“How do you know when someone has insomnia?”
I know the basics, like staying up all night. But, are there other symptoms of insomnia? How is it diagnosed?
4 Answers
Apnea is a complaint and does not require any test for diagnosis. It consists of trouble falling and/or staying asleep. This can be short term to last for a few days to a few weeks, and for some, it can be chronic, which lasts for more than a month. How common is insomnia? Very common (more than 3 million cases per year in the US).
Chronic insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or awakening too early and having difficulty regaining sleep for at least several nights weekly and for three months or more in duration. Insomnia is associated with next day impairment such as tiredness, difficulty concentrating, or difficulty functioning. Insomnia is treatable either with cognitive behavior therapy or medication.
Insomnia is diagnosed by clinical history. Sleep Studies are sometimes needed if Insomnia is not responding to treatment or if the physician suspects another sleep disorder such sleep apnea, parasomnias or movement disorders. The symptoms should be present for more than a month and should be associated with daytime symptoms such as daytime tiredness, sleepiness, fatigue, behavioral symptoms such as aggression, depression, irritability etc;
Some have insomnia if he or she regularly has problems of falling asleep or has their night sleep fragmented by frequent awakenings AND is very sleepy or fatigued during the daytime. Insomnia is not a final diagnosis. The are very many causes and these are the real diagnoses: insomnia is simply the result of these causes.
Roger J. Broughton, MD, PhD, FRCP(C)
Roger J. Broughton, MD, PhD, FRCP(C)
