What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that prevents you from falling asleep or staying asleep. Symptoms of insomnia include:

• Trouble falling asleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Waking up feeling tired
• Waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to fall back asleep
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating or remembering things

Insomnia can have any number of causes. For instance, you may be dealing with a difficult and stressful situation in your day-to-day that could cause an abnormal sleeping schedule. Insomnia is also often the symptom of certain mental health-related diagnoses. Some other common causes include:

• Neurological issues
• Chronic illness
• Adrenal issues
• Pain
• Substance abuse

What types of insomnia are there?

Doctors divide insomnia into primary and secondary insomnia, and similarly into acute and chronic insomnia.

Primary insomnia

If your insomnia isn’t related to any other health problems, you have primary insomnia.

Secondary insomnia

If your insomnia is a result of or a symptom of another condition or habit, you have secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia comes from other issues such as pain, medication, substance use, depression, or anxiety.

Acute insomnia

Acute insomnia is short-term insomnia, lasting from one night to several weeks. Acute insomnia causes include:

• Illness
• Stress
• Emotional or physical discomfort
• Medications
• Environmental disturbances (lights, noises, etc.)
• Changes to your sleep routine

Chronic insomnia

Chronic insomnia is insomnia that lasts a long time, or is experienced consistently throughout your life. Typical causes of chronic insomnia include:

• Chronic stress or pain
• Anxiety and depression
• Nighttime pain or discomfort 

What treatments are available for insomnia?

How you treat insomnia depends on the cause of your insomnia. Because the root causes of insomnia vary greatly, the providers at Dr. Messina & Associates determine the cause of your insomnia by asking questions about:

• Your lifestyle, including substance use and diet
• Your emotional and mental health
• Your health history and physical state
• Chronic illnesses you may have
• Medications you’re taking

By treating these root issues, Dr. Messina & Associates can help develop a customized treatment strategy so you can get over your insomnia for good.

If you’re suffering from acute or chronic insomnia, don’t wait around for it to get better. Take charge and sleep better by reaching out to Dr. Messina & Associates over the phone or via the online booking tool.