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Do you often lie awake while the rest of the house sleeps peacefully all night? This can feel isolating and rather frustrating.  Being in bed and then tossing restlessly, staring at the clock or into the darkness, or going back to bed after mulling around can leave you exhausted, not knowing where to turn for help. Whether you live alone or with others, the inability to get a good night’s sleep can leave you feeling like you are the only person struggling to sleep while the rest of the world is in deep slumber.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep plays an important role in several body processes for developing your long-term health and well-being. Getting enough quality sleep at night is one of the best strategies to protect your physical and mental health as well as your quality of life. Getting an adequate number of hours of sleep each night can help you feel better and maybe even make smarter decisions.

If you lack sleep at night, you incur sleep debt. If we were discussing banking, all you would have to do is add more funds to your account. With sleep, there is no other way to catch up. Instead your sleep debt will have a direct effect on your health, behavior, and may even lead to immediate consequences, such as accidents, poor memory, or other life challenges. 

Knowing how an awful night of sleep can be unhealthy for your body and brain, you may begin to have concerns. These sleepless nights can begin to add up, eventually leading to insomnia. If you are chronically struggling to get the rest you need, you may benefit from therapy to improve your sleep quality.  

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects as many as one in five adults. The National Sleep Foundation reports that insomnia affects 30 to 40 percent of Americans. Insomnia is often characterized as the inability to achieve satisfactory sleep despite adequate opportunity to sleep. This can leave you feeling exhausted or sleepy during the daytime. While older adults tend to have more difficulties with sleep, adolescents and adults can also have insomnia.

The term “insomnia” is often associated with a complete lack of sleep, but as a disorder it encompasses a variety of sleep problems, including the following symptoms:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Restless sleep
• Waking up often in the middle of the night
• Trouble going back to sleep
• Early morning awakening
• Feeling tired upon waking up

The Many Faces of Insomnia

Insomnia varies depending on its duration and frequency of occurrence. For example, transient insomnia is experienced when symptoms last up to three nights and may be caused by a recent event or occurrence. On the other hand, acute insomnia is a short-term sleep disorder that comes and goes. Symptoms may persist for several weeks, but they usually end when what triggered sleep disruption disappears. Some potential causes may include the following:

• Illness
• Emotional or physical discomfort
• Major life events (death of a loved one, moving, divorce, job-related stress)
• Environmental factors (loud noises, snoring partners, extreme temperatures, light)
• Some medications
• Substance abuse
• Hormonal imbalance (menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause)
• Disruption in normal sleep patterns (jetlag, backlit devices before bed like phones or TV, job shift changes)

Chronic insomnia can be more severe, lasting for months, and sometimes years. Some causes of chronic insomnia can include mental health conditions (depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder), chronic stress, and pain or discomfort during the night (acid-reflux disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, chronic pain, etc.).

You may have primary insomnia if your sleep problems are not directly associated with any other conditions, otherwise you are likely experiencing secondary insomnia.

What Are the Effects of Insomnia? 

Having difficulty sleeping well is one of the telltale signs of insomnia. You can easily know it if you are having trouble falling asleep or waking up several times during the night. Insomnia can also leave you feeling irritable and fatigued the next day.

There are, however, individuals who may not be aware they have insomnia. Unfortunately, many wear sleeplessness as a badge of honor, sacrificing sleep for focusing on work or other things. Denying the impact of insomnia can have lasting effects on your health and wellness. 

Insomnia can cause the following:

• Fatigue, irritability, and excessive daytime sleepiness
• Weight gain and difficulty in losing weight
• Weakened immune system
• Elevated blood pressure
• Increased risk of serious health problems, such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease
• Increased risk of depression and anxiety
• Increased chronic pain
• Reduced focus and concentration
• Decreased motor function
• Decreased motivation and energy

Insomnia can result in you feeling as though you are alone. Insomnia affects many people. Sadly, sleep problems are not often talked about in the open, many of us keep our struggles to ourselves and suffer in silence. 

Insomnia: What Can You Do? 

If you regularly experience insomnia you understand the pain and frustration that comes along with lack of sleep. You may feel hopeless and not know where to turn. There may be times when you’re in desperate need of sleep and don’t know where to turn. Medication management can be helpful, though this isn’t your only option.

The inability to get the sleep you need can become a source of tension and worry. It is not only your physical health that can be affected, but your emotional health as well. While there may be a hundred or more old tricks you have tried, you still remain stuck in the vicious cycle of being awake all night and feeling exhausted all day.

There is no need to resign to the nightly sequence of sub-standard sleep. Don’t wait for lack of sleep to exact a toll on your mood, energy, and overall health.You aren’t alone, counseling can help. When it comes to treating insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can make a world of difference. Proven to be more effective than medication alone, CBT can be an effective treatment option for Insomnia.

Find the right therapist for you with Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC. CCS contracts with counselors that can set you up for a good night’s sleep using proven CBT techniques. Call soon to schedule your first appointment, a good night’s sleep is closer than you may think!

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