Insomnia (individual’s report of difficulty with sleep) is the most prevalent of all sleep disorders. It is believed to be a disorder of hyperarousal buy tramadol that is experienced throughout the whole day. The cognitive model suggests that stressors of life cause an individual to worry and reflect to the point that they have difficulty falling asleep or going back to sleep once awakened. Another model suggests physiological factors, based on the significantly higher metabolic rates seen in patients with insomnia compared with healthy controls.
Insomnia is more prevalent in women than men (ratio 1.4:1), elderly patients, and in patients with comorbid psychiatric or medical illness. Insomnia appears to be a predictor of psychiatric and medical comorbidities including depression, hypertension, diabetes and cardiac events, all of which contribute to an increase in health care utilization and costs.
The diagnosis of insomnia disorder is given whether it is an independent condition or a comorbidity with a mental disorder, a medical condition or a different sleep disorder.
General Sleep Hygiene Recommendations:
- Go to bed only when you are tired
- Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex
- Get up at the same time in the morning regardless of how long you slept
- Avoid napping during the day
- If unable to sleep after 15-20 minutes, get out of bed and go to another room to read in a dimly lit environment. Avoid watching television or a computer screen as the light emitted from such devices may have an arousing effect. Return to bed when feeling sleepy.
Sleep Hygiene Education:
- Fix a bedtime and an awakening time
- Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime and minimize total daily intake
- Avoid nicotine near bedtime and upon awakening at night
- Avoid alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime
- Avoid heavy, spicy or sugary foods 4-6 hours before bedtime
- Exercise regularly, but not right before bed
- Use comfortable bedding and pillows
- Find a comfortable temperature setting for sleeping and keep the room well ventilated
- Block out all distracting noise
- Try a light snack before bed such as warm milk and foods high in the amino acid tryptophan
- Try relaxation techniques before bed
- Don’t take your worries to bed
- Establish a pre-sleep ritual such as a warm bath or a few minutes of reading
- Get into your favourite sleep position
There are a few non-prescription medications that can be used to treat insomnia in conjunction with the above techniques. Call Viva Care Pharmacy (Guildford) at 778 293 2273 and speak to your pharmacist today to see soma watson what option will work best for you!
References:
CTMA 2
Canadian Pharmacists Association. (2016) Compendium of Therapeutics for Minor Ailments 2ndedition
Ottawa, Ontario