People who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep,
or those who experience poor quality sleep, often are said to
suffer from “insomnia.” Occasional insomnia affects
between 36% and 56% of the adult population. Chronic, ongoing
problems with insomnia affect between 9% and 17% of the adult
population. People who suffer from insomnia are most likely
to be older, and women are more likely to report this problem
than men.
People with insomnia commonly report one or more of
the following problems:
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Difficulty falling asleep (usually taking
30 minutes or more to fall asleep at night) |
| • |
Multiple brief awakenings (sleep fragmentation) |
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Long awakenings (awakenings with difficulty returning
back to sleep) |
| • |
Early morning awakenings (awakening shortly before your
desired time) |
| • |
Short sleep time (usually getting 6 hours of sleep or
less) |
| • |
Poor quality sleep |
Until recently, insomnia was not considered a significant
healthcare problem. However, we now know that insomnia is
associated with a number of health concerns that warrant the
attention of professionals. Insomnia is associated with impairments
in attention, concentration, and memory; impaired quality
of life; poor performance in work and school settings; increased
risk of accidents and injuries due to fatigue; higher rates
of alcohol and substance abuse; higher rates of depression;
and more visits to the doctor.
The treatment of insomnia is varied, and can involve the use
of medication or certain “non-drug” approaches.
There are a number of prescription medications for insomnia
that are both effective and safe, and which are not associated
with the risk of dependence. Fears of being “hooked”
on sleep medication that accompanies the use of older classes
of medications are unfounded with newer sleep aids. People
with insomnia actually take greater risks when they fail to
pursue adequate medical treatment. Non-drug or behavioral
treatments are available and have been show to be effective
alternatives to medication therapy. These treatments, while
challenging to many, may offer significant relief.
Most people with insomnia do not require overnight evaluation
in the sleep laboratory for their problems. Treatment success
usually is achieved by working closely with your regular doctor.
However, those who have chronic problems that don’t
get better with conventional medications or therapies may
be referred to a sleep center for testing. Approximately one
in 10 people with insomnia have an underlying sleep disorder
such as RLS, PLMD, or sleep apnea.
For information about insomnia, speak to your doctor. Additional
information may be found at www.clinilabs.com,
and patient information brochures may be obtained by calling
212-994-5100.
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