The 5 Types of Insomnia & Its Treatment, Home Remedies

Going by a recent study conducted to determine the frequency of insomnia, it was revealed that every 3rd person out of ten suffers from some or other form of insomnia, though the pattern or extent of insomnia could vary from a person to person. In the layman terms, difficulty in sleeping is insomnia. Insomnia is characterised by four major symptoms. These are: Finding it difficult to sleep, not able to sleep again once awake during the night, waking early morning and not being able to sleep again, and feeling drowsy and tired despite sleeping for long hours.

1. Acute Insomnia:

   As the name itself suggests, this type of insomnia is characterised by difficult sleeping patterns that are evident for a brief period of time. Acute Insomnia is a type of insomnia that usually occurs as a result of some tragic life event, any form of stress like work pressure, personal life problems, travel lag etc. Very often, acute insomnia resolves on its own when the intensity of the triggering event reduces and the person is able to come out of the stress.

   The very best thing associated with acute insomnia is that this short term sleep deprivation could be combated with simple home remedies like practicing good sleep practices and avoiding stimulants. Lifestyle changes like avoiding caffeine during evening, staying away from gadget screens during night could also prove to be a helpful home remedy for acute insomnia. Though short term problems with sleep are a result of temporary changes, they can cause problems in future with your sleep timings. Ignoring acute insomnia for long or doing nothing about it could lead you to a constant environment of sleep deprivation. This is perhaps one of the reasons why it is important to do something about acute insomnia before it gets worse.

2. Chronic Insomnia:

   When a person finds difficulty in sleeping for a longer duration, say more than a week or months, then it results into what is called as chronic insomnia. Being there for a longer term, chronic insomnia can even stretch for years. Surprisingly, 1 out of 10 people suffer from chronic insomnia making it quite common. Our fast paced lifestyles, growing work responsibilities, consumption of junk food, inclination to use of technology and gadgets; all these have escalated the problem of insomnia. Chronic Insomnia is a result of conditions that are not short term like:

   • Disturbance in the cycle of sleep like night shifts in the job etc.
   • Long term anxiety, stress or depression.
   • Unfavourable or lack of proper sleeping environment.
   • Long term illness or medical conditions.

   Identifying the Type of Insomnia Based on the Patterns of Insomnia:

   In addition to types of insomnia that are determined based on the duration for which you have been suffering with difficulty in sleeping, there are also certain patterns that can define insomnia cycle in humans. Known as patterns of Insomnia, they are governed by the time of night where a person finds difficulty in sleeping.

3. Comorbid Insomnia:

   This type of insomnia is associated with a secondary condition such as stress or depression causing disturbances in the natural sleep cycle. Physiological conditions like arthritis, joint pain, cervical pain etc. or psychological conditions like anxiety, anhedonia etc. can trigger insomnia or make the person feel uncomfortable to sleep during the night time.

4. Insomnia Onset

   This is characterised by inability to sleep at the beginning of the night.

5. Maintenance Insomnia:

   There are times when people get to sleep but wake up in the middle of night and then find it absolutely difficult to catch sleep again. This could also be applicable during early morning sleep deprivation.

Insomnia treatments are subjected to identifying the right cause and intensity up to which the patient is suffering from disturbed sleep. When found correctly, the cause and intensity could be treated appropriately. In an attempt to cure the same, many kind of medical, psychiatric or non-pharmaceutical treatments or therapies could be devised by the doctor.

• Lifestyle changes can bring a great difference to your wellbeing. No matter how small they may be, their routine practice can have an effect on resolving sleep deprivation naturally.
• Healthy living goes beyond the exteriors of physical health and involves better emotional stability and wellbeing. Healthy living is not only about physical health that caters to regular diet and physical activity; it’s also about your social connections and the rapport you share with them.
• “Sleep hygiene” begins with maintaining proper sleep schedule, avoiding exposure to gadget screens during night, and saying no to smoking, limiting caffeine and avoiding hunger pangs during night via timely dinner help in better sleep.
• One of the most effective home remedy for insomnia is adopting mind healing and relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation etc..
• Counselling and cognitive therapy help in relieving anxiety and depression thus help in relieving insomnia.
• Another useful home remedy for insomnia is to avoid day sleeping, watching T.V before going to bed, maintaining peaceful sleep environment all are conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Also Read:

• What Causes Middle Insomnia or Middle of the Night Insomnia?
• Yoga For Insomnia: 5 Best Yoga Poses To Get Rid Of Insomnia
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treating Insomnia
• Initial Insomnia: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
• Natural Treatments & Lifestyle Changes for Insomnia That Really Works
• Feeling Insomniac? Remedies and Foods to Fight Insomnia
• How Effective and Safe is Ambien in Treating Insomnia?
• Insomnia: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment To Cure Poor Sleep