Insomnia: What Is It and Can Medications Help?
Insomnia is often used to describe difficulty sleeping, however, there is far more to it than that. Having difficulty sleeping is not an uncommon experience for most people. While it is unwelcome and can result in a difficult following day, the occasional night of poor sleep rarely has lasting effects. Chronically not getting the rest you need can and will have consequences. The more you know about insomnia, the better able you are to get help when you need it.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is more chronic in nature than the occasional missed night of sleep. This refers to when you aren’t getting enough sleep, your sleep isn’t restorative or you frequently wake up throughout the night. Not getting the sleep you need can cause a variety of physical and mental health concerns.
Insomnia can lead to feeling tired, delayed reflexes, memory issues and irritability. In more extreme cases it can lead to heart disease, weight gain and even suppress your immune system. The long and short of it is, you need to get quality sleep.
Symptoms of Insomnia
According to Cleveland Clinic symptoms of insomnia fall into three categories;
- When you have trouble sleeping, for example having trouble falling asleep, waking frequently through the night and/or waking up earlier than you would like and being unable to fall back asleep.
- Daytime Effects such as feeling tired, delayed responses, difficulty with memory, slowed through processes, confusion, difficulty concentrating, mood changes and generally not functioning at your best.
- Chronic insomnia characteristics which include inability to sleep despite obvious deterrents such as loud sleeping environments or drastic schedule changes. Insomnia must also occur at least three times per week for a duration of at least three months to be diagnosed.
How Can You Treat Insomnia?
If you are experiencing insomnia it is important to get treatment so that you can begin getting the sleep you need. Developing healthier sleep habits can help, though this can be complicated to do on your own. Therapy can be an effective way to address what is keeping you up at night and find resolution. It can also help you to develop healthier habits to improve your sleep.
While therapy can be effective, it takes time. Psychiatric medication management in conjunction with therapy can help you to see improvement much quicker. A psychiatric professional can take a look at what is keeping you up at night and make recommendations for what can help you get to sleep and stay asleep in order to get quality rest.
Carolina Counseling Services in Pittsboro, North Carolina contracts with skilled psychiatric professionals and licensed therapists. Start getting the comprehensive care you need and deserve so you can get some rest. Call now to schedule your first appointment!