Your healthcare provider may ask about your sleep habits and ask you to keep a sleep diary, they may also recommend healthy lifestyle habits such as a regular sleep schedule, therapy, and medicines to help you manage your insomnia.
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other conditions.
Chronic insomnia is usually a result of stress, life events, or habits that disrupt sleep. Treating the underlying cause can resolve the insomnia, but sometimes it can last for years.
Common causes of chronic insomnia include:
- Stress: Concerns about work, school, health, finances or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events or trauma — such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss — also may lead to insomnia.
- Travel or work schedule: Causes include jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones, working a late or early shift, or frequently changing shifts.
- Poor sleep habits: irregular bedtime schedule, naps, stimulating activities before bed, an uncomfortable sleep environment, and using your bed for work, eating or watching TV.
- Eating too much late in the evening
Additional common causes of insomnia include:
- Mental health disorders: Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may disrupt your sleep. Awakening too early can be a sign of depression. Insomnia often occurs with other mental health disorders as well.
- Medications: such as some pain medications, allergy and cold medications, and weight-loss products — contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep.
- Medical conditions
- Sleep-related disorders
- Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
What are insomnia treatment options?
Medications for the treatment of insomnia are called hypnotic medications or sleep medications. Below is a brief discussion of medications that are commonly used for sleep. The treatment options are organized by classes of medication. One class of sleep medication is called benzodiazepines. These medications are older and have a higher potential for dependency.
The following five medications, listed in alphabetical order, are approved by the FDA for the treatment of insomnia:
Benzodiazepines are generally recommended for short-term use because tolerance and dependence can develop. In addition, some medications in this class can produce grogginess the next day.
These newer sleep medications are safer and have a lower potential for dependence and fewer side effects. They're called "non-benzodiazepines"
The "non-benzodiazepines" are:
- Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
- Zaleplon (Sonata)
- Zolpidem tartrate (Ambien)
- Zolpidem tartrate (extended-release) (Ambien CR)
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety.
Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to keep a list of the medicines you take.
Speak with a Mental Health Specialist Today!
Our medical professionals are committed to providing personalized care and innovative treatments to ensure you receive the best possible outcome.