Insomnia: Causes, Side Effects, Treatment

Insomnia is indeed the most prevalent sleep disorder in the world. Nearly one-third of all adults have a background of some type of insomnia and nearly ten percent have persistent sleepless nights. The disease can be defined by its time duration and is categorized by three types of sleepless nights: transient, short-term, and chronic.

Different Types of Insomnia

Transient or short-term sleepless nights originate from similar factors, while short-term sleepless nights generally require a considerable disturbance. Transient sleepless nights can be suggestive of a sleepless night that lasts from only one night to several weeks and is most likely related to alterations in the sleep schedule, such as traveling or sleeping in unusual surroundings. Short-term sleepless nights last a relatively longer period of time, usually from two to three weeks in time and can be linked to emotional influences such as anxiety or stress.

Chronic sleepless nights, the most severe type of sleeplessness, occur essentially every night and can last a month or more.

Side Effects of Sleepless Nights

Recent reports show that sleepless nights are more than a nuisance. In fact, insomnia can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure. Indeed, people who sleep fewer than five hours a night are more than five times more at risk at developing hypertension than people who sleep well.

Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas, a lead researcher who studied sleepless nights at Penn State College of Medicine, which is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, studied the possible relationship between stress hormones and high blood pressure. The results of the study confirmed the theory that patients who suffer from decreased sleep efficiency more possibly might suffer from hypertension as well.

Dr. Vgontzas studied the tie between sleep problems and increased blood pressure in over fifteen hundred people who were randomly selected volunteer participants. The volunteers classified themselves as being either normal sleepers, those who had some difficulty sleeping or as being afflicted with sleepless nights.

The study members were separated in accordance with their sleep productivity, which was determined by surveying the sum of the hours they slept per night. The results suggested that a mixture of low aggregate sleep duration and sleepless nights including waking up in the night or even having difficulty getting to sleep on a lasting basis - were actually linked to hypertension.

Sleeplessness Related Hypertension Also Linked to Teens

Teenagers who slept less than six and a half hours nightly experienced more than twice the likelihood of developing high blood pressure, according to a research study conducted at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The study was published in the American Heart Association Journal Circulation, and the researchers discovered a pattern that was not withstanding sex, weight and socioeconomic status.

The study broke ground by showing the relationship between low quality sleep and the risk of hypertension development as well as other health issues, said Dr. Susan Redline, a pediatrician researcher who led the study. Dr. Redline also noted that poor sleep might be more consistently related with pre-hypertension than a shorter sleep period.

For further reading, refer to the Health Science News article Insomnia Increases Chances of Diabetes in Young.

Risks of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a serious illness that can lead to damage to the arteries and kidneys and can cause stroke, kidney disease and various other illnesses.

High Blood Pressure Medication Can Cause Insomnia

Widespread causes for sleepless nights exist. Occasionally the cause is apparent. There are certain medical causes for sleeplessness, plus some mental health illnesses that include depression, anxiety or chronic stress. Additionally, as patients are treated with high blood pressure medicine for their hypertension, the result could be something that is counterproductive to their lack of sleep problems as well. Some medications for high blood pressure, decongestants and antidepressants are well known to cause sleepless nights, which can result in a snowball effect to the patient's insomnia-related hypertension.

Treatment of Insomnia

The most commonly thought of treatment for sleepless nights is sleeping pills, but there are indeed non-medical therapies that are comparatively better in the long term and work more efficiently than sleeping pills. Sleeplessness treatment is sometimes classified into two different groups: treatment with or without medication.

Sleepless Night - Treatment with Medication

There are many self-prescribed sleep aids such as alcohol that actually increase the sleepless symptoms and have limited benefit. A pretty small extent of alcohol can be relaxing and result in sleepiness early in the evening, but can result in a re-bound effect that can occur later in the evening as illustrated with difficulty sleeping. And, extended alcohol abuse can result in tolerance as well as dependence, which may lead to other medical problems.

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Sleepless Nights

Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and "recreational" drugs are well-known causes of sleepless nights. A healthy lifestyle, which includes a consistent workout regimen, a well-rounded diet, as well as a less stressful lifestyle are recommended to reduce the nagging effects of sleepless nights. As with any health issue, it is recommended that you consult a professional health care provider if you are experiencing sleepless nights and are concerned about the causes of sleepless nights, the side effects and treatment of insomnia.

Lack of Sleep Increases Chances of Diabetes in Young

It has long been known that a good night's sleep of six to eight hours a night is good for one's health. A well-rested body helps rejuvenate and improves overall health. Sleep is as important to a person's health as is food or water. Indeed, recent studies suggest that lack of sleep in healthy, young individuals between the ages of twenty and thirty-one may actually increase their risk of developing diabetes later in life.

Not enough sleep causes insulin sensitivity to decline

Researchers at the University Of Chicago Medical Center studied the effect lack of sleep has on a person's insulin sensitivity. According to the researchers, interrupted sleep gave the participants glucose and insulin metabolisms of people three times their age. This means that interrupted sleep could well increase one's chances of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. And as the lack of quality sleep increased, the sensitivity to insulin continued to decline.

The converse was also found to be true. Improving the quality of sleep, especially for people that are obese, could be an important step in helping to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes

When the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore insulin, the condition is called type 2 diabetes. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. Without the presence of insulin, the glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells causing them to be starved for energy. Overtime, high blood glucose levels could hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Sleep deprivation on the rise

In the industrialized world, sleep deprivation is rising to epidemic proportions. Many people experience pressures and stress of modern life resulting from a hectic work schedule, family life and other pursuits. Consequentially, there is little time left for sleep. People that short-change their selves with consistent lack of sleep are actually damaging their resistance and leaving themselves open to attack from dozens of life threatening diseases.

The trend toward less sleep is unfortunately increasing. Twenty years ago, people slept an average of seven and a half to eight hours per night. Today people sleep an average of six or less hours per night. Researchers suggest that this may not be as a result of sleep apnea, but rather the pressures of everyday life.

Sleep deprivation affects us more than we think

The lack of awareness of sleep deprivation compounds after years. Eventually, people come to expect their lack of sleep. But the human body does not adjust. Consequently, people are less aware of the additional stress that they are experiencing. Researchers suggest that sleep deprivation decreases performance and alertness in everyday life. By reducing nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours per night, daytime alertness could be reduced by as much as thirty percent.

Decreased alertness can cause a snowball effect on one's life. Memory and cognitive impairment is decreased, which then could decrease one's quality of life because of a lack of attention. Concentration is affected and this could lead to a whole host of side effects.

Tips to increase sleep

Healthy sleep is an activity and an exercise. Some tips to increase quality of sleep include a consistent nighttime routine as well as limiting caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Researchers suggest a sleep environment that creates a relaxing atmosphere. If you feel that you have tried everything and still cannot get a restful night sleep, consult your healthcare provider.

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Is a Lack of Sleep Hurting Your Health?

It has long been known that consistent sleeping patterns are an important component of overall health and well-being. Restorative rest helps rejuvenate the body's energy supplies and provides much-needed respite from the stress and strain of day-to-day life, and without it, the body's ability to be rebound may be negatively impacted.

However, recent research has indicated that the importance of sleep may go much deeper than mere rest. A number of studies have linked sleep deprivation to a staggering array of illnesses, diseases, and symptoms, underscoring the need for sleep as the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. This week, we'll survey a few of the most notable recent findings that have bolstered the health-sleep connection.

Risky Behaviors Increase with Sleep Deprivation

Anecdotal reports have long indicated that a lack of sufficient sleep may impact people's behavior. However, the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh makes an even stronger suggestion -- a lack of sleep may actually promote unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle choices, especially among young people.

According to the results of a survey that was administered to more than 1300 adolescents and young adults, average nightly sleep of less than eight hours was strongly linked to an array of risky and potentially dangerous behaviors.

The strongest connections were seen between sleep deprivation and underage use of cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit substances. However, other factors, such as academic performance and emotional stability, also appeared to be linked to a lack of sleep. The authors suggested that programs designed to prevent and treat substance abuse among adolescents and young adults focus on sleep interventions as a technique for treatment.

Researchers Uncover Link between Inadequate Sleep and Poor Heart Health

While scientists have long suspected that chronic sleep deprivation may negatively impact health, the findings of a recent study indicated that cardiovascular health -- a major predictor of mortality and morbidity -- may be directly linked to sleep patterns.

The study, which was conducted by researchers affiliated with the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, assessed the heart function of a group of 39 subjects whose sleep was restricted to mimic the impact of long-term sleep deprivation. During the study, the participants sleep was severely restricted by the researchers, who would awake the participants after an average night's sleep of only five hours.

After a week of sleep restriction, the study participants were subjected to a battery of health exams and diagnostic tests. The researchers noted many differences in laboratory test results after the sleep deprivation. Most significantly, a majority of the participants exhibited potentially dangerous fluctuations in cardiac function.

Although more research will be necessary to come to a clear-cut conclusion about the role of sleep in heart health, the scientists say that healthy sleep habits should be emphasized to all patients, particularly those who are already at high risk for cardiovascular disease and other heart disorders.

Sleep Deprivation, Disturbances Linked to Suicide among Elderly

Older men and women often experience a great deal of difficulty maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. Anxiety, illnesses, chronic pain, and a lack of schedule structure all contribute to sleep disorders in the elderly population, and researchers have long contended that the problem likely aggravated other health concerns for those in this age group.

However, the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Florida State University indicated that the problems associated with sleep disruptions in the elderly may be significantly more serious than previously suspected. Most notably, it was found that sleep disturbances among older men and women were an accurate prediction of suicide risk.

The connection between sleep and suicide was found to be more statistically significant than any other variable, including depression and chronic illness. The authors emphasized the importance of intervention and prevention programs designed to enhance the quality and quantity of sleep-hours among the elderly, and they urged family members to seek professional assistance for elderly relatives' sleep disorders.

If you or a loved one is having difficulty establishing and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, talk to your doctor to help devise an intervention that will work for you. Depending on your unique health profile, your physician can discuss treatment options that will help you enjoy more consistent sleeping patterns. Don't forget to check back each week for more of the health science news you need to achieve optimal well-being.