How to manage sleeplessness

Rotimi Adesanya

A businessman, who usually shuttled between Lagos and London, always complained of sleeplessness. He was eventually admitted in a hospital and given the assurance that he would enjoy sound sleep within 24 hours.

The man still could not shut his eyes, despite the fact that he was given some pills to help him fall asleep. Later, he confessed to using a lot of sleeping pills in the past. This revelation prompted the doctor to carry out a thorough medical examination on the man. But it did not solve his problem.

The man was eventually made to undergo a process, which was reviewed by a physician, before he got better.

Sleeplessness, also referred to as insomnia, is a disorder that not only affects a person’s ability to sleep at night, but it also impedes his ability to function during the day.

Somebody who suffers from insomnia will find it difficult to fall asleep at night. Such a person may suffer from lack of concentration and memory issues, fatigue and worries about sleep.

Insomnia can occur in one or two ways. Acute insomnia-lasts anywhere from one night to a few weeks and is often associated with a kind of stressful event, such as death in the family. This form of insomnia usually goes away on its own without any need for medical intervention. The other form, a more serious type, is called chronic insomnia. This occurs when you have disrupted sleep for three consecutive nights in a week.

About one in every 10 adults has symptoms that are bad enough to impair their daytime functioning. Women, older adults, shift job workers, nursing mothers and people with psychological or medical disorders have a high risk of insomnia.

Infants and children also suffer from insomnia. The average number of hours of sleep needed by an average Nigerian per night and considered to be normal is listed as follows:

Newborn: 16 hours.

Ages 5 – 12 years: 10 to 11 hours

Ages 13 – 18 years: 8 to 9 hours

Adults: 7 to 9 hours

Nursing Mothers: 4-6 hours,

60 years and above: 6 hours average.

Causes of insomnia

A few of the most common associations and causes include:

Depression: It’s not clear whether insomnia causes depression or vice versa, but there’s an association between insomnia and people with depressive disorders.
Stress: Any stressful events including post traumatic stress disorders will cause insomnia.
Anxiety: Experiencing tension, worrying excessively, or feeling overwhelmed can all make it difficult to sleep.
Lifestyle: Working late into the night, taking long naps in the afternoon, or working shift hours can make it harder to establish solid sleep routines.
Food and drink: Certain substances like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and heavy meals near bedtime can contribute to insomnia.
Medical disorders: A breathing disorder during sleep called Sleep apnoea.
Medication (prescribed and over-the-counter drugs).

Types of insomnia

There are essentially two types of insomnia: Primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is not associated with other health problems, while secondary insomnia, also called Co-morbid insomnia, is often triggered by another health condition, pain, medicine (drugs) or substance abuse. Psycho physiological (mind-body) insomnia is a disorder in which people cannot sleep because their minds or bodies are not relaxed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of insomnia include difficulty in falling asleep at bedtime, undue wakefulness in the night, early morning awakening (earlier than usual) without being able to return to sleep till dawn, sleepiness during the day, general tiredness, irritability and problems with concentration or memory.

Diagnosis

A comprehensive assessment detailing the history (sleep diary for a week or two might be requested), examinations and investigations of the individual will eventually lead to a diagnosis of the cause of insomnia. Doctors may use one of many different tools, such as blood tests, sleep logs, and sleep studies to make diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment may be non-medical or medical. Non-medical treatment options include relaxation training and cognitive behavioural therapy, while medical options are usually controlled drugs and few over the counter drugs.

Sleep Hygiene also helps, this is highlighted below: Learn to relax, get at least one hour period to unwind before bedtime, go to bed only when sleepy, get out of bed if you can’t sleep, establish a routine for bedtime, wake up at the same time every morning, reserve your bed and bedroom for sleep only, avoid daytime napping, avoid alcohol, smoking and caffeine for at least a few hours before bedtime. Exercise regularly but not within four hours of bedtime. Despite these tips and treatment, some will still need to see a Sleep Physician.

Complications

Complications include a delayed reaction time, increased depression, anxiety risks, poor memory, poor immune system function, high blood pressure, heart diseases and diabetes mellitus.

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