Insomnia

What is Insomnia?

If a person has a sleep disorder that involves difficulty falling asleep, long hours of wakefulness, or feelings of exhaustion upon waking, the condition can be termed as insomnia. Change in work hours or jet lag can also lead to insomnia. It is crucial to understand that even some medications may lead to insomnia. The most common cause of insomnia is significant stress due to drastic changes such as loss of a loved one, job, divorce, etc.

The standard clinical best rest(ing) practices for treating sleep disorders, go a long way in helping you get the right quality and quantity of sleep that your body needs for you to feel relaxed. Minimising tension, avoiding consumption of solids or liquids right before bed reduces nocturnal reflux, making your resting environment comfortable, opting for behavioural therapies like stimulus control or CBTI are useful methods for insomnia prevention.

Insomnia Symptoms

Insomnia can be categorised as Primary and Secondary depending on whether it is related or unconnected to other pre-existing conditions or Acute and Chronic depending on the duration and frequency of Insomnia symptoms.

Primary Insomnia includes cases where the individual is suffering from a lack of sufficient sleep as a standalone issue. Insomnia, in this case, is unrelated to any other health concern.

Secondary insomnia includes cases where the individual has underlying problems that could cause insomnia at a certain stage due to any reason. Patients of arthritis, asthma, cancer or even heartburn might be in pain or on medications, both of which could interfere with sound sleep.

Sleep deprivation can lead to a variety of other disorders. Insomnia symptoms include:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Disruptive night-time sleep
• Waking extremely early
• Wakefulness during most hours
• Feeling exhausted on waking

An acute condition is in cases of short-term manifestations where it lasts a few weeks, while Chronic Insomnia has higher frequencies of occurrence and lasts for longer periods, at least three months.

Insomnia Diagnosis

Diagnosis and causality of insomnia are highly reliant on your personal circumstances and settings. This can be diagnosed in any of the following ways:

• For cases where the most obvious cause is not known, a physical examination by a medical professional will help in detection of signs and related issues that might be causing poor quality sleep. Sometimes a blood test is done to identify any other bodily conditions that might be affecting sleep.
• Some healthcare specialists go for a complete review of your sleep patterns. You might be advised to maintain a diary to record sleep-related details to help monitor your sleep-wake pattern. Others might have comprehensive questionnaires that need to be filled, to identify the level of daytime sleepiness in patients, which further helps in insomnia diagnosis.
• In cases where most methods of diagnosis have been exhausted, patients will have to undergo a sleep study at a sleep centre. This will be necessary if the existing issue of poor sleep is accompanied by signs of an additional sleep disorder like restless legs syndrome or apnoea or restless legs syndrome. Continuous monitoring during sleep, records multiple body activities and movements of eye and body, breathing, heartbeat, brain functions etc.

Insomnia Treatment and Cost in India

Basic lifestyle alterations and a combination of home remedies have proved to be useful in treating most mild cases. Sometimes doctors might also advise alternate therapy like Acupuncture, Meditation or Hypnotism that have been known to prove beneficial to treat severe cases of acute and chronic insomnia.

Eszopiclone, Zaleplon, Ramelteon, etc. are some of the drugs that cost anywhere between 60 and 100 INR are prescribed for insomnia patients.

Individuals still struggling with sleep disorders, or any related issue that interferes with their sleep, despite altering the going to bed routine and staying away from sleep disruptors like high levels of caffeine, alcohol, as well as electronics may require professional help.

If you suspect that you might have clinical insomnia, then it may be time to speak to a physician and cognitive behavioural therapies (CBTI) or adapt other tailored relaxation techniques.

Health Insurance in India

Life, we all know is uncertain. A sudden mishap or a loss of life can be devastating and can turn your world upside down. Invest in the best health insurance for you and your family’s secure future. Adequate health insurance coverage provides holistic protection from untoward experiences and sudden medical expenses. Most health insurance policy and medical insurance covers come with a lot of benefits and riders that offer a multitude of options and variants.

Analyse and calculate your needs and expectations and select the one that is best suited to your requirements. One must always keep in mind the high inflation rates, and opt for appropriate health insurance for family or dependents.

Features vary and may include automatic recharge of insured sum options, possibility for lifetime renewability, stay active, everyday care and multiplier benefit, road accident cover, compassionate travel option, among numerous other facilities. Some covers also provide repatriation of mortal remain options or expert opinion on critical illnesses, domestic air ambulance benefits etc. under health insurance for senior citizens.

Other Diseases in India

Irregular sleep patterns, hectic lifestyle, and stress results in a lot of conditions in people today.

Some of those diseases are:

• Clinical Depression
• Diabetes
• Heart Attack
• Obesity
• Stroke
• Hypertension