What is Insomnia mean? The National Institute of Health describes insomnia as, “a complaint of inadequate sleep”. It classified into 3 types; transient, intermittent and chronic. Lots of people have affected from insomnia at one time or other in its transient (one day to a month) or intermittent (occasional) form. Around 10% of the population suffers from chronic insomnia. Elderly persons, menopausal women and pregnant women are more likely to be more affected than others.

Causes of insomnia are classified into three broad categories – life style, physical health disorders and mental health disorders. Life style can be subdivided into what we eat, sleeping environment and sleep schedule. Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, some allergic foods and medications like decongestants, bronchodilators, anti hypertensives, anti depressants, diuretics, anti epileptics, anti arrhythmic, thyroid medications and histamine H2 inhibitors are known to cause insomnia.

Environmental noise, extreme temperatures, change of sleeping area, uncomfortable bed and insects like mosquitoes are the main environmental factors that prevent sleep. Varying work schedules like shift work, jet lag, long afternoon naps and recreational activities are also causes that upset a good night’s sleep.

Obviously, one cannot fall asleep if in pain due to injury or illness. Sleep specific disorders are obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, circadian rhythm disorder and periodic limb movement disorder. The diseases that become an underlying cause of insomnia are arthritis, asthma, Parkinson’s diseases, hyperthyroid, prostrate problems, degenerative disease, gastro esophageal reflux, fibromyalgia kidney disease, heart failure and rhinitis. Menopause can cause sleep problems due to hormonal imbalance.

Stress, anxiety, grief, depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder and mania and acute psychosis are psychiatric conditions that cause insomnia. Above all, the worry that one is not getting sufficient sleep is likely to worsen the problem. This, in turn, creates a vicious cycle, which can make the condition serious.

The causes of insomnia are very critical and it is very tricky to pin down to a single or even a little causes. A patient research of sleep history, behavioral pattern and if required specialized study with polysomnogram and full teamwork of the family is required to find out the cause of insomnia.

Sleep apnoea is a most dangerous disorder where an individual stops breathing while sleeping. Such kind of  people awaken often during the night to take a breath of air. This can happen 200 times in a night. Snoring is the also the chief indication that a person has apnoea.

Sleep apnoea is mostly found in overweight, middle-aged men. It may be more severe if experienced at a younger age. However, women can also suffer from apnoea and it is also experienced by children.

Obstructive apnoea

If a person has obstructive apnoea, the person cannot get air in. The airway from the nose to the windpipe narrows or closes. People with obstructive apnoea are less likely to remember waking than are those with central apnoea.

Central apnoea

If a person has central apnoea, the brain has failed to send messages that breathing is needed. The diaphragm and intercostal muscles stop working, so the person stops breathing. They wake to take a breath. People may remember such incidents. This condition is less common than obstructive apnoea.

Indicators

A person with sleep apnoea may not realise they have the condition — unaware of their frequent awakenings and snoring. Indicators to look out for are complaints about snoring, waking during the night and feeling tired the next day for no apparent reason.

Possible causes

One major cause of obstructive sleep apnoea is obesity.
Research is suggesting that asthma in women increases their risk of developing obstructive sleep apnoea.

Potential problems

The person rarely gets a good night’s sleep due to the frequency of awakening which means they tend to not enter the deeper stages of sleep. There are a number of consequences of sleep deprivation that can affect daily functioning if it goes on for some time.

Sleep apnoea can cause heart problems. Many people with sleep apnoea suffer from hypertension. A person can have a heart attack or stroke, both which can be fatal.

Recent research is suggesting an association between sleep apnoea in children and brain injury. Such injury affected the child’s memory, attention and learning.

Treatment

There is no simple cure, although there are a number of steps a person can take to try to alleviate the number of episodes experienced.

Try losing weight; Try sleeping on the side, rather than the bac; Cutting down on alcohol consumption and giving up smoking can help; A person with sleep apnoea should avoid using sleeping pills since they make waking up more difficult, preventing the person from taking a much needed breath; Recent research has found didgeridoo playing reduced episodes by strengthening the airway and other treatments include surgery, special nasal masks and dental appliances.

If you suspect you have the symptoms of apnoea, consult your medical professional immediately so that you can be referred to a sleep clinic.