Causes of insomnia in women at night: what and why it happens before menstruation, after childbirth, during breastfeeding, from abstinence, what is the pathology associated with at 30, at 40 and after 45 years, what treatment methods are used?

Insomnia is a serious disease characterized by various sleep disorders.

A person cannot fall asleep for a long time, while experiencing severe drowsiness and fatigue.

And if he does fall asleep, he can wake up several times during the night.

At the same time, sleep is disturbing, intermittent and shallow. It does not give rest, and in the morning a person feels completely defeated.

Insomnia is a pathological disease that occurs for various reasons. A whole range of medications is needed to normalize sleep.

Causes of insomnia in women 20, 30, 40, 50 years old

Sleep disturbances . Falling asleep and waking up at different times disrupts circadian rhythms. As a result, insomnia occurs.
Diseases . Various health problems can impair sleep.
Stress . Difficulties at work and frequent conflicts negatively affect a woman’s sleep.
Improper preparation for bed . The temperature in the bedroom, an uncomfortable mattress, excess noise and other factors have a bad effect on the quality of sleep.
Wrong diet . Overeating at night increases gastrointestinal motility, which can make it difficult to fall asleep.
Frequent drinking of coffee or tea . Both drinks contain caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system and interferes with sleep.
Smoking before bed . Nicotine, like caffeine, has a stimulating effect. And even one cigarette before bed can cause insomnia.
Taking stimulant medications . Some medications interfere with sleep. As a rule, this is stated in the annotation for the drug. However, you should not stop taking medications without consulting the doctor who prescribed them. Tell your doctor about your insomnia, maybe a specialist will change the medication.
Aging . With age, physiological processes change in a woman’s body. Moreover, these changes affect the functioning of the brain, which leads to a decrease in sleep time.
Pregnancy . Pregnant women experience hormonal changes, which can disrupt sleep.

Now let’s look at the main causes of insomnia in women.

Treatment of insomnia

Therapy for sleep disorders occurs with the help of medications and traditional medicine. At least 15% of all people cannot sleep normally without taking sleeping pills. If we are talking about medications, it is not recommended to take them yourself. It is better to prefer a safer option using alternative medicine methods.

Drug treatment

The causes of insomnia in women over 50 years old can be different. Therefore, in order to eliminate the signs of sleep disturbance, it is necessary to consult a specialist. Insomnia can have physiological problems, so before taking sleeping pills it is worth eliminating the root cause.

If a woman is sure that insomnia is not a serious disorder and is a temporary disorder, you can purchase sedatives that are sold without a prescription. Phenobarbital-based drugs are effective - Corvalol with Valocordin. These and similar drugs inhibit the processes of excitation. And the scent of mint in the products relieves muscle spasms, which helps improve brain nutrition.

To get the effect, you should use up to 50 drops, which need to be diluted in water. But you shouldn’t get carried away and take it for more than 2 weeks, as these medications can be addictive.

Excitation processes in the brain can be normalized through drugs that improve blood circulation. Memoplant and Tanakan are similar ones. They are produced in the form of tablets. You need to drink 2 pieces twice a day.

You can also use adaptogenic agents like Melatonex, Melatonin. They help restore the lack of melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms and sleep quality. Take 2 tablets before bed.

In addition to over-the-counter medications, prescription medications are also prescribed. These include tablets of a number of tranquilizers (Phenazepam), benzodiazepines (Somnol), barbiturates (Meprobamate), and antihistamines.

The disadvantage of all these representatives is that they cause drowsiness during the day, partial amnesia, and an increase in insomnia after the end of their use.

Non-drug treatment

Insomnia in women can be treated using traditional medicine. The most effective are:

valerian tincture;
infusion of sleep herb;
pumpkin broth;
fragrant tea.

Valerian tincture can be purchased ready-made at the pharmacy or made yourself. To do this, take the dry roots of the plant, chop it and pour a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of the mixture. After an hour or two, you can drink the product 100 ml per dose. In addition, drink 2 spoons three times a day.

Sleep-herb is named so for good reason; it is used not only as a sedative, but also as an analgesic. To prepare a decoction from it, you need to take at least 10 flowers of the plant and pour half a liter of vodka. After 10 days, the product can be used. Drink a couple of spoons half an hour before bedtime. Achieving complete elimination of insomnia occurs after 3 weeks of use.

For pumpkin decoction you will need 250 grams of vegetables and a liter of water. Grate the pumpkin, add water, cook for 40 minutes. Drink half a glass before bed, and after a week increase the dose to a glass.

Tea is made from hops and aromatic herbs. To prepare it you need valerian root (50 grams), fresh hop cones (40 grams), fresh mint leaves (20 grams), chicory root (20 grams), honey (1 tbsp.). Pour all this over a liter of boiling water, let it sit for half a day, then strain and add honey. The dose is a glass of decoction an hour before bedtime.

Sleep disturbance

Recently, the average daily sleep duration has begun to decrease. The reasons for this are low physical activity, stress, bad habits, etc. Accordingly, in order to improve the quality and duration of sleep, you should remove everything that has a bad effect on your night's rest.

To restore your sleep pattern, exercise at least 2 times a week for 30 minutes. Moreover, it is better to finish classes at least 2 hours before bed. If you complete your workouts close to bedtime, you may experience stress-induced insomnia.

Next, you should give up cigarettes, since tobacco smoke does not promote sleep.

It's good if you can afford a nap during the day. However, if you have insomnia, it is better not to sleep during the day.

The most important rule for disrupted sleep patterns is to go to bed and wake up at the same time . Moreover, you should follow the regime even on weekends, when you don’t need to go anywhere in the morning.

To avoid health problems and deterioration in appearance, experts recommend that women sleep 8 hours a day.

There is an opinion that sleep between 11:00 pm and 3:00 am is the most beneficial. However, if your work schedule does not allow you to sleep during these hours, it is not necessary to adjust your sleep to this time. It is much more important to sleep a certain number of hours at the right time.

We take measures in advance

To prevent the development of insomnia against the background of isolated cases of impaired rest, it is recommended to perform breathing exercises at home, as well as follow simple rules of sleep hygiene:

nutrition correction;
formation of optimal sleep and wakefulness;
moderate physical activity (gymnastics, walking, cycling);
using aromatherapy with orange and lemon oil;
the use of meditative practices;
light relaxing massage;
nightly baths with soothing herbal infusions.

Diseases associated with insomnia

Sleep disturbances are rarely associated with any illness. However, there are pathologies that are accompanied by insomnia in women. Let's list the main diseases:

Depression . Consequence of chronic or acute stress. Almost always leads to sleep disturbances.
Sleep apnea . Characterized by frequent pauses in breathing during sleep. Intermittent breathing at night ultimately leads to hypoxia, due to which brain function does not recover overnight.
Diseases of the nervous system and traumatic brain injuries . Diseases and injuries in most cases disrupt brain function. This in turn provokes the development of insomnia. The most common diseases that are accompanied by sleep problems are dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, central nervous system tumors, etc.
Hormonal diseases . Sleep disturbances occur in diseases of the thyroid gland, gynecological problems, diseases of the adrenal glands and other ailments of the endocrine system.
Bronchial asthma and respiratory pathologies . Impaired respiratory function contributes to the development of insomnia.
Gastrointestinal diseases . Heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus) and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract indirectly disrupt sleep.
Migraine . Recurrent headaches can lead to insomnia.
Restless legs syndrome . Involuntary leg movements make falling asleep worse.

Features of the disease and symptoms

Almost 45% of women suffer from insomnia.
This is due to the psychological and physiological characteristics of the weaker sex.

Stress, depression, mental and hormonal imbalances in the body lead to insomnia.

Most often, pregnant and nursing mothers, girls during puberty, and women during menopause suffer from the disease.

Symptoms of the disease can be very diverse. Most often women complain:

for prolonged falling asleep, which can last up to several hours;
to intermittent and superficial sleep;
early awakenings, after which it is impossible to fall asleep;
concentration decreases;
chronic fatigue appears;
brain activity decreases;
performance decreases;
irritability and aggressiveness appear;
appetite decreases;
body weight decreases;
emotional state changes;
the skin becomes pale or sallow in color;
Dark circles are clearly visible under the eyes.

This article will tell you about the causes of insomnia in men.

Stress as a cause of insomnia in women

Stress and its consequences in the form of depression can be placed in 1st place in the number of cases of insomnia among the fair sex. Trying to get rid of stress and speed up falling asleep, some ladies take sleeping pills. However, medications help only temporarily. Therefore, often after the end of the course, insomnia returns again. For this reason, sleep disorders need to be treated comprehensively together with a general practitioner.

To normalize sleep, it is recommended not to conflict with loved ones and colleagues, to play sports, meditate, communicate with friends, etc. To distract from work stress, find yourself a hobby that would captivate and delight you. For example, join a gym, take a makeup class, or do yoga. It all depends on your desire.

You should not immediately become addicted to antidepressants and “heavy” sleeping pills. First, try to improve your sleep in other ways. For example, through physical activity, meditation, etc.

If the measures described above do not relieve insomnia, go to an appointment with a somnologist.

How to treat insomnia?

Insomnia can be treated using traditional methods or by going to the clinic. When treating yourself, it is important not to harm your health even more and not to use strong psychotropic and hypnotic drugs on your own.

You should consult a doctor if you notice:

inability to fall asleep after 30 minutes to an hour of being in bed without light sources around;
frequent awakening without further opportunity to fall back to sleep;
feel tired after waking up;
symptoms last longer than a week or two.

There are three methods of treating insomnia that are combined with each other. Replacement therapy involves taking hormones in the form of tablets, which are taken before falling asleep and help normalize sleep. Psychotherapy and sleeping pills, which are prescribed by the doctor after a complete examination of the patient.

Are medications needed?

Medications should only be prescribed by a doctor and in severe cases of insomnia. They have a number of side effects that should be monitored by specialists. Many of the medications carry the risk of dependence and addiction.

Natural herbal medicines that have a mild sedative effect have a milder effect - these are valerian, motherwort tincture, Menovazin, Persen or Novo-passit. They can be used independently, but also with extreme caution and analysis of the instructions with contraindications.

Zolpidem and Zaleplon have virtually no side effects and help you fall asleep quickly.

Under no circumstances should this condition be treated by drinking alcohol.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies that can help normalize not too advanced cases of insomnia:

dried bay leaves are added to the pillow on which a person suffering from insomnia sleeps;
eating a small amount of onion half an hour before bedtime;
drinking tincture of dill seeds or hop cones;
250 ml of warmed milk with honey before resting.

Gymnastics and massage for insomnia for women

One of the safest and most enjoyable ways to treat sleep disorders is massage. It is quite effective for insomnia that is not too severe, especially with aromatic oils.

Lavender oil is applied to the temples and lightly massaged into this area before bed. You can knead your feet with light circular movements for 20 minutes before falling asleep and when waking up.

Acupressure can be performed by anyone who does not have vascular pathologies, rashes or other skin damage, tumors or thrombophlebitis. This method involves massaging sleepy points on the body.

The duration of the method on one zone is up to three minutes. There should be no pain during the procedure.

The point located between the eyebrows, about 1 cm above the bridge of the nose, is warmed up. You need to press on it for a minute or two. The second point is located on the outside of the wrist near the little finger at the end of the wrist fold. It can be found by the depression between the tendons.

Chinese gymnastics is good for insomnia 10 minutes before falling asleep. Leaning on your back, you need to extend your arms and place them in different directions. Legs bend at the knees. You need to cross your knees and then place your left knee on top of your right. Take 10 smooth breaths on one side and the other.

Eating at night is bad for sleep

Many representatives of the fair sex cannot sleep after a hearty dinner. However, poor diet is rarely the true cause of insomnia in women. Nutrition is just an additional factor that is often combined with more serious causes of insomnia.

However, it is better not to overeat at night and monitor your caloric intake. Eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. So, the body absorbs food better, which is good not only for sleep, but also for maintaining your figure. You should finish dinner 2 hours before going to bed. In this case, you will not go to bed with a full stomach and will not feel hungry while falling asleep.

To get rid of insomnia, it is better not to drink tea or coffee after lunch. In addition, it is not recommended to consume these drinks in the morning. Tea and coffee contain caffeine, a nervous system stimulant. Excess caffeine in the body increases brain activity, which makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Drinking heavily a few hours before bedtime also does not contribute to proper rest. A large amount of fluid in the body increases the functioning of the kidneys, which is why you will often get up to go to the toilet at night.

Causes

If a person wakes up at night and tosses around in bed for a long time to fall asleep, we can talk about the development of insomnia.

Women are more emotional than men, so they are more likely to be violated. It is more difficult for them to abstract themselves from problems and relax their nervous system. In addition to psychological reasons, there are other prerequisites for the development of pathology.

Poor sleep hygiene

External factors influence how quickly you fall asleep. To prevent insomnia at night, it is important to create an atmosphere in the bedroom that is conducive to rest. Proper sleep hygiene is of great importance . It includes:

Comfortable bed. For a comfortable rest, you need an orthopedic mattress, a small pillow, and linen made from natural materials. You should choose a blanket according to the season. It should not be cold under it in winter, and hot in summer.
Temperature indicators. The bedroom needs to be ventilated every evening. Fresh air is the key to a sound, restful sleep. The room should not be damp. If the air is too dry, you need to use humidifiers.
Silence and absence of light. To relax, you need to remove extraneous sounds, close the curtains in the bedroom tightly, and turn off the lighting sources.

Failure to follow these recommendations significantly worsens the quality of sleep.

Nutrition and its regime

An incorrect approach to nutrition can cause insomnia. Fatty dishes, marinades, and fast food overload the stomach and cause swelling. To fall asleep easily, it is recommended to eat small portions at a time and enrich your diet:

fresh herbs;
fiber;
vegetables;
boiled meat;
fish.

You need to give up late dinners. The last meal can be 4 hours before bedtime.

In the evenings, you should not drink strong tea and coffee. These drinks excite the nervous system and cause insomnia even in women under 30 years of age.

Jet lag

Often the problem develops due to a failure of the biological clock. This happens when a person wants to sleep outside of school hours. With the onset of darkness, the body produces melatonin, a hormone that causes drowsiness. If, under the influence of external and internal factors, the production of melatonin decreases, insomnia begins to worry.

It is useful for a woman to get more rest, refuse to work at night, do exercises every day and carefully observe the daily routine, going to bed and waking up at a precisely set hour.

If the biological clock is disrupted, medical attention is required, which is prescribed on an individual basis..

Taking medications

Medications can disrupt sleep. Tranquilizers pose a great threat. They affect the nervous system and, with prolonged use, provoke insomnia. Prominent representatives of such drugs are amphetamines and inhibitors of the nervous system. Other medications also cause unpleasant symptoms:

first generation antihistamines;
antidepressants;
drugs to lower blood pressure;
codeine cough tablets;
corticosteroids;
bronchodilators.

Anxiety and stress

Nervous strain is considered the main factor for insomnia. To get rid of stress, some women uncontrollably take antidepressants and tranquilizers and only worsen the problem.

To get a good night's sleep, it is important to calm down. While lying in bed, you should not scroll through unpleasant life situations in your head. It's better to think about the good.

Walking in the fresh air can help cope with excessive excitement and stress. Before going to bed, you can take a warm bath with essential oils, drink chamomile tea or milk with honey.

Night terrors

Some people experience uncontrollable fear in the dark. They are afraid to fall asleep and dream. The condition is called hypnophobia. A prerequisite for the development of pathology is often the impressionability of women who are afraid of nightmares or are afraid of dying in their sleep.

The root cause of psychological illness in most cases lies in childhood. Domestic violence and scary books and movies can leave an imprint that will haunt you for years to come. Therapy for hypnophobia occurs under the guidance of a psychologist on an individual basis.

Impact of diseases

Sleep is a physiological process. Any disturbances in the functioning of the body can provoke disruptions leading to insomnia. Most often, the inability to fall asleep at night is a consequence of a mental disorder . Pathologies also contribute to:

traumatic brain injuries;
diseases of the nervous system;
apnea syndrome.

Somatic diseases impair the functioning of the entire body and disrupt sleep. Signs of insomnia are observed in patients suffering from hypothyroidism, gastrointestinal pathologies, and bronchial asthma.

Snore

Snoring occurs not only in men, but also in women. It develops under the influence of:

curvature of the nasal septum;
excess weight;
malocclusion;
hormonal disorders;
birth defects;
severe fatigue.

Often snoring in women after 40 years of age appears due to age-related changes. Muscle tone weakens, tissues lose elasticity, and the airways become narrower . This causes snoring, sometimes accompanied by a short cessation of breathing. This condition does not allow you to fully rest and threatens insomnia.

Elderly age

In older years, melatonin production is weaker, and chronic diseases worry us.

After menopause, many women suffer from insomnia, the treatment of which requires a comprehensive approach. It includes physical therapy, diet, and taking medications aimed at eliminating the symptoms of menopause and chronic diseases.

Other reasons

The list of reasons why you may have difficulty falling asleep is wide. It includes:

bad habits;
obesity;
endocrine diseases;
pregnancy;
helminthic infestation;
infectious process.

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How to properly prepare for bed

The cause of insomnia in women may be the conditions in which sleep takes place. These include an uncomfortable mattress, bright light, noise, uncomfortable temperature in the bedroom, and an incorrectly selected blanket and pillow.

Proper organization of sleep will help solve the problem of insomnia. To begin, purchase an orthopedic pillow that supports your head and neck in the desired position. By choosing the right pillow, you will avoid neck pain in the morning. Read more about how to choose a pillow for sleeping here.

an orthopedic mattress is important . An even position of the spine on the mattress improves the quality of sleep and prevents back pain after getting up. What to do if your back hurts after sleep, read this article.

Bed linen should be made from natural materials, such as cotton or silk. As a rule, natural products are best suited for sound sleep.

Along with preparing the place to sleep, take care of the climate in the bedroom. The cause of insomnia in women may be too dry or excessively humid air. In the case of dry air, the problem will be solved by a special humidifier , which will automatically spray moisture in the bedroom. Ventilating the bedroom before going to bed works well to combat humid air. By the way, if it’s not too cold outside at night, sleep with the window open.

The temperature in the bedroom during sleep should be 16-20 degrees Celsius . This will ensure the most sound sleep possible. In this case, you need to sleep under a warm blanket so as not to freeze at night.

When it is very hot and stuffy at night, you can turn on the air conditioner, setting the recommended air temperature to 16-20 degrees. However, if you have a small child or often get colds, you still shouldn’t the air conditioner

Earplugs made of polypropylene, polyurethane or silicone will eliminate extraneous sounds If you are bothered by excess light in the bedroom, buy thick curtains. By choosing the right curtains, you can sleep in complete darkness, even if the sun is shining brightly outside the window.

What diseases cause insomnia?

Insomnia in women can be caused not only by physiological reasons and external factors, but also by disease. The most well-known provoking pathologies, diseases and syndromes are usually:

Mental disorders . The next stage of psychosocial stress and anxiety is systemic progressive depression;
Neurological diseases . This includes dementia, Parkinson's disease and other wide-spectrum pathologies;
Traumatic brain injuries with disruption of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves;
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome . Brief pauses in breathing during the night's rest are a very serious cause that is usually not noticed due to the classic external manifestation (snoring);
Somatic diseases . This includes a huge range of “bodily” diseases, from various dysfunctions of the thyroid gland and diseases of the bronchopulmonary system to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, nocturnal myoclonus and even pain syndrome of a wide etiology.

We recommend reading: Bad breath: quick solutions, causes and treatment

Somatic diseases

This type of disease is characterized by disruptions in the normal functioning of human systems and organs, is caused by internal or external influences, and can cause insomnia in a woman.

The above-described pathologies are not associated with the mental activity of the fair sex, and when conducting a high-quality comprehensive diagnosis, the cause of sleep disturbance is often accurately established.

Bronchopulmonary system . Typically, insomnia affects women who are diagnosed with bronchial asthma, as well as chronic pathologies associated with respiratory obstruction;
Gastrointestinal disorders . The most common provoking factor is esophageal reflux;
Problems with the thyroid gland . Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause problems falling and staying asleep;
Pain syndrome . Fibromyalgia, migraines and other similar conditions often cause insomnia;
Neuroscience Disorders and Trauma . Almost all neurological diseases, as well as direct injuries to the skull and spine, develop negative symptoms with multiple sleep disturbances;
Special syndromes . Pickwick syndrome and restless legs, myoclonus, central system apnea and much more.

Snoring and sleep apnea syndrome

Among the fair sex there is an opinion that snoring is only the lot of men. This is not at all true; women are susceptible to all possible causes of the formation of this syndrome (here you can read more about snoring in women), as well as its complex form in the form of obstructive sleep apnea, although to a lesser extent.

The narrowing of the upper respiratory tract in the area of the nasopharynx causes difficulty in airflow in this area - during this process, turbulence is formed and a characteristic low sound of a certain repeating frequency occurs.

In some cases, the pathology is accompanied by swelling of the above area and a decrease in smooth muscle tone, which provokes partial or complete closure of the respiratory channels during sleep with short-term pauses in breathing. With this type of pathology, called obstructive apnea, the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases , pulmonary hypertension, oxygen starvation with insufficient nutrition of brain structures, as well as other serious problems increase significantly.

A woman who regularly snores or a representative of the fair sex with OSA syndrome often suffers from insomnia, does not get enough sleep and feels “broken” most of the daylight hours. The solution to the problem is to find and eliminate the cause of the syndrome.

Other Possible Causes

There are many other reasons why a woman may suffer from insomnia. These include bad habits from alcohol abuse, smoking, and pregnancy with its global hormonal changes, as well as excess weight, endocrine, infectious, organic, parasitic diseases, kidney and liver damage with secondary unpleasant symptoms.

Any case that is not clearly diagnosed at home should be reviewed by a specialized specialist.

Only a comprehensive examination, differential analysis, instrumental and laboratory diagnostic methods can reveal the true cause of insomnia, and after prescribed therapy, help get rid of unpleasant pathologies.

Drugs that keep you awake

Sleeping pills and tranquilizers . It would seem that these remedies, on the contrary, should combat insomnia. In principle, this is true. However, abruptly stopping these medications can seriously disrupt sleep.
Stimulants . Caffeinated drugs and other drugs that stimulate the nervous system often cause insomnia in women.
Drugs that normalize blood pressure . Means to increase or decrease blood pressure affect vascular tone. And this often provokes sleep disturbances.
Antihistamines . Allergy medications, especially the first generation, often lead to sleepless nights.
Antidepressants and neuroleptics . The active ingredients in these drugs interfere with brain function and change sleep cycles. Among antidepressants, the side effect of insomnia is more common in the subgroup of SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Steroids . Muscle-building drugs can also cause insomnia. This also includes corticosteroids - medications for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, skin diseases and other serious pathologies. Taking these medications can also be accompanied by sleep disturbances.
Medicines for bronchial asthma . They eliminate bronchospasms, but can cause insomnia.

Insomnia that occurs in women and its characteristics

It has been established that most often the female half of the population suffers from insomnia. This is due to the fact that by their nature women are more emotional and react violently to the occurrence of any non-standard situation. In addition, the development of the disorder is associated with the physiological characteristics of the female body: changes in hormonal levels and the functioning of the nervous system.

Apnea and snoring are factors of insomnia

Both pathologies are observed in women no less often than in men. And most often, snoring or apnea occurs in older women, as well as in overweight women.

Apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing several times during the night. Moreover, one can hold one’s breath up to 400 times during the entire sleep period . The causes of apnea are usually associated with the anatomical features of the upper respiratory tract, weakening of the muscles of the palate, obesity, etc.

Snoring often precedes apnea. Snoring itself occurs due to narrowing of the airways in the nasopharynx. When air passes through this anatomical area, vibration occurs, which is accompanied by a characteristic sound.

Snoring often leads to swelling of the nasopharynx, which is precisely the cause of apnea in women. Obstructive apnea , in which the airways are blocked, increases the risk of developing cardiovascular pathologies. For example, frequent pauses in breathing during sleep provoke the appearance of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and angina pectoris . And these diseases, in turn, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The causes of insomnia in women in the form of snoring and apnea, among other things, worsen their well-being during the day. Due to daytime sleepiness, performance and motivation for any activity decrease.

Treatment of apnea in women should be comprehensive and include: consultation with a somnologist, polysomnography, normalization of body weight, increased physical activity, etc.

Read more about how to get rid of apnea in this article.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia or insomnia is a disorder that manifests itself through poor sleep quality and short sleep duration. These signs can also occur individually. The disorder is diagnosed if such manifestations occur over a long period of time.

A significant disadvantage of this process is that it leads to negative consequences such as disturbances of attention, memory, and the inability to perceive new information. During the night, a person does not have time to regain strength, and in the morning he does not feel rested at all, but rather exhausted.

Important information

Drowsiness leads not only to physiological disorders. Systematic lack of sleep provokes the development of malfunctions in all body systems.

A decrease in physical activity leads to a decrease in blood pressure and body temperature. Biorhythms malfunction, so all body processes occur late.

Insomnia occurs due to mental health problems or as an independent disorder. Insomnia affects almost half of the entire adult population (up to 40%), but insomnia is more common in women. This problem is relevant both for children, middle-aged people, and the elderly. It has been noted that the older a person gets, the higher the risk of insomnia.

There are many varieties of this phenomenon, but for some it happens after a psychologically difficult day, and for others systematically, regardless of the degree of load and type of activity.

Signs that indicate a sleep disorder include:

duration of falling asleep more than an hour;
superficial sleep;
frequent awakenings during the night;
decreased attentiveness and memory;
excessive anxiety, excitement;
irritability, manifestations of aggression.

Causes of insomnia in the elderly

With age, the hormonal levels in the female body change. And this is usually associated with menopause . In addition, brain function changes in older people, which in turn affects circadian rhythms. That is why after 55 years the duration of sleep gradually decreases.

Diseases that appear in old age can also cause insomnia. Such diseases, for example, are hypertension and pathologies of the nervous system .

To treat insomnia in women aged 55-60 years, an integrated approach is required. First, you must visit a doctor who will prescribe therapy. Well, after that, start implementing the specialist’s recommendations. Treatment typically includes physical therapy, breathing exercises, chronic disease management, and sleep medications.

How does insomnia manifest?

Women are susceptible to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and menopause. This feature makes them sensitive and contributes to insomnia at any age.

Up to 30 years old

Youth is a time when sleep problems are rarely observed. A healthy body produces melatonin in the proper amount, and the biological clock works without failures. Before the age of 30, insomnia is rarely associated with internal factors . Usually it is provoked by external preconditions:

Irregular work schedule, when you have to stay awake at night. This disrupts the biological rhythm, the woman feels chronic fatigue and becomes irritable.
Spending a long time at the computer. Monitor radiation negatively affects brain function. The nervous system is excited.

Internal causes of insomnia in a young woman include pregnancy, which causes hormonal changes and mental instability.

Overwork and stress force a young woman to toss and turn in bed for a long time and prevent her from falling asleep for several hours. If insomnia occurs before the age of 30, then in the morning it is difficult to wake up without the alarm ringing. Lack of proper rest at night contributes to drowsiness and fatigue in the morning.

From 30 to 40 years

In a healthy woman, the level of the sleep hormone has not yet been reduced. After 30 years, many people experience a midlife crisis, which negatively affects their night's rest.

For a forty-year-old woman, insomnia is a common symptom of professional and personal troubles. Troubles at work, problems in the family provoke emotional stress, which forces you not to close your eyes at night.

Features of insomnia at this age are manifested by mild anxiety. It is difficult for a woman to fall asleep in the evenings, and at night she wakes up from the slightest rustle.

From 40 to 50 years

During this period of time, the aging process begins, so physiological factors are added to the psychological factors of insomnia. Melatonin production gradually decreases, and the hormone is not always enough for proper sleep.

After 40 years, age-related hormonal changes begin, lasting several years, and by the age of 50, menopause occurs.

Women who have crossed the age of forty often suffer from insomnia. A feature of the pathology at this age is irritability in the evenings, pressure drops and hot flashes at night, which interfere with sleep.

After 50 years

In old age, insomnia becomes chronic. After 50 years, physical and mental activity decreases. Women are worried about loneliness, resentment towards children and grandchildren. Diseases of concern:

arthrosis;
angina pectoris;
hypertension;
ulcer;
osteoporosis.

A combination of factors leads to the fact that a woman cannot sleep until late at night and gets up early in the morning broken and tired.

Insomnia is a common problem in old age . Night sleep becomes very sensitive. Often a woman falls asleep in the middle of the night and no longer sleeps, remembering her past life or trying to relieve the aching pain in her joints.

Sleep disorders in pregnant women

Every second pregnant woman experiences insomnia during pregnancy. Lack of night rest immediately affects the well-being of the expectant mother. With regular sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue develops, which makes it difficult to do even household chores.

Insomnia during pregnancy reduces alertness, which is why a pregnant woman can easily get injured , for example, while walking or taking a shower.

Sleep disturbances are often accompanied by irritability due to the inability to fully rest at night.

Treatment for insomnia in pregnant women includes:

Refusal of daytime sleep . If you sleep during the day and have difficulty falling asleep in the evening, avoid taking an afternoon nap. Rest during the day disrupts natural sleep patterns. Therefore, if you want to take a nap after lunch, overpower yourself, wait until 20-21 pm and go to bed.
We protect ourselves and the baby from stress . There is no need to quarrel with anyone during pregnancy. In addition, do not talk about emotional topics with family members and do not watch heartbreaking melodramas before bed. Both of these are not conducive to good sleep.
Less fluid at night . During pregnancy, the fetus puts pressure on the bladder, which is why the woman often goes to the toilet in the last stages. So, to avoid frequently having to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, drink less fluid before bed.
Sleep in a comfortable position . The correct sleeping position is the key to energy the next day. Read about the best position to sleep in in this article.

Symptoms and signs

Insomnia is difficult to miss - it manifests itself either in the inability to fall asleep, or in frequent awakenings, or in restless shallow sleep, or in a feeling of fatigue and weakness upon awakening.

During the daytime, insomnia manifests itself in mental and physical lethargy, inhibited thinking, irritability, decreased concentration, and sudden mood swings. Often there are complaints of severe headaches and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Diagnosis of insomnia by a doctor includes analysis of the duration of the symptoms described above, determination of existing somatic and mental diseases, lifestyle analysis, sometimes MRI of the head, passing special tests and questionnaires, neurological examination and recording of brain activity during sleep using special devices.

Characteristics of different types of sleep disorders

Insomnia

It is diagnosed if problems with falling asleep occur at least three times a week. If the situation repeats for more than a month, it is already chronic insomnia. The most common causes of insomnia are mental disorders (in 50-60 cases out of 100). Most often, problems with night rest occur in people with depression or increased anxiety. In addition, insomnia often develops against the background of restless legs syndrome.

Hypersomnia

If a person sleeps more than 9 hours every day, or feels sleepy during the day, despite a completely normal night's rest, this is hypersomnia. This disorder, like the previous one, also often occurs against the background of depressive conditions. In addition, hypersomnia can occur after an overdose of psychotropic drugs or alcohol.

Narcolepsy

This disorder is characterized by the following symptoms:

attacks of drowsiness during the day (a person can fall asleep in almost any situation, sometimes even during a conversation);
catalepsy (sudden loss of muscle tone);
hallucinations;
sleepy stupor (a feeling of muscle paralysis while maintaining consciousness; this condition can occur while falling asleep or waking up).

Disturbances in the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness

This disorder occurs as a result of a malfunction of a person’s internal biological clock. The disorder involves a lack of synchronization between night time and a particular person's sleep rhythm. The reason for this condition may be frequent changes in time zones or working shifts at night.

Sleepwalking

This is a condition in which a person can sit on the bed, stand up, or walk while sleeping. And all this happens without the participation of his consciousness. In the morning, sleepwalkers do not remember about being awake at night.

Night terrors

A feeling of intense fear that interrupts sleep. Often accompanied by crying, screaming, and sometimes hysterics. It often happens in children. As a rule, after waking up, a person cannot remember what he dreamed.

Nightmares

Very realistic dreams that cause fear in a person. Unlike horrors, after waking up a person remembers well what he saw in a dream. Nightmares are often caused by traumatic childhood experiences or severe stress experienced as an adult.