Insomnia is a common condition that makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get enough sleep. Insomnia may affect your health, work performance, and overall quality of life.
Insomnia is a very common sleep disorder. According to the Cleveland Clinic, nearly 70 million Americans are affected by sleep disorders every year. Insomnia, in particular, affects 35-50% of adults. Many people have short-term (acute) insomnia at some point in their lives, which can continue for days or weeks. It's generally caused by stress or a stressful experience. Some people, however, suffer from long-term (chronic) insomnia that lasts a month or longer. Chronic insomnia affects 10-15% of adults.
The amount of sleep you need varies from person to person, but it is generally recommended that adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you are having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, talk to your doctor about treatment options for insomnia.
In some cases, over-the-counter or prescription medication can help you sleep better. Sleeping pills are not a long-term solution for insomnia but may help over a short period of time. Common forms of prescription sleep medications include:
Antihistamines, such as Benadryl or Aleve PM, are the most common over-the-counter medications used to treat insomnia. Melatonin supplements may help increase drowsiness and improve sleep, but more research is needed to confirm these claims.
Sleeping pills, by their nature, cause drowsiness and fatigue. Do not take sleep medication during the day or before operating motor vehicles. It is also important to note that these medications can be habit-forming. Talk to your doctor about all your available options before treating insomnia with medication.
CBT-I is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that can help you regulate or replace unpleasant thoughts and behaviors that affect your sleep. It is typically suggested as the first line of treatment for insomnia and the one with the best long-term evidence for success, as it helps address the underlying causes of your sleep problems.
CBT-I’s cognitive component teaches you how to detect and alter thoughts that interfere with your sleep. This aspect of therapy helps you address thoughts and anxieties that keep you awake while breaking the cycle of worry that develops around getting enough sleep.
CBT- I's behavioral component aids can help you develop healthy sleep habits with relaxation techniques, stimulus control, and a sleep schedule.
Several easy lifestyle changes can help encourage quality sleep. These include:
- Go to bed and wake up up at the same time every day.
- Engage in regular physical activity
- Avoid stimulation before bedtime. Find relaxing activities that don’t involve a screen or bright lights before sleeping.
- Avoid or limit naps
- Avoid or limit caffeine and alcohol intake
- Refrain from working in your bedroom. Let your bedroom be a calming, quiet place designated for sleep.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall or stay asleep, or may cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep.
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the United States. Roughly half of all people experience acute bouts of insomnia, and approximately 10% of Americans chronically suffer from the condition.
Most cases of insomnia are the result of poor sleep habits, depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, chronic illness, or certain medications.
While difficulty falling asleep is the most recognizable symptom of insomnia, the condition presents a range of other side effects, including:
Insomnia affects much more than your mood and your focus. Studies have shown it may contribute to greater problems such as high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and more.
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Insomnia can be both be a condition in and of itself, known as primary insomnia, or a side effect of another underlying condition, like stress, depression, or anxiety. Insomnia can also be brought on by stress or major life events - like marriages, new jobs, or financial difficulties. Often times treating the underlying cause can resolve insomnia, though in some cases it can last for years.
Some of the most common causes include:
Stress: We've all got it! Worrying about work, school, health, finances, or other stressors can keeps your mind active at night, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Travel or an unusual work schedule: Jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones or fatigue from picking up irregular shifts at work can upset your circadian rhythms and interfere with your sleep quality.
Poor sleep habits or "sleep hygiene:" A poor sleep routine could make it difficult for you to fall and stay asleep. Poor sleep habits include irregular sleep schedules, poorly timed naps, stimulating activities before bed, uncomfortable sleep environments, or too much artificial light from screens and devices.
Eating too much, much too late: Having a little snack before bedtime shouldn't be a problem. If you're having a meal too close to your bedtime, though, it can cause heartburn, bloating, and other discomforts that might keep you awake.
Anyone can have the occasional sleepless night or experience short-term, acute insomnia. However, some people are at a higher risk of that condition becoming chronic. These patients often include:
Women: Hormonal shifts and bodily changes during menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy can all contribute to insomnia.
People over 60: Changes to health and sleep patterns in people around retirement as can lead to insomnia.
People with mental health conditions or physical health problems: There are many mental and physical risk factors that can increase the likelihood of insomnia such as chronic pain, obesity, an overactive or underactive thyroid, medical conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and more.
Irregular sleepers, night-shift workers, and frequent travelers: Working late hours or irregular shifts can disrupt your circadian rhythm and induce insomnia. People who travel often, whether for work or leisure, are similarly at risk for developing insomnia, as frequent time zone changes can interfere with the body's natural sleep processes.
People who experience a lot of stress: Stressful times may cause temporary insomnia. However, if the stress persists for a long period of time, insomnia could become chronic.
The best way to stop insomnia is to make lifestyle changes that benefit your sleep quality, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Usually, the first type of treatment recommended for chronic insomnia is a type of counseling known as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I draws connections between the way we act, feel, think, sleep - applying a holistic approach to sleep to get you the insomnia relief you need.
There are also, several medicines that can help manage your insomnia and fix your sleep patterns. There are plenty of prescription sleeping pills that have been shown to help improve sleep when tested against a placebo. In some cases, healthcare providers may choose to prescribe medicines for related health conditions that are not yet approved by the FDA to treat insomnia. These may include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants. Many people also see great results with over-the-counter medicines, sleep aids, and supplements like melatonin.
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Sleep is a vital function that keeps our bodies healthy, moods stable, and mind sharp. So how can you leverage a good night's sleep for maximum benefits? Here are a few strategies.
Make your bedroom more sleep-friendly: Make sure you're sleeping in a cool, dark, quiet place. Avoid artificial light from electronic devices, which can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.
Be consistent with your sleep schedule: Going to bed at the same time each night is an easy way to balance out your sleep schedule and establish a routine that your circadian rhythm can match. Sleeping in and staying up late is tempting on the weekends, but the more regularly you go to bed at the same time, the more likely you'll keep insomnia at bay.
Avoid stimulants and depressants: Substances like nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol can disrupt sleep. If you're experiencing insomnia, think twice before you have that 4pm cup of coffee.
Get regular exercise: Exercising at least 5-6 hours before bed can help you fall and stay asleep more easily.
Avoid daytime naps: Save the sleep for bedtime.
Eat meals on a regular schedule: Late-night dinners can keep you awake at night. Sleep doctors recommend you eat dinner at similar times, well before bed, each day.
Practice stress management: Meditate, do yoga, read a book, or listen to soothing music. Follow a routine that helps you relax before bed.
Keep a sleep diary: The habits that are disrupting your sleep aren't always easy to notice. A sleep diary is a valuable tool for monitoring your sleep habits, documenting your sleep problems, and identifying patterns that may affect your sleep.
For more ideas on how to build healthy sleep habits, speak with one of the real, quality doctors on Sesame. Sesame can connect you directly with top-rated sleep specialists near you at affordable cash pay prices.
Sleep apnea is a physical condition that causes disrupted breathing during sleep. Insomnia, on the other hand, is a broader term that may cover any condition in which people have trouble falling or staying asleep. In some cases, sleep apnea may be a secondary cause of insomnia and insomnia may be a symptom of sleep apnea. However, the conditions may also be completely unrelated.
Sleep is a complex function, and many doctors are trained to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. Depending on the nature of your sleep deficiency, a primary care physician, psychiatrist, neurologist, or pediatrician could be right for you.
If you're needing a good night's sleep Sesame can help! Sesame offers convenient sleep medicine specialist consultations near you at affordable cash-pay prices. Book directly with the doctor you want to see and save up to 60% on your appointment when you book through Sesame - no insurance needed.
Sleep physicians and sleep specialists are doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. Most train in internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, or neurology, during their residency. After completing their residency, they complete a fellowship program in sleep medicine.
Sleep physicians that receive training in sleep medicine are accredited by the board certification from the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM).
Sleep psychologists are sleep specialists who focus on the mental and behavioral issues that may contribute to sleep problems.
Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors or Otolaryngologists, will also perform procedures to address certain sleep issues. For example, repairing structural problems with the nose, mouth, or throat that cause snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.
There are more than 80 kinds of sleep disorders. Some of the most common are:
Insomnia: Up to 10% of adults in America meet the criteria for insomnia, which is describes a difficulty falling or staying asleep. Insomnia has several levels of severity, ranging from acute to chronic.
Sleep apnea: There are three main kinds of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common of the three and occurs when throat muscles relax during sleep. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Complex sleep apnea syndrome occurs when a person has both obstructive and central sleep apnea.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS): An uncomfortable and uncontrollable urge to move your legs while lying down.
Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness. This may also manifest as sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and in some cases cataplexy (a sudden physical collapse usually triggered by a strong emotion).
If you're not getting enough sleep you're not alone. More than one-third of Americans (about 70 million people) describe their sleep as "poor" or "only fair." The most common symptoms of a sleep disorder are:
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In most cases, yes. Insurance providers will often help pay for the treatment of sleep disorders. Even with insurance, however, the amount you pay depends upon the healthcare provider that you have, and the out-of-pocket costs and deductibles tied to the plan. If you're looking to get better sleep, wrestling with your insurance company might not be your best option.
If lack of sleep is taking its toll on your quality of life, it's time to take back control. Sesame works directly with doctors - not insurance networks - to get you the care you need for affordable, upfront prices without copays or surprise bills. On Sesame, you get to see the sleep doctor who's right for you, not the one your insurance company says is right for you. Save up to 60% on your next sleep medicine consultation when you book with Sesame.
Trazodone is an antidepressant drug most commonly prescribed to adults struggling with major depressive disorder.
Depression is a common mental health condition caused by physiological, biological, and social factors that is characterized by a persistently depressed attitude and a loss of interest in daily activities and hobbies. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that some 7% of the U.S. population experiences a depressive episode each year.
Luckily, antidepressant medications like trazodone have proven effective in managing and treating symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions.
If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or dial 911.
Trazodone is a serotonin modulator, which means that it increases the amount of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a natural brain chemical that controls mood. People who lack serotonin may experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. If you are struggling with one of these disorders, your doctor may prescribe trazodone to help bring your serotonin levels back up to a regular level.
Trazodone is not strictly a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) as many other common antidepressants are (e.g. Fluoxetine, Sertraline). Trazodone is both an SSRI and a 5HT2 receptor antagonist. This means it increases serotonin levels in the brain differently than traditional SSRIs do. Trazodone might be prescribed to you after trying other types of more commonly prescribed antidepressants.
While adverse reactions to trazodone are uncommon, some patients who take the drug may experience mild side effects, including:
Rare, more serious adverse events have also been known to occur. If you experience any of the following more serious side effects, contact your doctor immediately:
Yes! Talk to a provider on Sesame and get your online doctor prescription or refill ordered right away for fast and convenient pickup from a pharmacy of your choice.
Note that all prescriptions are at the discretion of your clinician.