Sleep is very important and many people take it for granted. They stay up late, get up early, sacrifice a full night’s sleep, all of which has serious consequences. Lack of sleep can affect physical and mental health, causing problems in personal and professional life. Some people sacrifice sleep; however, others want to but are unable to sleep. This is due to sleeping disorders like insomnia.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is characterized by the inability to sleep for two weeks or more. Patients can experience it in two or three different ways and for a variety of reasons. Both can cause health problems because patents aren’t able to complete the entire sleep cycle. Untreated insomnia can be fatal because lack of concentration and focus can cause accidents. Some patients develop other mental disorders because of insomnia like depression and anxiety, this can lead to attempted suicide.
Different insomnia experiences
Patients suffering from insomnia experience different sleep problems. They can experience all three of them on the same night. Here’s a look at how insomnia can affect a person:
- Difficulty falling asleep – Patients have time to sleep and are in a comfortable environment, but they still can’t sleep. This can be due to intrusive thoughts, anxiety, worry, or it can happen for no reason at all. It can cause a lot of frustration and stress and make people experience fatigue during the daytime.
- Difficulty staying asleep – Some patients are able to fall asleep but experience an erratic cycle. They keep waking up throughout the night instead of enjoying continuous rest. Regular disruption can cause fatigue even if patients get 5 to 6 hours of sleep.
- Difficulty going back to sleep – Patients wake up in the middle of the night and fail to go back to They stay awake for long stretches of time and are unable to complete their full sleep cycle. Even if their sleep was restful before they woke up, they will be exhausted.
Types of insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most common sleeping disorders, almost everyone has experienced it once in their life. People can experience it in one of two ways based on the duration and they are:
- Acute – Acute insomnia is brief and happens during high-stress situations. Students appearing for exams, professionals before interviews, couples before their wedding day, etc, will experience sleeplessness. This doesn’t last long and doesn’t require professional treatment.
- Chronic – Chronic insomnia doesn’t resolve itself and can last for months at a time. If a patient can’t sleep on three nights a week for three weeks, they have chronic insomnia. This can happen because of changes in the environment, unhealthy sleep habits, medical conditions, etc. It’s advisable to seek treatment.
Sleep is valuable so if a patient is experiencing insomnia, they should see medical assistance quickly. CBT Toronto is a healthy and effective option, helping people get back into their regular sleep cycle. This therapy is the most effective non-pharmacological treatment for insomnia available today, a conclusion scientists have reached after nearly 20 years of research.