Primary Insomnia
Psycho physiological insomnia
- Sleep disturbance varies from mild to severe.
- Sleeplessness may manifest as difficulty falling asleep or as frequent awakenings in the night.
- Persons with
insomnia often find that they can sleep well anywhere else but in their own bedroom.
- Persons with this type of
insomnia tend to be more tense and dissatisfied compared to good sleepers. Emotionally, they are typically repressors (suppress their feelings), denying problems.
Idiopathic insomnia
-
Insomnia is long-standing, typically beginning in early childhood.
- Persons with idiopathic insomnia often complain of difficulties with attention or concentration or hyperactivity.
- Emotionally, persons with childhood-onset insomnia are often repressors, denying and minimizing emotional problems.
- Individuals often show atypical reactions, such as hypersensitivity or insensitivity, to
medications.
- Insomnia tends to persist over the entire life span and can be aggravated by stress or tension.
Sleep state misperception: Persons complain of insomnia subjectively, while sleep duration and quality are completely normal. These people may be described as having "sleep hypochondrias is." They may subsequently develop anxiety and depression.
Self-Care at Home
The sleep hygiene recommendations that include environmental and lifestyle modifications include the following:
- Eliminate the use of caffeine, especially after noon.
- Do not use tobacco or alcohol near bedtime.
- Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime.
- Exercise early in the day before dinner to alleviate stress, but do not exercise before bedtime.
- Avoid daytime naps, and establish a regular schedule for going to bed and getting up.
- Keep the bedroom at a comfortable temperature, and minimize light and noise.
Outlook
The outlook is good if the person adopts good sleep habits. It is important to note that one's health is not at risk if one does not get 6-8 hours of sleep every day and that different people have different natural sleep requirements. However, the following have been associated with insomnia:
- Increased risk of death is associated with short sleep lengths.
- Insomnia is the best predictor of the future development of depression
.
- Increased risk exists of developing anxiety , alcohol and drug use disorders, and nicotine dependence.
- Poor health and decreased activity occur.
- Onset of insomnia in older persons is related to decreased survival.