The Various Types of Insomnia and Treatment Options
Sleep is an important component to our health and well-being. It stands to reason that if sleep is interrupted for any reason, that our life will be affected as well. Sleep deprivation can affect us in negative ways physically, mentally and emotionally. Because of this, it is important to pinpoint the reasons behind insomnia, so that the problem can be treated as quickly and effectively as possible. However, in order to treat insomnia issues properly, it is important to understand what the different types of insomnia are and exactly why they occur in the first place.
Primary vs. Secondary
The first distinction between the different types of insomnia is primary insomnia vs. secondary insomnia. Insomnia that is considered to be primary is a sleep problem that is not directly linked to another physical issue like depression, arthritis or cancer. This type of insomnia generally has a psychological cause, and must be treated by dealing with the underlying emotional issue. The second type of insomnia is known as secondary insomnia. This sleep disorder is directly related to a health condition, medication or substance that they are using - like alcohol. This type of insomnia is often treated by dealing with the health issue, switching medications or avoiding the substance that is identified as the culprit in the sleep disturbance.
Acute vs. Chronic
Another way of categorizing insomnia is by determining whether it is acute or chronic in nature. Acute insomnia is a sleep problem over the short term, which may mean a single night or a few weeks. This type of insomnia may be the result of a particular life event and often will resolve itself on its own within a short period of time. On the other hand, chronic insomnia goes on at least three nights a week for a month or longer. This is the type of insomnia that might be linked to a health problem or an ongoing stressful situation in life. This is the type of insomnia that is most likely to need your doctor's help in getting it under control.
The type of insomnia that you are suffering from can give your doctor clues as to what the cause of the insomnia is and what the best treatment plan will be. If you are unsure of what type of insomnia you are experiencing, you can keep a sleep journal for a few weeks that will track which nights you had trouble sleeping and what you might attribute to the problem. A journal like this can help your doctor to determine what type of insomnia you have so that he can offer an accurate diagnosis and an effective treatment.
