Causes and Treatment of Insomnia
You can set four causes of insomnia:
* Physiological changes: aging produces changes in sleep pattern. In older people is often a reduction of hours and quality of sleep and increased daytime sleepiness.
* Lifestyle: the constant changes in schedule, either by labor issues or travel (jet lag) cause changes in circadian rhythm.
* Drugs: between drugs and substances that can disturb sleep include antihypertensives, anticholinergics, hormones, stimulants, steroids, antidepressants, bronchodilators, decongestants, antineoplastic agents, caffeine and levodopa.
* Physical or psychological pathologies: some diseases associated with insomnia:
* Cardiovascular: heart failure, left ventricular failure and cardiac arrhythmias.
* Pulmonary disorders: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma.
* Eating disorders (ED): anorexia nervosa.
* Endocrine disorders: thyroid dysfunction.
* Neurological disorders: headaches, Parkinson’s disease, lesions in the thalamus.
Reeducation dream is to improve sleep hygiene, control the stimuli that cause insomnia and regular schedules:
* Do not go to bed until sleepy.
* Do not watch TV, read or eat in bed.
* Minimum clearance from an hour between the last meal and bedtime.
* Avoid heavy meals.
* Remove the alcohol because, in spite of inducing sleep, early awakening occurs and reduces the total sleep time.
* Reduce caffeine and snuff.
* Practice exercise regularly, but not before bedtime.
* To improve environmental conditions, reduce noise and avoid extreme temperatures.
* Sleep restriction: shorten the bed to actual sleep time. Then goes forward to bedtime 15-30 minutes.
* Relaxation therapies.
* Establish a routine time to set the clock.
Drug therapy: Drugs used for treating insomnia symptoms or illnesses, physical or psychological, that originate it. In the first case hypnotics are administered at bedtime and the second anxiolytics, antidepressants or neuroleptics. The patient should not self-medicate in any case, as these substances can worsen their condition, generate resistance or addiction.
Treatment should be established by the physician, who will assess the need to manage under the origin and severity of the disorder. As for relaxation techniques are effective in reducing physiological hyperactivity insomniacs. In addition, psychotherapy can help the patient recognize their psychological conflicts or traumatic experiences.