Doctor for sleep problems in adults: who to contact to cure insomnia

Which doctor should I contact for insomnia?

In the beginning, when sleep disturbance occurs, people try to eliminate the condition on their own.
But after the body is exhausted, they come to the doctors. And most often, people do not know which doctor to contact if they have insomnia. Patients are initially referred to a general specialist – a general practitioner. He conducts diagnostic tests and sends patients to specialist doctors. Sleep disturbances appear due to pathologies in the brain, most often with systemic diseases and psychoemotional disorders. Each problem is treated separately by different specialists. Therefore, you need to know which doctor to contact for insomnia so that there is no relapse. The choice of a physician is made by a therapist after an initial examination, identifying symptoms, and conducting diagnostic tests.

Therapist

This is a general practitioner who sees all patients. During the initial appointment, the patient is examined in stages:

collecting complaints from a person’s words;
examination of skin surfaces, mucous membranes and oral cavity;
prescribing laboratory tests (general clinical examination of urine and blood, blood biochemistry);
instrumental examination methods (pressure measurement, auscultation, pulse measurement, palpation of lymph nodes);
radiography for suspected respiratory tract disease;
MRI, CT to identify the condition of blood vessels, nervous tissue, the presence of benign and malignant tumors.

If the cause of insomnia is fatigue or psycho-emotional disturbance, the therapist gives general recommendations:

schedule stabilization, breaks from work to recuperate;
activity, physical exercise;
elimination of bad habits, medications, psychostimulants;
relaxing massages, swimming;
walks in the open air.

If the therapist discovers a serious cause of the disease, the patient is referred to specialist doctors.

Psychologist

At the appointment, the doctor asks the patient about concerns, finds out the area of work, his work schedule. Asks about family relationships. At each psychotherapy session, a person tells the doctor about the problems that bother him.

Methods of therapy with a psychologist:

hypnosis;
meditation;
respiratory system.

Drug therapy by a psychologist is carried out only in extreme cases.

Psychiatrist

Unlike a psychologist, a psychiatrist deals with difficult problems:

bipolar disorder;
schizophrenia;
drug addict;
panic attacks.

Therapy is accompanied by the prescription of medications. The doctor prescribes sedatives, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills.

Somnologist

This is a doctor who identifies and treats primary insomnia. This is a new direction in medicine. There are no somnologists in free institutions; appointments are made at a private clinic.

If during the initial conversation with the patient the cause of insomnia is not identified, the doctor prescribes an EEG procedure during sleep. The passage of nerve impulses in the brain at night is studied.

Neurologist

In half of the cases of insomnia, the cause is neurological disorders that arise from disorders of the central or peripheral nervous system. To make a diagnosis, studies are carried out:

electroencephalogram;
checking nervous reflexes;
MRI, CT.

Treatment is carried out using:

medicines;
massage;
physiotherapy;
increasing physical activity.

Most neurological disorders in people develop due to excessive nervous tension. Then therapy is carried out with the additional use of sedatives.

Manual or acupuncturist

In areas of the human body there are reflexogenic points. Nerve endings are stimulated by inserting a needle. This allows a person to relax. Using the method, systemic diseases are treated. The procedures are carried out in courses. To do this, use 10-15 sessions, after which they take a break. In some cases, even 21 sessions are required.

Other specialists

If insomnia develops due to systemic diseases, treatment is carried out by specialized doctors:

cardiologist (cardiovascular disease);
otolaryngologist (diseases of the ear, nose and throat);
surgeon (removal of tumors, restoration of damaged tissue, correction of a deviated nasal septum that makes breathing difficult during sleep);
urologist, nephrologist (frequent calls to urinate in chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases of the urinary system disturb sleep).

When the primary disease is completely cured, insomnia will disappear on its own, without the need for additional use of medications.

Seeing a doctor to treat insomnia

If the disease begins to significantly worsen the quality of life, and the patient cannot fall asleep without sleeping pills, then it is time to seek help from doctors for insomnia. Otherwise, drug dependence will arise, which will only worsen the patient’s condition, and in some cases can lead to problems with ability to work.

Symptoms that require you to see a doctor

People are often in no hurry to go to the hospital at the first signs of insomnia, hoping that it will go away on its own. But the presence of the following manifestations indicates the need for an urgent visit to doctors for consultation and treatment prescriptions:

Sleep disturbances are regular, and taking sedative medications brings only short-term relief.
The patient feels chronic fatigue and complains that it is difficult for him to perform professional and household duties.
Disturbances in the body systems occur, for example, a regular rise in blood pressure to high levels, migraines, nausea.
The patient has a fear of falling asleep, lying in bed, he constantly listens to his feelings.
Pain of unknown origin regularly occurs, which interferes with sleep, and sleep becomes sensitive and intermittent.
Awakening due to short-term cessation of breathing during sleep.

The question often arises of which doctor to contact if insomnia gets out of control and significantly reduces your standard of living. To be able to get enough sleep again, you should start by visiting a therapist.

Initial appeal

The attending physician will listen to the patient’s complaints, collect information about the rhythm of life and habits, and conduct an initial examination. This is done to find out the reasons that negatively affect the process of falling asleep. It can help in cases where insomnia occurs due to improper organization of the sleeping area or the presence of bad habits.

The patient may be given the following instructions:

Normalize your daily routine.
Stop taking sleeping pills.
Get a massage, do relaxing practices, such as yoga.
Maintain a special calendar in which to mark the days when violations occur and the factors that provoke them.

If after following all the recommendations the condition does not improve, then a decision may be made to consult with specialized specialists.

Visiting specialists

Consultations with specialized specialists are required when the cause of insomnia is beyond the competence of the therapist. Below is a list of doctors you should contact.

Somnologist

It is he who should treat insomnia, but it is extremely difficult to get an appointment with this specialist, since not all medical institutions have him. To find out the cause of the disorder, the doctor uses polysomnography, thanks to which it is possible to track impulses that occur at night and cause insomnia. After this, medications will be selected to correct the pathology. Their dosage and duration of administration are selected strictly individually.

Neurologist

As a rule, this specialist is involved in the treatment of insomnia. Ultrasound tomography and CT may be required to eliminate the risk of cerebral vascular pathologies. The patient may be prescribed procedures such as massage and electrosleep. Manipulations effectively influence the relaxation process, they are especially effective in men. You will need to be treated with special medications that are selected individually.

Psychologist

Treatment is indicated in cases where problems with falling asleep are psychological in nature. The specialist will find out what traumatic factors are present in the patient’s life, and together with him will develop tactics to overcome them. The patient may be given the following recommendations:

The sleeping area should be used only for its intended purpose. You should not read, eat or watch TV in the bedroom.
In some cases, hypnosis sessions may be required.
The patient must perform special breathing exercises aimed at relaxing and relieving tension, especially during and after traumatic situations, as well as before going to bed.
Meditation is a great way to clear your head of negativity and relax.

It is important to remember that a psychologist can help solve problems at the everyday level. If insomnia is caused by mental disorders, the help of a psychiatrist will be required.

Psychiatrist

The reason for consulting such a doctor would be a situation where insomnia is a consequence of depression, neurosis or psychosis.

The doctor will conduct a primary diagnosis aimed at finding out the cause of the disease. Depending on the type of disease and severity, sedatives, antidepressants or tranquilizers may be prescribed. In advanced cases, hospitalization may be required at a neuropsychiatric dispensary for drug treatment and consultations.

Cardiologist

Sometimes problems falling asleep can be a consequence of diseases of the cardiovascular system. In this case, you will need to consult a cardiologist. The doctor will prescribe examinations, usually an ECG and ultrasound, and collect anamnesis. After this, treatment tactics will be developed depending on the existing disease.

Establishing diagnosis

It is extremely difficult to make the only correct diagnosis for insomnia, since this condition can be provoked by hundreds of different factors, or their combinations. Therefore, after consultation with specialized specialists and clarification of the main reasons contributing to the occurrence of insomnia, the patient can be prescribed specific treatment aimed at eliminating the underlying disease.

Medical appointments

After going to the doctor, performing diagnostic procedures and visiting recommended specialists, therapy is selected taking into account the individual circumstances of the disease. The following measures may be prescribed to treat insomnia:

Treatment of the underlying disease, for example, apnea or heart disease.
Taking sedatives or antidepressants.
Massage, relaxing gymnastics.
Working with a psychologist.
Adjusting your daily routine.
Rejection of bad habits.
Compliance with the rules of going to bed, for example, such as ventilating the room and prohibiting large meals several hours before rest.
Regular walks in the fresh air to avoid oxygen starvation and physical inactivity.

If you follow these recommendations, the patient will be able to get rid of the disease quickly enough.

Which doctor should I contact for insomnia? Causes and methods of treating pathology

Insomnia (lat. insomnia) – poor quality or complete absence of sleep. A person suffering from insomnia cannot sleep for a long time, wakes up at night, has problems waking up in the morning, feels exhausted throughout the day and loses ability to work.

The patient loses the ability to concentrate on the tasks being performed, is distracted, does not perceive information well, loses appetite, or, conversely, begins to suffer from overeating. Often the disease is accompanied by increased nervousness or, conversely, depression. Symptoms may alternate.

Insomnia is divided into three types:

chronic
short-term
transient

The reasons for the appearance may be various factors depending on the type:

Insomnia

Transient insomnia can be caused by a stressful situation, nervous shock or excessive fatigue. It comes on suddenly, but goes away as soon as the situation stabilizes. It is the easiest type of violation, as it is caused by external factors. Short-term insomnia can be triggered by any everyday problem, an unpleasant situation at work, a conflict with loved ones, a move, an exam, etc. As soon as the irritating factor disappears, insomnia goes away along with it, leaving no complications in the person’s mental state.
Short-term insomnia lasts several nights a month and can cause the development of chronic depression. It also occurs due to everyday problems, however, it lasts longer than the transient one and is constantly repeated. This disease can be triggered by metabolic disorders or diseases such as ulcers, gastritis, pneumonia, joint diseases and many others. For short-term insomnia, treatment should be started, as it can lead to asthenia and even depression. Fortunately, it is treated quite simply; there are many folk remedies that can help quickly solve this problem. Playing sports or walking daily for 30-40 minutes helps.
Chronic insomnia is the most severe type of disease that requires serious comprehensive treatment. Chronic insomnia can be associated with neurosis, mental and chronic diseases, dementia (dementia in old age), increased anxiety and much more. The cause of depression should be determined privately by the attending physician.

Which doctor should I contact for insomnia?

Somnology

A somnologist deals with sleep problems. Somnology is a science that deals with the study of sleep, its disorders and treatment methods. Sleep may be too short, or, conversely, too long. Both conditions are abnormal and must be treated.

The somnologist must first determine the causes of insomnia and find out what caused it. Insomnia caused by depression or asthenia should be treated accompanied by a psychologist or psychiatrist (depending on the severity of the condition).

Sometimes drug treatment is required because the brain of a person suffering from insomnia lacks certain substances or neurometabolism is impaired. The new generation of drugs are not addictive; their action is aimed at restoring brain function.

If the cause of insomnia is a serious physical illness, then an examination by a therapist is scheduled, who will help determine the root cause of the illness.

Some practical tips

If you begin to notice manifestations of insomnia, you should listen more carefully to your body. Perhaps the body is just tired and needs to relax. Fatigue may not always be triggered by stressful situations.

A routine lifestyle exhausts the nervous system, not giving it the opportunity to relax. Try to spend more time outdoors and not in front of the TV or computer. You should always go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends.

Give up bad habits: tobacco and alcohol. Providing a temporary relaxation effect, they exhaust the nervous system. Watch your diet, give up processed foods and heavy foods. Make a choice in favor of vegetables and fruits, white meat, dairy products. The last meal should be at least 2 hours before bedtime.

Following these simple rules will help a person avoid insomnia.

Sleep disturbance

Arthritis

Rheumatism

16789 06 November

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Sleep disturbance: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

Sleep disturbance, or insomnia (insomnia), is a general term that includes difficulty falling asleep, problems staying asleep, and waking up too early. As a result, during sleep a person cannot fully restore strength and performance, which reduces the quality of life. Sleep disturbance to one degree or another is observed in almost half of the adult population, but only in 9–15% of people does this problem become clinically significant. In older people, chronic insomnia is observed much more often than in young people - more than 55% of cases.

With any sleep disturbances, a person experiences fatigue, decreased attention or memory, depression, depression, and decreased vital activity.
Types of sleep disorders
Depending on the cause of sleep disorders, primary and secondary insomnia are distinguished. When diagnosing primary insomnia, organic, psychiatric, or neurological causes for sleep disturbance are not noted. Secondary insomnia is the result of various diseases, taking stimulants, or any unfavorable external conditions.

Sleep disturbances can be acute (transient), short-term (up to 6 months) and chronic (more than six months). Acute sleep disturbance can occur in any person under the influence of stress, overexcitation, or due to time zone change. Chronic insomnia develops in people predisposed to it. Typically, this condition affects elderly patients, women, people who, for one reason or another, sleep no more than 5 hours a day, as well as those who experience prolonged absence from work, marital divorce, psychological and psychiatric trauma, and patients with chronic diseases.

Possible causes of sleep disorders

Difficulty falling asleep is the most common complaint of patients. The desire to sleep that a person experiences before going to bed, but it disappears under the influence of a variety of factors when the person lies down. These may be unpleasant thoughts and memories, the inability to find a comfortable position due to restlessness in the legs, pain or itching, or extraneous sounds. A light drowsiness is disturbed even by the slightest noise, and sometimes a person who has fallen asleep thinks that “he hasn’t slept for a minute.”

There can be many reasons for such difficulty falling asleep, in particular, lack of fatigue, spending a long time in bed during the day, irregular bedtime, anxiety, illnesses that cause itching or pain.

A common complaint is unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities (pins and needles, trembling, tingling, burning, twitching), which force you to constantly change the position of your legs (restless legs syndrome). Symptoms are significantly weakened or disappear completely with movement. The best effect is often achieved by walking or simply standing. Recently, the proportion of patients who have problems falling asleep due to the consumption of stimulating drinks (tea, coffee, energy drinks) in the evening, as well as the abuse of medications (caffeine, psychostimulants, some antidepressants, antipsychotics, nootropics) has increased.

Problems with maintaining sleep mainly consist of frequent awakenings, after which it is difficult to fall back to sleep, and a feeling of “shallow” sleep. The reasons for awakening can be very different (dreams, fears, nightmares, breathing problems, palpitations, the urge to urinate).

Most often, chronic insomnia is a symptom of neurological and mental diseases.

Complaints of poor sleep are typical for patients with stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety-manic states are also accompanied by sleep disturbances.

In many cases, frequent awakenings at night are associated with sleep apnea.

This respiratory disorder occurs during snoring due to the collapse of the tissues of the pharyngeal ring during inspiration and is characterized by a short-term cessation of breathing, which is accompanied by a decrease in blood oxygen levels and interruption of sleep.

Disruption of the circadian rhythm almost always leads to chronic insomnia. This situation occurs during shift work and shift work, as well as among those who sit for a long time in the evening watching TV or a computer. Excess blue light from screens in the evening and night hours causes desynchronosis - a disruption of the circadian biorhythm, which, in turn, leads to sleep disturbances.

Frequent awakenings can be a consequence of cardiovascular (arrhythmias, arterial hypertension), pulmonary (COPD), musculoskeletal (arthritis, rheumatism), genitourinary (prostatitis, urinary incontinence) and endocrine diseases.

Problems with early morning awakening are observed in older people, people suffering from depressive disorders, and panic attacks. As a rule, sleep is interrupted at 4–5 o'clock in the morning and does not resume. Immediately after waking up, patients note a flood of negative thoughts rushing over them. In the morning and during the day they complain of a “broken” state, they have decreased performance, and constant drowsiness.

Which doctors should I contact for sleep disorders?

Initially, you should consult a general practitioner to determine the true cause of insomnia and identify possible concomitant diseases that may lead to sleep disturbances.

If you suspect depressive syndrome, you should consult a psychotherapist or neurologist. With successful treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, sleep usually returns to normal.

In cases where diagnosing sleep disorders is difficult, the therapist refers the patient to a somnologist.

Diagnosis and examinations for sleep disorders

When diagnosing sleep disorders, the first step is to understand whether insomnia is primary or secondary. It should be borne in mind that about 80% of cases of sleep disorders are caused by various diseases. Along with complaints of poor sleep, the following factors should be taken into account: snoring, excess weight, arterial hypertension, neurological disorders (stroke, traumatic brain injury), the presence of diseases that can cause pain at night (rheumatism, myalgia, arthritis of various etiologies) or itching (psoriasis, herpes, thyroid and liver diseases).

Why do you need healthy sleep?

A person needs sleep to restore the physical and psychological strength of the body. It occurs cyclically almost every 24 hours and these cycles are called the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is regulated by the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a pituitary hormone that is produced only in complete darkness. Therefore, an important condition for healthy and long sleep is the illumination of the room. Consequently, failure to adhere to the schedule, sleeping during the day, or working at night can cause circadian rhythm disturbances and cause insomnia.

Inadequate sleep caused by insomnia worsens metabolism and over time can cause obesity and then type 2 diabetes, but this is in the long term. In the short term, there is a risk of dying from a myocardial infarction or stroke without waiting for diabetes

Since lack of sleep or lack of sleep primarily affects the cardiovascular system, you need to treat this problem with due attention

How an osteopath treats insomnia

Among the methods of osteopathy that help in the fight against insomnia are direct and indirect techniques to eliminate the tone of ligaments, fascia and muscles, which is often a reaction of organs to bruise, injury or displacement of the vertebrae.

An osteopath uses methods of inhibition, stretching, traction, twisting, influencing tissue. The spasm goes away, and all organs and parts of the body return to their usual position. The swelling subsides, the pain decreases, and all this contributes to the normalization of sleep patterns. The organs begin to be supplied with blood as expected, irritants are eliminated.

The patient may feel slightly dizzy after an osteopathy session, but this is a normal reaction of the body.

Visiting a therapist and neurologist

To understand which doctor cures insomnia, you need to carefully evaluate the type of activity of each doctor. As you visit the therapist and complain to him about poor quality of sleep, he first of all asks the patient what is involved in going to sleep at night. This can be done:

noise from households and (or) neighbors;
taking certain types of tonics;
taking medications, the side effects of which are considered to be insomnia.

If the doctor is a true professional, he will first try to cure the disease without prescribing medications. After all, sleeping pills from pharmacy counters do not return the patient to full and healthy sleep, but only have a depressing effect on a person’s consciousness. Therefore, waking up in the morning after taking sleeping pills, the patient will not feel better.

Before visiting a doctor, you will need to prepare for him to prescribe tests and additional examinations that will help identify the causes of insomnia, as well as assess the person’s general condition. If this is not done, there will be no result from therapy.

If such a condition was caused by taking medications, the doctor will most likely cancel them or replace them with similar compounds that have a more gentle effect on health.

If the doctor finds the cause of insomnia, but cannot completely cure it, he will give a referral to a specialist with a narrower profile, for example, a neurologist.

The neurologist accepts those patients who have been diagnosed with:

Parkinson's disease;
narcolepsy;
problems related to blood circulation in the brain;
history of stroke;
dementia that was acquired during life;
high pressure inside the skull.

If the cause of disturbed sleep is accurately identified, treatment of insomnia will be quick and quite successful.

It is prohibited to take sleeping pills without a doctor's indication, since if a person has sleep problems caused by hormonal drugs, any sleeping pills will not be able to provide adequate assistance.

If a person suffers from diseases of the brain or blood vessels, sleeping pills will lead to a deterioration in memory.

A neurologist will prescribe drugs to a patient only after making a correct diagnosis - if the disease that has caused deterioration in sleep quality falls within his specialty, the doctor will prescribe a comprehensive treatment. Its correct implementation will help restore healthy and complete sleep in 2-4 weeks.

Doctors' advice for preventing insomnia

Any health disorder has some basis. Often people themselves give themselves sleepless nights. To avoid becoming a victim of insomnia, experts recommend adhering to the following rules:

Sleep in a well-ventilated area, the temperature in which should not exceed 18-22 degrees.
Stop using a night light.
Do not overeat, drink or smoke before a night's rest.
Deal with all traumatic situations in a timely manner.
If you have diseases that cause insomnia, treat them completely.
Stop watching TV and visiting social networks before bed. If you really want to read, then a book with small letters and boring content is best; this will help you fall asleep faster.
To prevent the development of this condition in children, you should avoid active games with your child before bedtime. You can also bathe babies using products containing lavender and other soothing herbs.

All these measures, according to reviews from doctors and patients, will help improve night's sleep. The question of which doctor to go to if you constantly suffer from insomnia is not insoluble.

Eliminating insomnia may require consultation with several specialized specialists and long-term treatment. The main thing is not to delay the visit to the doctor, since an unresolved problem will lead to a significant deterioration in health and a decrease in the quality of life.

Treatment of insomnia

At the initial stage of the disease, you should not resort to self-medication by taking medications without a doctor’s prescription.
This can worsen the situation, cause drug dependence, which will complicate the course of the disease and transfer it to the chronic phase. Restoring brain functions falls within the competence of a psychiatrist-psychotherapist. Only a specialist can correctly understand the true causes of insomnia and prescribe adequate treatment.

Do not put off visiting a professional psychotherapist “for later” - this can lead to irreversible mental health problems.

We do not believe in miracles and easy results in treating brain disorders. We fight together for your healthy life. The desire and willpower of a person, as well as the help of people close to him, are very important.

Insomnia is known to many, but very few see it as a serious problem that needs to be addressed by a specialist. Poor sleep not only causes moral discomfort, but can also cause significant harm to the health of the sleep-deprived.

Violations can also be caused by the use of various psychoactive substances. In this case, therapy should be carried out in a drug treatment clinic.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is defined by both deterioration in sleep quality and shortness of sleep. Sleep, as a natural process that replenishes our body with the necessary energy, does not tolerate when little attention is paid to it. Your body immediately reacts with drowsiness, irritability, decreased performance, and a weakened immune system.

Manifestations of insomnia

prolonged falling asleep, difficulty falling asleep;
frequent awakening;
getting up early;
malaise;
lack of a full night's sleep;
depression.

Main causes of chronic sleep deprivation

prolonged depression;
diseases of the nervous system;
asthma;
overwork;
stress;
heart failure;
alcohol and drug abuse;
kidney diseases;
arthritis;
encephalitis.

If all of the above symptoms apply to you, then you need to take proper measures to eliminate this problem. The problem of insomnia itself can develop for numerous reasons. The epicenter of the development of insomnia can be a number of mental and somatic diseases.

Insomnia and the social environment

Often, social factors also influence the quality and duration of sleep. Self-doubt, inferiority complexes, lack of confidence in the future - all this provokes a violation of the structure of the sleep process.

Distortion of normal sleep is not only a problem of an internal psychological nature, but also the fault of technological progress

All inventions of mankind - television, computer, Internet, mobile phone - pay due attention to human consciousness. These factors prevent him from relaxing properly

Do you need a consultation with a somnologist, and which doctor is best to make an appointment with?

The importance of a good night's rest for our health cannot be overestimated. Do you have trouble falling asleep, have trouble sleeping at night, wake up family members with loud, intermittent snoring, and/or feel groggy in the morning and often throughout the day? Make an appointment with a somnologist and save yourself not only from the above, but also from more serious health problems that sooner or later overtake a person deprived of proper sleep.

Seeking help from a somnologist will allow you to:

determine the exact cause and assess the scale of the problem;
develop an integrated approach to solving it;
monitor the results of treatment and, if necessary, make adjustments to the treatment process.

The causes of sleep disorders are varied. In particular, they may be part of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). With OSA, air is not able to flow freely into the lungs due to partial or complete blocking of the lumen of the upper respiratory tract by muscle walls that relax during sleep. You can read more about the options for breathing problems in patients with obstructive apnea syndrome in this article.

Before visiting a somnologist, you can test yourself for OSA using a special questionnaire, but the final diagnosis should only be made by a specialist.

Poor sleep can also be a consequence of congenital features of the anatomy of the upper respiratory tract, obesity, imperfect functioning of the respiratory center, nervous stress, hormonal imbalance, etc.

A competent somnologist will accurately determine the cause of your sleep disorder, develop a treatment plan and supervise you until complete recovery.

Treatment of insomnia in endogenous diseases

With endogenous diseases, despite the fact that the mechanism of the disease is known, the cause of the disease is not always clear to many doctors, and in this case they are not able to provide the correct treatment for insomnia. Therefore, a specialist is needed who has the ability to qualitatively diagnose such conditions - a highly qualified psychotherapist.

For various types of endogenous diseases, the main cause lies in disturbances in the metabolic processes of the brain. Therefore, the main means of influencing the cause will be complex neurometabolic therapy based on high-tech methods of restorative medicine. Psychotherapeutic influence, when treating insomnia of this type, in the first stages will negatively affect the result. It is possible to effectively get rid of insomnia due to endogenous disorders only by taking into account accurate data on disrupted brain processes.

In these cases, treatment of insomnia is taken under the special supervision of an experienced doctor and requires specialized medical care. However, if the treatment is carried out correctly and the patient follows all the instructions of the attending physician, treatment of insomnia due to endogenous disorders is successful and in a short time.

Treatment of insomnia with asthenia

Asthenia is the most common phenomenon in today's world, so doctors most often encounter the problem of treating insomnia in these disorders of the nervous system. In such cases, treatment of insomnia must be carried out by completely different means. Unfortunately, these disorders are very insidious and difficult to correctly recognize by most doctors. In the initial stages of the formation and development of this mental disorder, it is very well treated, and with it, the treatment of insomnia occurs not only quickly, but also quickly.

The symptoms that are characteristic of this condition are a universal protective reaction of the brain and can be observed in various diseases (mental and internal organs). And also in people who are not sick (with overwork, malnutrition, prolonged stress). In addition to disturbed sleep, it can manifest itself as poor general health, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, absent-mindedness, and headaches. In this case, treatment of insomnia should be aimed at restoring nervous activity. This is achieved by using specific medications, physiotherapy, and using a simple diet and daily routine.

The insidiousness of these disorders lies in the complications that can affect the midline structures of the brain and disrupt the biological processes of the central nervous system.

Causes of insomnia

There are many reasons why sleep disturbance occurs.

Biorhythm disturbance. The pineal gland is located in the human brain. It produces hormonal substances, one of which is melatonin. It is responsible for day and night rhythms. If it is produced in insufficient quantities, the patient has difficulty falling asleep.
Presence of irritants. Sleep is affected by bright light, loud noises, and excessively low or high ambient temperatures.
Sudden sleep apnea due to snoring.
Stress. Violations of a person’s psycho-emotional background lead to changes in hormonal levels. An increased amount of adrenaline is released into the blood, leading to overexcitation.
Pain in acute and chronic diseases. Pulpitis, wounds on the surface of the skin, gastrointestinal infections, conditions after surgery, ARVI with elevated body temperature can lead to insomnia.
Eliminating bad habits. If the patient has been using alcohol, drugs, or nicotine for a long time, abrupt withdrawal of these substances causes poor health and inability to sleep.
Mental illness, depression, anxiety.
Use of medications: corticosteroids, adrenergic blockers, chondroitin and other drugs.
Primary sleep disorder. In early childhood (up to 3 years), sleep disturbances occur for no apparent reason. In adults, insomnia occurs due to disorders of the brain and circadian rhythm. People cannot fall asleep with increased muscle tone and involuntary movements (trembling legs).

Causes

Transient and short-term insomnia is caused by external and internal circumstances:

Violation of the correct alternation of phases of rest and activity (night shift work).
Insufficient comfort in the bedroom (temperature too low or high, bright light sources, noise).
Increased level of anxiety and agitation of the patient (stressful events).
Acute diseases with respiratory problems (rhinitis, shortness of breath, cough), surgical operations (pain), problems with urination and bowel movements (nocturia, diarrhea).
Consumption of alcohol, psychotropic drugs and other toxic substances.

Chronic insomnia occurs against the background of diseases:

Somatic pathologies: heart failure, arrhythmias, central nervous system lesions (tumors, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, strokes.
Mental illnesses: depressive and bipolar conditions, dementia, schizophrenia and other psychoses.
Side effects of certain medications: steroids, statins, alpha and beta blockers, chondroprotectors.
Apnea of central origin.
Restless legs syndrome.

What causes of insomnia can an osteopath help with?

In a situation where problems with night rest were caused by a somatic illness, an osteopathic specialist will direct efforts to restore the functioning of the impaired organ. It will help increase lymph flow and blood flow, eliminate muscle tension and pinched nerves. Often this is what causes the patient to wake up at night in pain.

If the cause of loss of sleep is hidden in emotional overstrain, osteopathic methods will help the patient relax and eliminate muscle tone. Already during the procedure, many patients feel relaxed and sleep right on the massage table. This is a significant argument indicating the high effectiveness of osteopathy in relieving tension.

The doctor will also help with insomnia diagnosed due to central nervous system disorders. Using a specific technique, a specialist will help improve the functioning of the brain. This especially helps older people. The activity of the hypothalamus decreases, the secretion of melatonin slows down, hence the sleep becomes shallow.

What does the doctor prescribe

Depending on the identified cause of insomnia, the attending physician prescribes a specific treatment regimen for the patient. The therapeutic course may contain both medications and various techniques for correcting sleep disorders.

Sleeping pills and sedatives.

Doctors try not to immediately prescribe powerful drugs that have a direct hypnotic effect.
They are quickly addictive and do not eliminate the cause of insomnia. Patients are often prescribed mild sedatives that can relieve insomnia. When a person begins to regain his own proper sleep, the doctor gradually discontinues drug therapy. Recently, the drugs Sonylux and DreamZzz appeared on the pharmaceutical market. They effectively streamline your night's rest and significantly reduce the time spent falling asleep. In addition, they performed well against depression. These drugs help overcome anxiety, stress and chronic fatigue. They also protect against excessive nervous tension and improve mood.

"Sonylux" and DreamZzz are natural medicines. The manufacturer made them from natural ingredients (Alishan gaba tea, lofant, a collection of 32 medicinal plants and beaver stream).

O and DreamZzz not only cope well with insomnia, but also have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole. As a result, a person gets good sleep, gets rid of a melancholic mood and improves the nervous system.

To say goodbye to insomnia and depression, you should take Sonilyux or DreamZzz at least 2 times a day - one measuring spoon at a time.

Psychotherapy

Sometimes it remains the only method of treating insomnia if sleep disturbances are provoked by stress, neurosis or increased anxiety. If necessary, psychotherapeutic sessions are supplemented with mild sedatives.

Treatment of diseases of organs and their systems.

If insomnia occurs as a result of dysfunction of the endocrine, nervous and other systems, a complex effect on the body is necessary. Sometimes medication is included in the course of treatment to restore normal sleep.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jcRhQd_5Nh8

Which doctor should I contact if I have sleep disturbances?

If self-help does not bring sufficient results or if you want to get a faster effect, then you should seek the help of a doctor. You should not delay contacting a specialist, as the sleep disorder will progress and lead to exhaustion of the body.

If you are concerned about sleep disorders, which doctor should you contact? First of all, you need the help of a psychiatrist-psychotherapist, but you may need to consult related specialists - a neurologist or psychologist. It is better to go to places that can provide the views of doctors of different specialties and a specific examination. A clinic where sleep disorders are treated must have a license and a staff of highly qualified specialists who have experience in sleep medicine. Only in this case will the patient receive a thorough and up-to-date diagnosis and different treatment options depending on the situation.

If you are looking for a clinic that deals with the problems of sleep disorders, the best person to contact will be the availability of experienced specialists with appropriate qualifications and the possibility of conducting a full examination. Diagnostics should include:

Collecting anamnesis and clarifying habits: the doctor will identify and study the probable causes of your problem, perhaps recommend keeping a sleep diary with subsequent analysis
Laboratory and instrumental examination: it is necessary to understand whether insomnia is a consequence of somatic problems. For example, you may need a blood test for hormones or instrumental methods for examining the brain
Competent analysis of medications and procedures that were prescribed for other diseases
Conducting polysomnography: this is a modern method of studying the parameters and functions of the body during sleep with subsequent analysis

If you have poor sleep, you should choose which doctor you see responsibly. Sleep disorders are a separate area of medicine that requires special knowledge and knowledge of different approaches: from behavioral therapy to a combination of different medications. Specialists without experience in caring for patients with such disorders may not be up to date with modern approaches and may not be familiar with effective treatment techniques.

Visiting a therapist and neurologist

noise from households and (or) neighbors;
taking certain types of tonics;
taking medications, the side effects of which are considered to be insomnia.

If such a condition was caused by taking medications, the doctor will most likely cancel them or replace them with similar compounds that have a more gentle effect on health.

If the doctor finds the cause of insomnia, but cannot completely cure it, he will give a referral to a specialist with a narrower profile, for example, a neurologist.

The neurologist accepts those patients who have been diagnosed with:

Parkinson's disease;
narcolepsy;
problems related to blood circulation in the brain;
history of stroke;
dementia that was acquired during life;
high pressure inside the skull.

If the cause of disturbed sleep is accurately identified, treatment of insomnia will be quick and quite successful.

If a person suffers from diseases of the brain or blood vessels, sleeping pills will lead to a deterioration in memory.

To establish the correct diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe the patient polysomnography - this is a modern study in which a special instrument records sleep parameters when the patient is asleep.

Since narcolepsy cannot be completely cured, comprehensive treatment is aimed at reducing the signs of the disease. During its course, the doctor’s duty is to normalize the quality of sleep at the maximum level. Of course, this is not always possible to do fully - in this case, the somnologist will prescribe medications to the patient that stimulate the central nervous system.

Such drugs will not allow a person to suddenly fall asleep during the daytime. And before going to bed, the patient will need to drink a gentle sleeping pill, which will allow the person to fall asleep quickly and soundly. Sometimes somnologists prescribe behavioral therapy to patients to fully cure insomnia.

However, this is not so - a psychologist will be able to correctly identify the cause of insomnia, as well as understand the psycho-emotional state of the patient. If insomnia occurs in an advanced form, the patient will need to undergo hypnoanalysis to carefully understand the person’s condition.

If a person develops insomnia due to a mental disorder, which is considered a common problem of the modern generation, patients will need to see a psychiatrist. After diagnosis, he will prescribe the following types of medications to the patient:

neuroleptics;
sedatives;
antidepressants.

It is prohibited to take such medications on your own, since only a doctor can choose the correct dosage of a particular drug, as well as choose the safest and most effective treatment.

In the event that insomnia was caused by depression or stress, the doctor prescribes medications to help the person get enough sleep, after which he sends him to a psychologist to fully solve the problem.

General recommendations

Each of the specialists mentioned, in addition to specific treatment, will give the patient general recommendations regarding behavior in everyday life:

Do not smoke before bed, because the stimulant effect of nicotine interferes with normal sleep and prevents you from falling asleep.
Do not drink alcohol before bed - it affects the deep sleep phases.
Do not abuse coffee and caffeine-containing products (cola, tea and chocolate). Since caffeine remains in the body for at least 12 hours, it is recommended to consume such products only in the first half of the day or not at all.
Do not overeat shortly before bedtime - a heavy stomach prevents you from falling asleep. If you want to have a snack, it is better to drink a glass of warm milk or eat 1 tsp. honey
The bedroom should be quiet and dark. If noise from behind the wall bothers you, you can try using earplugs, but some people cannot fall asleep precisely because of the sensation of a foreign body in their ears.
Before turning off the lights, it is better to read for a few minutes until you feel drowsy.
Avoid watching horror films, thrillers and melodramas that cause anxiety in the evening.

Usually it takes at least 3 months to normalize sleep, especially in the case of insomnia due to stress. If a person has been weakening his nervous system for several years, then he will not be able to cope with the problem in a week.

Type

What to do if you have sleep disturbances

Sleep is essential for maintaining health. If you are wondering what to do in case of sleep disturbances in order to get enough sleep again, then first of all you need to pay attention to your habits. Sometimes, to normalize sleep, it is enough to follow these tips:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time
Make sure the sleeping area is comfortable and the room is well ventilated
Avoid electronic devices less than 40 minutes before bedtime. Their use can lead to loss of sleep due to the bright artificial light of blue screens, which suppresses the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Spend at least 30 minutes outside every day
Add physical activity and sports to your life, but avoid exercising before bed - this can have a stimulating effect and make it difficult to fall asleep
Use relaxing breathing techniques before bed
Go to bed in a calm state: working from home, watching movies or loud music can aggravate the sleep disorder, which is absolutely not possible. Avoid activities before bed that may make you anxious
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine a few hours before bedtime
Don't eat heavy foods or drink a lot of liquid two to three hours before bedtime

The listed recommendations can work for mild forms of insomnia without serious mental or physical causes. In other cases, if your sleep is disturbed, only an experienced specialist will tell you what to do.

Factors of insomnia

To cure a disease, it is important to know what causes it. Dream disorder can occur due to mental, emotional, physical reasons and have an acute and chronic course

It happens that insomnia develops due to overexertion during the day, drinking large amounts of coffee or energy drinks.

Psychogenic causes

Most often, when a patient complains of insomnia, the problem is of psychogenic origin. Insomnia is caused by:

emotional excitement;
stress;
state of anxiety;
neuroses;
depression.

Typical situations in which a violation occurs include:

overstrain on an emotional level due to a busy day or an upcoming important event; anxiety about not falling asleep - if you force the body to sleep, the chances of falling asleep are minimal; nightmares - with frequent dreams of horror films, on a subconscious level there is no desire to sleep, so as not to see them again.

Problems with dreams may occur due to mental illness (depression). In this case, you should immediately consult an insomnia doctor to make a diagnosis and prescribe the required treatment.

Failure in the respiratory system

A fairly common phenomenon is sleep apnea, which is characterized by repeated cessation of breathing during dreaming. Similar cessations can be observed when a person snores while sleeping. The snoring stops at a certain moment, becomes quiet, after which the patient snores and changes position.

During sleep, human muscles relax. This also applies to the throat apparatus. When the tissues in the back of the throat relax, the breathing pathways are blocked, followed by blockage of air. A fragment of respiratory arrest does not last long, no more than 10 seconds, but more than 500 similar episodes can occur per night.

Basically, the patient does not notice the interruption in breathing and does not awaken. Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night, the quality of sleep is lost, rest becomes intermittent, and he cannot get enough sleep and gain strength.

Somatic ailments

Insomnia can be caused by somatic diseases. In this case, the disorder refers to a secondary manifestation, which is not an independent problem, but a sign of a somatic or mental illness.

The main cause of insomnia in pathology is pain. Any severe pain will make it difficult to sleep. In addition, sleep may be interfered with by:

cough;
arrhythmia;
nausea;
itchy skin.

List of somatic diseases observed in insomnia.

Hiatal hernia. Painful sensations are provoked by a late dinner, food that causes flatulence and appears immediately after going to bed.
Stomach ulcer – pain develops after 3 hours of rest, close to morning.
Angina pectoris – the patient does not sleep due to pain and heaviness in the heart, which is aggravated by lying on his back. The syndrome results in repeated risings during the night.
Heart failure is the reason for waking up suffocated. The symptom is typical for people who suffer from hypertension, heart defects, and coronary artery disease.
With most diseases, frequent urination is possible, sometimes at night.
Thyrotoxicosis.
Feverish conditions.

Domestic reasons and lifestyle

The appearance of insomnia can be caused by everyday problems, which include:

violation of recreational hygiene rules;
change in biological rhythm;
late eating;
drinking coffee and other tonic drinks;
drinking alcohol;
lack of employment during the day.

Hygiene is understood as a set of rules that promote healthy rest. Rest disorders can appear due to noise and light. It is impossible to sleep on an uncomfortable bed, poorly chosen pajamas, a cold or hot blanket, or high or low temperature.

If you spend the whole day in bed without even sleeping, then the problem of insomnia at night is guaranteed. With a lifestyle that favors rest and quiet, constant sleep disorders will undoubtedly begin, and then the feeling of wakefulness will be absent.