Insomnia Doctors Near Me

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FAQs:

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. With insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good-quality sleep. This happens even if you have the time and the right environment to sleep well. Insomnia can get in the way of your daily activities and may make you feel sleepy during the day. 

Short-term insomnia may be caused by stress or changes in your schedule or environment. It can last for a few days or weeks. Chronic (long-term) insomnia occurs 3 or more nights a week, lasts more than 3 months, and cannot be fully explained by another health problem.

How Many Hours of Sleep is Insomnia?

Insomnia is the most common type of sleep disorder and it involves problems falling asleep or staying asleep despite adequate opportunity to do so. There is no specific number of hours that defines insomnia since the amount of sleep that is enough for an individual can vary from person to person.

How is Insomnia Diagnosed?

To diagnose insomnia, your healthcare provider:

1. Take your medical history.

2. Ask for your sleep history. Your provider will ask you for details about your sleep habits.

Does a physical exam, to rule out other medical problems that might cause insomnia.

3. May recommend a sleep study. A sleep study measures how well you sleep and how your body responds to sleep problems.

Can Insomnia be Cured?

The good news is that most cases of insomnia can be cured with changes you can make on your own—without relying on sleep specialists or turning to prescription or over-the-counter sleeping pills. By addressing the underlying causes and making simple changes to your daily habits and sleep environment, you can put a stop to the frustration of insomnia and finally get a good night’s sleep.

Is Insomnia a Mental Illness?

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it is rare for insomnia to be an isolated medical or mental health condition. Insomnia is usually a symptom of another condition or a result of lifestyle or environmental factors, such as a work schedule or stress. There is a strong link between insomnia and mental health conditions. According to the American Psychiatric Association, insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, and roughly 40–50% of people with insomnia may also have a mental health condition.

Can Depression Make You an Insomniac?

Depression and sleep problems are closely linked. People with insomnia, for example, may have a tenfold higher risk of developing depression than people who get a good night’s sleep. And among people with depression, 75% have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. 

Which comes first? Either one can be the starting point, say sleep experts. Poor sleep may create difficulties regulating emotions that, in turn, may leave you more vulnerable to depression in the future — months or even years from now. Depression itself is associated with sleep difficulties such as shortening the amount of restorative slow-wave sleep a person gets each night.

If you have depression, daily stresses — such as financial worries, an argument with your spouse, or a jam-packed evening commute — could also lead to more nighttime wake-ups and more trouble getting back to sleep than someone without depression would experience.

Understanding the relationship between insomnia and depression can help you spot risks early, get the right help, and recover more fully if you are experiencing both. You’ll feel healthy, well-rested, and able to enjoy life again.

Is Insomnia Genetic?

Research suggests you can be genetically predisposed to having insomnia. You aren’t destined to experience insomnia because of your genes, however. Rather, certain genes may increase your risk. Other genes can also make a person less likely to experience insomnia. Specifically, researchers estimate that heritability accounts for 31% to 58% of your likelihood of experiencing insomnia. It isn’t surprising that insomnia has a genetic component. Your genes affect other aspects of sleep, too, such as how much sleep you need. Genes also influence your chronotype, or whether you’re an early bird or a night owl.

Does Insomnia Go Away?

If you’ve been having trouble sleeping for a few weeks due to stress in your life, it’s likely to resolve once you get past the troubling event. However, if you have a stubborn case of insomnia that’s been going on for years, you’ll need to put effort and commitment into resolving it, Salas says. A sleep expert can help you learn the causes of your insomnia and recommend a plan to treat it. “But you still may need months to get to a better place,” she says. “The good news is that the research shows you can get past insomnia with the help of your health care providers.”

Is Insomnia a Form of Anxiety?

Serious sleep disturbances, including insomnia, have long been recognized as a common symptom of anxiety disorders. People who are plagued with worry often ruminate about their concerns in bed, and this anxiety at night can keep them from falling asleep.

A state of mental hyperarousal, frequently marked by worry, has been identified as a key factor behind insomnia. People with anxiety disorders are inclined to have higher sleep reactivity, which means they are much more likely to have sleeping problems when facing stress.

Sleeping difficulties have been found for people with various types of anxiety including generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, and PTSD. In several studies, over 90% of people with PTSD associated with military combat have reported symptoms of insomnia.

Distress about falling asleep can create sleep anxiety that reinforces a person’s sense of dread. These negative thoughts about going to bed, a type of anticipatory anxiety, can create challenges to healthy sleep schedules and routines. Research indicates that anxiety and pre-sleep rumination may affect vivid dreaming during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Anxiety can provoke nightmares and disturbing dreams that create a higher likelihood of sleep disruptions and may reinforce fear around going to sleep.

At the same time, strong evidence indicates that sleep deprivation can instigate or worsen anxiety disorders. Researchers have found that people who are prone to anxiety are especially sensitive to the effects of insufficient sleep on mood and emotional health. The bidirectional relationship means that anxiety and sleep deprivation can be self-reinforcing; worrying causes poor sleep, while further sleep difficulties cause greater anxiety.

People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that causes repeated lapses in breathing and interrupted sleep, have been found to have higher rates of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and panic disorder.

What Age Does Insomnia Start?

According to current estimates, 10-30% of adults live with insomnia. People aged 60 and older are more susceptible to insomnia, and this can be attributed to a few different factors. Seniors are at higher risk of medical and psychiatric conditions that can lead to insomnia symptoms, as well as other sleep disorders such as sleep-disordered breathing or restless legs syndrome. Our internal circadian clocks and sleep-wake cycles can also change as we age, and these changes affect how long – and how well – we sleep. Additionally, certain medications used to alleviate symptoms of geriatric medical conditions can cause sleep disturbances.

What If Nothing Helps My Insomnia?

If you’ve tried several insomnia remedies and they aren’t working, it may be time to see a doctor. Your doctor may give you a physical exam and will ask you questions about your sleep habits and patterns.

You should see a doctor if your insomnia lasts over months or if it’s affecting your daily life. Your doctor may suggest treatments for insomnia like a sleep aid or behavioral therapy to help you learn better habits and change the way you think about sleep.

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you are sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. Getting inadequate sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic (long-term) health problems. It can also affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. 

Types of Insomnia

Experts describe insomnia in a few different ways, depending on its specific characteristics:

1. Acute insomnia refers to short-term sleeping difficulties that generally last no more than a few weeks.

2. Chronic insomnia refers to insomnia that affects your sleep for 3 or more days each week regularly, typically for 3 months or longer.

3. Onset insomnia describes difficulty falling asleep. Trouble getting to sleep might happen as a result of caffeine use, mental health symptoms, or other common insomnia triggers, but it can also develop with other sleep disorders.

4. Maintenance insomnia refers to trouble remaining asleep once you get to sleep or consistently waking up too early. This type of insomnia might relate to underlying health and mental health symptoms — but lying awake and worrying you won’t get enough sleep can make it worse.

5. Behavioral insomnia in childhood involves consistent trouble falling asleep, refusing to go to bed, or both. Children with this condition often benefit from learning self-soothing strategies and following a regular sleep routine.

Symptoms of Insomnia

Insomnia symptoms may include:

- Having a hard time falling asleep at night.

- Waking up during the night.

- Waking up too early.

- Feeling tired or sleepy during the day.

- Feeling cranky, depressed, or anxious.

- Having a hard time paying attention, focusing on tasks, or remembering.

- Making more errors or having more accidents.

- Having ongoing worries about sleep.

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia may be the main problem or it may be related to other conditions. Long-term insomnia is usually due to stress, life events, or habits that disrupt sleep. While treating the cause of your sleep problem may stop your insomnia, sometimes it can last for years. Common causes of long-term insomnia include:

1. Stress. Concerns about work, school, health, money, or family can keep your mind active at night, making it hard to sleep. Stressful life events, such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss, also may lead to insomnia.

2. Travel or work schedule. Your body's "internal clock," known as circadian rhythms, guides things such as your sleep-wake cycle, metabolism, and body temperature. Disrupting these rhythms can lead to insomnia. Causes include feeling jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones, working a late or early shift, or changing shifts often.

3. Poor sleep habits. Poor sleep habits include going to bed and waking up at different times each day, taking naps, being too active before bedtime, and having a sleep area that is not comfortable. Other poor sleep habits include working, eating, or watching TV while in bed. Using computers or smartphones, playing video games, or watching TV just before bed can disrupt your sleep cycle.

4. Eating too much late in the evening. Having a light snack before bedtime is OK. However, eating too much may cause you to feel uncomfortable while lying down. Many people also have heartburn. This is when stomach acid backs up into the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. This tube is called the esophagus. Heartburn may keep you awake.

5. Mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, may disrupt your sleep. Waking up too early can be a sign of depression. Insomnia often occurs with other mental health conditions.

6. Medicines. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, such as certain antidepressants and medicines for asthma or blood pressure. Many medicines available without a prescription, such as some pain medicines, allergy and cold medicines, and weight-loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep.

7. Medical conditions. Examples of conditions linked with insomnia include ongoing pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overactive thyroid, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

8. Sleep-related disorders. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing at times during the night, disrupting your sleep. Restless legs syndrome causes a strong uncomfortable urge to move your legs when trying to fall asleep. This may keep you from falling asleep or getting back to sleep.

9. Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Coffee, tea, cola, and other drinks that have caffeine are stimulants. Drinking them in the late afternoon or evening can keep you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in tobacco products is another stimulant that can disrupt sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep and often results in waking up in the middle of the night.

Risk Factors of Insomnia

Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night. But you're more likely to have insomnia if:

1. You're a woman. Changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle and in menopause may play a role. During menopause, night sweats and hot flashes often disrupt sleep. Insomnia also is common during pregnancy.

2. You're over 60. Because of changes in sleep patterns and health, it's more likely you'll have insomnia as you get older.

3. You have a mental health or physical health condition. Many issues that affect your mental or physical health can disrupt sleep.

4. You're under a lot of stress. Being stressed can cause short-term insomnia. Major or long-lasting stress can lead to long-term insomnia.

5. You do not have a regular schedule. For example, changing shifts at work or traveling can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.

Complications of Insomnia

When you don’t get the sleep you need, your brain doesn’t have the chance it needs to carry out important functions that keep it running smoothly. That’s part of why you feel foggy and have trouble focusing when you get poor sleep. Insomnia can have more serious health effects over time. Only getting a few hours of sleep each night can increase your chances of developing several conditions, including:

- anxiety

- depression

- stroke

- asthma attacks

- seizures

- weakened immune system function

- obesity

- diabetes

- high blood pressure

- heart disease

Insomnia can also:

- increase risk of errors on the job or accidents while driving and operating tools or machinery

- affect your performance at school or work

- lower your sex drive

- affect your memory

- make it more difficult to regulate emotions

Learn more about the impact of sleep deprivation.

How to Prevent Insomnia

Good sleep habits, also called sleep hygiene, can help you beat insomnia. Here are some tips:

1. Go to sleep at the same time each night, and get up at the same time each morning. Try not to take naps during the day, because they may make you less sleepy at night.

2. Don’t use phones or e-books before bed. Their light can make it harder to fall asleep.

3. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol can make you wake up in the middle of the night and hurt your sleep quality.

4. Get regular exercise. Try not to work out close to bedtime, because it may make it hard to fall asleep. Experts suggest exercising at least 3 to 4 hours before bed.

5. Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day. But a light snack before bedtime may help you sleep.

6. Make your bedroom comfortable: dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold. If light is a problem, use a sleeping mask. To cover up sounds, try earplugs, a fan, or a white noise machine.

7. Follow a routine to relax before bed. Read a book, listen to music, or take a bath.

8. Don’t use your bed for anything other than sleep and sex.

9. If you can't fall asleep and aren’t drowsy, get up and do something calming, like reading until you feel sleepy.

10. If you tend to lie awake and worry about things, make a to-do list before you go to bed. This may help you put your concerns aside for the night.

How to Treat Insomnia

Changing sleep habits and taking care of any issues related to insomnia, such as stress, medical conditions, or medicines, can result in restful sleep for many people. If these steps do not work, your doctor may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medicines, or both to improve relaxation and sleep.

1. CBT for Insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can help you control or stop negative thoughts and actions that keep you awake. It's usually recommended as the first treatment for people with insomnia. Typically, CBT is as effective or more effective than sleep medicines.

The cognitive part of CBT teaches you to learn and change beliefs that affect your sleep. It can help you control or stop negative thoughts and worries that keep you awake. It also may involve ending the cycle of worrying so much about getting to sleep that you cannot fall asleep.

The behavioral part of CBT helps you learn good sleep habits and stop behaviors that keep you from sleeping well.

Strategies include:

Stimulus control therapy. This method helps train your mind and body to sleep better and not fight sleep. For example, you might be coached to set a regular time to go to bed and wake up, not nap, and use the bed only for sleep and sex. You also may be coached to leave the bedroom if you cannot go to sleep within 20 minutes, only returning when you're sleepy.

Relaxation methods. Progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and breathing exercises are ways to lower anxiety at bedtime. Practicing these methods can help you control your breathing, heart rate, and muscle tension so that you can relax.

Sleep restriction. With this method, you reduce the time you spend in bed and stop napping during the day, so you get less sleep. This makes you more tired the next night. Once your sleep improves, you gradually increase your time in bed.

Remaining passively awake. Also called paradoxical intention, this strategy for learned insomnia aims to reduce your worry and anxiety about being able to get to sleep. You get in bed and try to stay awake rather than expect to fall asleep. This approach reduces your extreme focus on sleep and anxiety over not sleeping, making it easier to fall asleep.

Light therapy. If you fall asleep too early and then wake up too early, you can use light to push back your internal clock. You can go outside when it's light outside in the evenings or you can use a light box. Talk to your doctor for advice.

Your doctor may recommend other strategies related to your lifestyle and sleep area to help you create habits that lead to sound sleep and daytime alertness.

2. Prescription medicines

Prescription sleeping pills can help you get to sleep, stay asleep, or both. Doctors generally do not recommend relying on prescription sleeping pills for more than a few weeks. And medicines should not be the only treatment. However several medicines are approved for long-term use.

It's not known how long medicines can be wisely used. Rather, medicines are prescribed on a case-by-case basis, with you and your doctor weighing the benefits and risks. In general, it's best to use the lowest effective dose and not use medicines for too long.

Options for treating those who are having trouble falling asleep are:

- Eszopiclone (Lunesta).

- Ramelteon (Rozerem).

- Temazepam (Restoril).

- Triazolam (Halcion).

- Zaleplon (Sonata).

- Zolpidem tartrate (Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar).

Options for treating those who are having trouble staying asleep, waking too early or finding it hard to get back to sleep are:

- Doxepin hydrochloride (Silenor).

- Eszopiclone (Lunesta).

- Suvorexant (Belsomra).

- Temazepam (Restoril).

- Zolpidem tartrate (Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar).

Prescription sleeping pills can have side effects, such as causing daytime grogginess and creating a higher risk of falling. They also can be habit-forming. If your doctor prescribes a medicine to help you sleep, ask for more information, including possible side effects and how long you can take it.

Sleep aids available without a prescription

Sleep medicines available without a prescription contain antihistamines that can make you sleepy. These medicines are not for regular use. Talk to your doctor before you take these medicines, as antihistamines may cause side effects. Side effects may include daytime sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, problems with thinking, and difficulty urinating. Side effects may be worse in older adults.

How to Treat Insomnia Naturally without Medication

Some of the most important things you can do to help your insomnia — and your sleep overall — revolve around sleep hygiene. These include, but aren’t limited to:

1. Set and follow a sleep schedule. For most people, the best thing you can do for your body and sleep needs is to have a routine. Have a bedtime and keep to it as closely as possible, including on weekends, holidays, vacations, etc. Try not to rely on napping, and avoid naps in the late afternoon or early evening, as these can affect your sleep cycle.

2. Give yourself time to wind down. Put aside the concerns of the day before bedtime as best you can. Build in a buffer time between when you finish for the day and when you go to bed. That can help you get in the right frame of mind for sleep. If you can't fall asleep, try to do something relaxing or calming rather than remaining awake in bed.

3. Get comfortable. Feeling comfortable is very important if you want to get quality sleep. Set your sleeping environment accordingly, including lighting, sounds and temperature. Some people prefer sleeping with a sound generator that plays a specific part of the sound spectrum, and you may want to try this, too.

4. Put that device down. Electronic devices typically use types of light that trick your brain into thinking it’s not nighttime. That can disrupt the release of chemicals that tell your brain and body that it’s time to sleep.

5. Mind what you eat or drink. Eating or drinking too much and/or too late in the evening can affect your ability to sleep. Eating or drinking certain things can also affect your sleep, especially nicotine products or things that contain caffeine or alcohol.

6. Stay active. Physical activity, even just walking, can help you get better quality sleep.

If you consistently have trouble sleeping, talk to your healthcare provider. Your primary care provider is a good resource to help you understand why you aren’t sleeping and help you work on improving how you sleep. They can also help detect any health issues that might affect your ability to sleep.

Myths about How to Improve Sleep Habits

There are also many myths about how to improve sleep habits. Don’t fall into these bad habits.

MYTH: Insomnia is strictly mental.

Psychological issues can indeed cause insomnia. Many people who suffer from lack of sleep are consumed with stress, but other things can affect sleep, like illness, medication side effects, chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, or sleep apnea.

MYTH: Watching TV helps you wind down.

The light and noise of television and computer screens are stimulants. These external factors can reduce brain melatonin levels rather than increase them. Try reading or listening to relaxing music instead.

MYTH: Sleep medication is the answer.

Some sleep aids can help relieve insomnia symptoms temporarily, but they don’t cure the underlying health issues. Plus, they can be addictive. Always talk to your doctor before using sleeping pills.

MYTH: A drink will help you sleep.

This myth probably exists because alcohol can help you fall asleep. But as it moves through your body, it may lead to disturbed, restless sleep or it may make you wake earlier than normal.

MYTH: Your body will adapt to less sleep.

You can learn to get by on less sleep, but you can't train your body to need less sleep. If you're sleep-deprived, your daily performance will likely suffer. Being chronically tired can have serious health consequences.

There are so many factors that can play into a person’s restless sleep habits. Your primary care doctor or a sleep specialist can help you determine the root of the problem, whether it’s stress, medication, illness or another issue. You may also have a legitimate sleep disorder, which needs to be treated with help from your doctor. The value of sleep is too precious to overlook.

How to Find a Sleep Doctor Near You

If you feel like you’re struggling with a sleeping disorder or disrupted sleep, your primary care doctor may suggest a trip to a sleep specialist or sleep center. Sleep centers use testing to monitor your body while you sleep, which helps your sleep specialist get enough information about your symptoms to make a diagnosis. Locating an insominia doctor near you might seem like a daunting task, but multiple options exist to help you successfully find and book a sleep specialist.

1. Meet With Your Current Primary Care Doctor

Talking to your doctor about your health can be challenging, but it is worthwhile if doing so helps you get adequate rest each night and improves your overall health. Before you meet with your primary care doctor, make a list of any times you’ve tried to adjust or reset your sleep routine and been unsuccessful. Examples of relevant adjustments include:

- Changing bedtime

- Changes to diet

- Exercising more or less

- Getting new mattresses or pillows

- Changes to sleep hygiene, such as blocking out light or sound

After you share your concerns, your doctor might recommend a sleep study to help diagnose your sleeping issues.

2. Contact Your Insurance Provider

If your doctor determines you should see a sleep specialist, they may have referrals they recommend. However, you may have to do your searching for a specialist. If you need to find a specialist, your first step should be to contact your insurance provider for a list of covered specialists in your area. Most insurance companies have information about in-network doctors on their websites. Alternatively, you can call your insurance company for more information.

3. Explore Alternative Organizations

If you’re interested in finding sleep specialists without the help of your doctor or insurance provider, you can do a quick search on prominent search engines. Make sure to use relevant keywords, such as “sleep specialist” and your location, for the most accurate results. You can also try specific search engines for locating sleep centers in your area. Another way to find a sleep specialist is to reach out to your friends and family for their referrals. If some of your friends and family have undergone a sleep study, they might also be able to answer questions you have about the process.

You may also contact local hospitals in your area to see if they have sleep specialists or sleep centers at their facilities. You can also seek out specific sleep disorder networks, as they may have lists of specialists for the specific sleep disorder you believe you have. Be mindful that you may need a diagnosis before you can work with these specialists.

Other Insominia Doctors That Can Help With Sleep

If sleep clinics and sleep specialists don’t feel like a good fit for you, there may be alternative options available. Some other medical specialists can help with sleep, such as psychologists, dentists, neurologists, and ear, nose, and throat doctors.

1. Sleep Psychologists or Psychiatrists

Sleep psychologists study sleep through a behavioral, psychological, and physiological lens. Sleep psychologists most often use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help reduce unhelpful thoughts about sleep and increase sleep-supporting behaviors. CBT has been shown to effectively reduce insomnia in clinical trials.

Sleep psychiatrists may also use behavioral intervention tools, such as CBT, as well as prescribe psychiatric medication to help you sleep better. Generally, sleep psychiatrists prescribe medication only after CBT or other behavioral interventions have failed. A quick online search should help you locate a sleep psychologist or psychiatrist near you.

2. Dentists

As physicians who work exclusively with the mouth and throat, dentists are also often overlooked when people consider a sleep specialist. Dentists can custom-fit various mouthpieces to help you breathe better during sleep. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine has a search engine to help you find a dentist in your area.

3. Neurologists

Sometimes sleep issues have a neurological origin. A neurologist may be able to help you pinpoint the link between your sleep issues and other neurological disorders. Damage to or disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system can result in sleep disturbances. Talk to your doctor for a referral to a neurologist in your area if these issues might be a concern for you.

4. Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctors

Ear, nose, and throat doctors — formally called otorhinolaryngologists — are also able to diagnose and treat certain sleep disorders related to the upper throat and airways. Check with your primary care doctor for referrals or recommendations of local otorhinolaryngologists. You may also want to check with your insurance provider to make sure your visit is covered.

Sources:

NIH

Mayo Clinic

Medline Plus

WebMD

Healthline

Cleveland Clinic

Medical News Today

Sleep Foundation

Help Guide

Stanford Healthcare

Hopkins Medicine

Emedicine Health

Piedmont