Chronic Insomnia Causes & Treatments

Chronic insomnia is not the transitory type that most will experience at some points in their lives on occasion. With transitory insomnia the cause may be a life event, travel to a new location or environmental problem such as early morning construction in the neighborhood.

Cure Insomnia Stop Daytime Tiredness and Sleepiness with a Good Night's Sleep

Transitory insomnia (less than 4 weeks in duration) may even be caused by an uncomfortable bed, too much light in the bedroom, an injury, jet lag, shift change, circadian rhythm disorders or disrupted sleep schedule.

Transitory insomnia is usually easy to fix and does not need treatments. For instance, the purchase of a more comfortable bed, a white noise machine to mask extraneous sounds or the passing of the life event may be enough to cure the occasional sleepless night.

Chronic insomnia (over 4 weeks in duration), however, is more pervasive in that it lasts longer, is more consistent and has longer term effects that the transitory type. With chronic insomnia, counting sheep won't help you sleep. The mind races or there is excessive chatter. A person may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or will wake up too early. The person may even have restless sleep not accounted for by other sleep disorders such as night terror, restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea.

The causes for chronic insomnia are many and so are the treatments. Some other causes for chronic insomnia include psychiatric and emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder. Use of illicit drugs such as LSD, methamphetamines, cocaine or heroin can cause chronic insomnia.

There are also many common medical conditions tied to chronic insomnia. Medical conditions such as bursitis, arthritis, fibromyalgia, menopause, acid reflux, congestive heart failure, pulmonary disease, peptic ulcers, allergies and seizure disorders can all cause chronic insomnia.

Treatment of chronic insomnia involves first diagnosing the underlying cause. Many doctors recommend a sleep diary be keep for two weeks to see if sleep hygiene or environmental causes are at work. Behavioral interventions such as exercise and a healthier diet may be a first step.

Other insomnia treatments may involve general health medications, pain medications, psychotherapeutic counseling, psychoactive drugs or rehabilitation from a drug or alcohol addiction. Some unconventional insomnia treatments include holistic approaches such as yoga, meditation and acupuncture.

Traditional treatment for chronic insomnia most often will involve some sort of drug therapy. When engaging in drug therapy for insomnia treatment, the lowest effective dose should be identified and utilized. Drugs such as zolpidem (Ambien), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Desyrel (Trazodone) or eszopiclone (Lunesta) may be prescribed. There are many other insomnia medications that can also be prescribed by one's doctor if some of the more common prescription drugs are not effective.

Chronic insomnia is a serious health hazard as sleeplessness can lead to automobile and industrial accidents, poor job performance, strained relationships with family and friends and immunological vulnerabilities.