What is insomnia?
On any given night in the United States, millions of people have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep, thanks to insomnia. While a third of the population deals with short bouts of insomnia, 10% are dealing with chronic insomnia and the disabling issues that result from not getting the sleep they need.
At its core, insomnia has three characteristics:
- The inability to fall asleep
- The inability to stay asleep
- The inability to fall back asleep once awake
These inabilities all add up to one thing: Not enough sleep, which can have a widespread effect on your day-to-day life.
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia can be caused by a host of mental and physical problems, including:
- Depression
- Disruptive sleep schedules
- Certain medications
- Stress or anxiety
- Sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome
- Age
- Poor eating habits in the evening
- Poor diet
- Medical conditions, such as acid reflux
Some of these underlying conditions cause only brief episodes of insomnia, while others last months, and even years. In these cases, insomnia can wreak havoc on your ability to function in your everyday life because of chronic sleep deprivation.
How is insomnia treated?
At Golden Gate Sleep Centers, Dr. Thakkar thoroughly reviews your symptoms, your medical history, and your current overall health. She may recommend that you undergo a sleep study, which provides crucial information about your sleep patterns.
Once she has a better understanding of the factors behind your insomnia, she can recommend a treatment plan that might include:
- Medications
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise
- Treatment of the underlying medical condition, such as acid reflux
- Relaxation techniques
- Strict sleep scheduling
If there isn’t a readily identifiable and treatable cause of your insomnia, which is often the case, Dr.Thakkar can tackle the problem from several different angles, using a combination of the treatments above.
All too often, insomnia can develop from one issue and snowball into a larger issue because of the way it wears down your physical and mental health. Dr. Thakkar’s goal is to reverse the cycle and gradually bring you back to healthy habits that lead to healthy sleep.
Don’t spend another night struggling with insomnia. Call Golden Gate Sleep Centers or use the online scheduling tool to get help.
