treatment
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services approximately 64 million Americans regularly suffer from insomnia each year.
What is Insomnia?
It’s a complicated condition. It is defined as disrupted sleep, or difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep, even when one has the chance to do so. It sounds so simple. Yet for those who suffer from it, not so much. Insomnia is categorized by its duration.
Two Types of Insomnia
1. Transient Insomnia (also called Transient or Acute Insomnia)
This form of insomnia is brief and happens when life circumstances press us, even happy ones. For example, a big interview tomorrow, or bad news today, can keep us awake. It can be difficult to “not be able to turn off our minds” and to toss and turn for a long time before we find rest. Many people have experienced this kind of problem sleeping, and it passes with no treatment once our life circumstances resolve.
2. Chronic Insomnia
While occasional restless nights are often normal, prolonged issues are not. If you are having problems sleeping at least three nights per week over at least three months, it is considered chronic. It can interfere with daytime function, and may impair concentration, diminish memory, and increase the risk of chemical abuse, motor vehicle accidents, headaches, and depression
Symptoms
Ironically, we can have insomnia even when we think we are sleeping well! There are signs that you are suffering and should seek treatment. Disrupted sleep is the key, but also look for symptoms of “silent insomnia”.
Silent Insomnia – Signs to Look For:
- Not feeling refreshed after sleep.
- Inability to sleep despite being tired.
- Daytime drowsiness, fatigue and irritability, difficulty concentrating, and impaired ability to perform normal activities
Causes
Chronic insomnia is occasionally a symptom of an underlying medical or psychological condition, but it may also be caused by lifestyle choices.
About 50% of cases have no identifiable cause.
Some conditions or situations that may lead to insomnia include:
- Substance abuse, whether of recreational drugs, alcohol, tobacco or caffeine.
- Prescription medications.
- Disruption of circadian rhythms
- Menopause and perimenopause
- Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle
- Pregnancy
- Advanced age
- Medical conditions
- Psychiatric and neurological conditions
- Excessive computer work, or other electronics use.
- Partners with sleep problems, snoring, late TV habits, etc.
Treatment
Personalized Treatment Approach for Insomnia
At Regenerative Health Clinic, our emphasis on dealing with insomnia is similar to all our holistic and integrative work: our focus is on correcting the root cause of the problem while treating the symptom to provide relief to the patient while their system regulates to a healthier normal.
Insomnia Treatment Without the Use of Sleeping Pills
Insomnia may be caused by various lifestyle factors and hence treatment should be based on correcting behaviors, pattern,s or factors that are causing the sleeping disorder so that sleep maybe restored naturally without the use and dependency of addictive sleeping pills.
Natural Remedies
Once we determine what is causing the insomnia, we treat and prevent it with various natural modalities. Our approach to the treatment of insomnia may include some or all of the following:
Nutrition and a Personalized Diet
Quite often an inadequate intake / deficiency of certain nutrients and proteins may affect the quality of sleep. The type of proteins you take in also can affect your sleep.
Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has historically used a full menu of treatments to deal with insomnia, including herbal remedies, acupuncture, and Qigong. Through a complex series of signals to the brain, acupuncture increases the amount of calming substances in the brain, such as serotonin, which promote relaxation and sleep.
Herbs, Homeopathy and Individually Targeted Supplements
- Magnesium
- Chamomile
- Homeopathic Passiflora Incarnata
- L-tryptophan
Various dietary supplements, herbs, herbal teas and homeopathic medicines are used short term to treat insomnia. Your precise needs will be found and treatment refined to your unique circumstances.
Opus 23 Genetic Testing
OPUS23 takes the genetic data supplied by 23andMe and turns it into clinically meaningful information which is used to determine if you have a genetic predisposition to insomnia. One SNP we especially look for in our testing is CLOCK (Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput). It can determine how your unique self approaches sleep.
By Dr. Maria Zangara ND, L.Ac, MIFHI
For more information about the treatments and therapies described in this article, please visit our Services and Therapies pages.
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