First, know about Insomnia:
Insomnia is among the most common sleep disorders that makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep. People with this condition might also find it hard to stay asleep or find themselves waking up early and unable to get back to sleep. They might also feel tired after waking up as insomnia can cause such energy and have adverse effects on working performance, health, and quality of life.
According to the APA (American psychiatric association), insomnia is the most common of all sleep disorders, as nearly one-third of the adults report experiencing insomnia symptoms. Around 6 to 10% of all adults experience symptoms severe enough to get an insomnia disorder diagnosis.
The CDC (centers for disease control and prevention) states that adults require at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
Though symptoms of insomnia are widespread, doctors only make a clinical diagnosis for this condition if they fulfill the following criteria:
Sleeping problems have been occurring for at least three nights a week for the last three months.
The problem in sleeping is causing significant distress or difficulties in the daily functioning of life.
Insomnia can be the main problem, or it might be a result of another condition. Chronic insomnia usually develops because of stress, life events, or behavior that disrupts sleep. Doctors generally treat the underlying causes to get rid of insomnia, but sometimes it can take significantly longer for this condition to disappear.
Some people may need to go through an overnight sleep study to make sure if they have insomnia. This type of research usually involves assessment tools, including a polysomnogram and various sleep latency tests. The sleep specialist carefully determines what sort of problem an individual is having, as people with other disorders, including delayed sleep phase disorder, often get misdiagnosed with primary insomnia.
In most cases, insomnia is a result of another disease or a side effect of some medication or a psychological problem. Almost half of the diagnosed insomnia cases are related to psychiatric disorders. However, determining the cause is not necessary for a diagnosis.
