Insomnia

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, unwanted early morning waking even when you have a good sleep hygiene for at least 1 month.

Insomnia causes daytime difficulties, such as difficulties concentrating, low energy, impaired memory, feeling fatigued during waking hours, irritability, reduced school/work performance, family and social life. Insomnia can last a few weeks, months or years. Chronic insomnia last three months or more and leads to negative consequences on our health, increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases, depression, anxiety, diabetes, obesity and asthma.

What causes insomnia?

Research suggests that insomnia can be developed by those who have an anxious predisposition, tendency to worry, struggle with depression, ADHD, by stress, shift work, travel, poor sleep hygiene, chronic pain and/or have a genetic predisposition.

Seeing a doctor

If insomnia is affecting your daily activities, you may want to see your primary care professional, who might suggest you have a sleep study. The diagnosis usually requires a physical examination that can rule our conditions that cause sleep issues. Doctors can treat insomnia by recommending antidepressant medications, sleeping pills (eg: Zopiclone). However, prescription medications are more likely to cause adverse side effects than CBT – I and they are not addressing the root cause(s) of insomnia.

Treatment for insomnia

CBT I is considered the most effective treatment for insomnia, helping people manage the anxiety that is causing them sleep issues and implement better sleep habits. This treatment is not recommended if you have seizures, parasomnias, untreated obstructive sleep apnea and the bipolar disorder. The treatment is typically 6 – 8 weeks long and brings long – term improvements. Before undertaking CBT – I, it is important to have a diagnosis of insomnia to ensure that you do not have other sleep disorders and that you are not taking sleep medications.