Medical Advice Guru

The causes of Insomnia vary greatly, the more common occurrences being stress, hormonal, psychoactive drugs, lack of exercise, medical conditions or changes in sleeping patterns.  The two main categories this falls under however are Mental and Physical.

Physical insomnia can usually be solved with painkillers, exercise or certain drugs, it usually occurs after injuries, lack of exercise or changes to your metabolism.

Mental Insomnia can be caused by stress, worry or even just thinking too much.  Treatment here can involve psychotherapy drugs and, again, exercise!

With Insomnia the varying types (Transient Insomnia, Acute Insomnia, Chronic Insomnia) tend to be associated with different causes.

Transient Insomnia tends to be over short term things such as Injury or something mentally shocking.   These can cause short term effects but tend to disappear over the course of several days to a few weeks.

Intermittent Transient Insomnia is similar but can usually be found with people who suffer under continually stressful environments, such as the financial sector or jobs which require regular flight across timezones.  It is also a symptom caused by periods of hormonal change, such as the menopause.

Acute Insomnia is more often associated with a large emotion or severe injury, this can be found regularly with people who have lost a loved one or a limb.

Chronic insomnia is surprisingly caused by similar things to Acute insomnia.  Chronic insomnia is regularly found in amputees and people who have had trouble grieving over lost loved ones. It can usually indicate severe psychological trauma, and may be helped by psychiatric care and even hypnotism.

The important thing to remember though is that Insomnia can be very Non-specific.  Many sufferers are unable to find a cause, or have one that is not listed there.  If you suffer from Insomnia though it is vital that you consult a Doctor for professional medical advice.

written by Oli \\ tags: Acute Insomnia, Causes of Insomnia, Chronic Insomnia, Insomnia, Transient Insmonia

Insomnia is an illness which has the main symptom of sleep deprivation. People who suffer from insomnia can often find themselves laying in bed for hours with their eyes closed but are unable to ’switch off’ their mind. While Insomnia is not often regarded as a real problem it affects 64 million Americans alone every year, and that is only the reported cases. The majority of people with Insomnia will never actually consult a doctor for it and tend to suffer for several weeks before their sleep patterns regain normality.

Insomnia is not just characterised by the lack of sleep however. The majority of insomnia sufferers will find their ability to function while awake severely impaired and may have trouble performing simple tasks aswell as finding themselves suffering from frequent short term memory loss.

There are three main types of insomnia, though around each one there are several grey areas. These types are Transient, Acute and Chronic.

Transient Insomnia tends to last from several days to weeks, and tends to be caused by an external problem, be it stress or a change in sleeping patterns. If this re-occurs consistently it becomes known as Intermittent Transient Insomnia.  Intermittent Transient Insomnia often occurs in people who regularly travel long distances, work in alternating factory shifts or in other areas where a good sleep pattern is unable to form.

Acute Insomnia is similar to Transient Insomnia, however it lasts from 3 weeks to 6 months. Some of the side effects such as memory loss and impaired motor functions that may become apparent in lesser forms of insomnia become much more pronounced with sufferers of Acute Insomnia.

Chronic Insomnia is often characterised by the sleep deprivation lasting from several months to years. It can be a secondary or primary disorder, meaning it can be caused by an illness or could just be ‘he problem’ Sufferers of Chronic insomnia may show signs of mental and muscular fatigue, however they tend to show a high degree of alertness, something not apparent in Acute or Transient Insomnia.

written by Oli \\ tags: Acute Insomnia, Chronic Insomnia, Insomnia, Sleep Deprivation, Transient Insomnia