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Insomnia disorder is a common sleep disturbance, characterized by dissatisfaction with sleep duration and/or quality despite adequate sleep opportunities and sleep environment, and it affects daytime social functioning as a subjective experience.
Depending on the duration and occurrence of insomnia symptoms, it can be classified as short-term insomnia disorder, chronic insomnia disorder, and other insomnia disorders.
Short-term insomnia disorder
Short-term insomnia disorder refers to the presence of insomnia symptoms for no more than 3 months, often related to stress, psychological, or environmental changes.
Chronic insomnia disorder
Chronic insomnia disorder refers to the presence of insomnia symptoms for more than 3 months, occurring at least three times a week.
Other insomnia disorders
This category includes insomnia that does not fit into the above two types, such as insomnia lasting more than 3 months but occurring less than 3 times a week.
Insomnia can be triggered by various factors, including psychological, physiological, environmental, medication, lifestyle behaviors, personality, mental, and systemic diseases.
Psychological factors
Major life events leading to emotional excitement or anxiety, as well as sustained mental tension, can lead to insomnia. Excessive concern about sleep problems can not only exacerbate insomnia but also perpetuate its existence.
Physiological factors
Age, gender, hunger, overeating, fatigue, and hormonal changes in women are also factors that can trigger insomnia. For example, the effects of menstrual cycles and menopause, night sweats, and hot flashes during menopause can affect sleep, and insomnia is common during pregnancy.
Environmental factors
Sudden changes in sleep environment, bright light, noise, and other environmental factors can also impact sleep.
Medication factors
Certain medications (such as thyroid hormones, atropine, etc.) can stimulate the body and disrupt sleep.
Lifestyle behavior factors
Consumption of tea, coffee, smoking, and alcohol, watching TV or using smartphones before bedtime, irregular sleep patterns, and staying up late for work can disrupt normal routines and cause insomnia.
Personality factors
Overly meticulous personality traits (such as excessive health demands, over-concern, pursuit of perfection, tendency to think negatively, etc.) also play a role in the occurrence of insomnia.
Mental disorders
Anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, among other mental illnesses, often manifest with insomnia.
Other systemic diseases
Physical discomfort can also lead to insomnia, with common examples including hypertension, chronic gastrointestinal inflammation, and pain.
The main symptoms of insomnia disorder manifest in two aspects.
Unsatisfactory sleep quality
Difficulty falling asleep after getting into bed, often taking 30 minutes or even longer to fall asleep.
Waking up several times during the night, often more than twice, and finding it difficult to fall back asleep after waking up.
Waking up early in the morning, more than 30 minutes before the normal wake-up time.
Total sleep time less than 6.5 hours.
Decreased sleep quality, feeling tired upon waking up, and a lack of energy recovery.
Impaired daytime functioning
Feeling mentally unwell during the day, experiencing fatigue and drowsiness, and feeling the need to sleep.
Difficulty concentrating during work and study, increased frequency of mistakes, and decreased memory.
Emotionally, feeling tense, anxious, experiencing low mood, irritability, and anger.
Social, household, occupational, or academic activities being affected.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatment involves the use of herbal medicine and acupuncture.
Traditional Chinese medicine medication treatment
Based on the differentiation of symptoms, insomnia is categorized into seven major types: deficiency of heart and gallbladder qi, liver fire disturbing the heart, phlegm-heat disturbing the heart, deficiency of stomach qi, blood stasis obstructing the interior, deficiency of heart and spleen, and disharmony between the heart and kidneys. It is important to seek medical treatment promptly and have a doctor diagnose and prescribe corresponding herbal medicine or Chinese patent medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture treatment
Different classifications correspond to different acupuncture methods, and a professional traditional Chinese medicine practitioner should design and implement the treatment plan.
Family members can help identify poor lifestyle and sleep habits in individuals with insomnia, and restore regular daily routines.
In the bedroom, efforts should be made to create a comfortable sleep environment with appropriate lighting and temperature.
Emotional support for individuals with insomnia, avoiding negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and tension.
During the treatment process, assisting patients in keeping a sleep diary can provide valuable reference for medical treatment.
Healthy sleep habits can help improve sleep quality, maintain long-term therapeutic effects, and prevent the recurrence of insomnia. The following suggestions can be adopted:
Avoid consuming coffee, strong tea, and alcohol in daily life, and refrain from smoking.
Engage in regular physical exercise every day to improve physical fitness.
Avoid overeating and consuming hard-to-digest foods before bedtime.
Relax the mind and body before sleep, practice abdominal breathing, and muscle relaxation exercises.
If unable to fall asleep within 20 minutes of getting into bed, do not force oneself to lie down. Instead, get up and engage in light activities until feeling sleepy again.
Preventing insomnia primarily involves avoiding triggering factors, such as excessive stress, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and correcting poor sleep habits. Regular exercise can also help improve sleep conditions. If insomnia is caused by mental disorders or other illnesses, in addition to treating the insomnia itself, it is important to actively treat the underlying conditions to prevent persistent insomnia.
