How to tell that you have chronic insomnia?

Let’s start with definitions. Lack of sleep is not insomnia. If you do not sleep for a night or two because deadlines are coming, this is not insomnia. Because if you are forcibly put to bed, given all the necessary conditions for sleep, then you are likely to fall asleep.

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, despite the presence of all the conditions.

People who suffer from insomnia can spend 7-9 hours a day simply to try to fall asleep, but they do not succeed. They either can't sleep at all, or they fall asleep only briefly in the morning, or they fall asleep but wake up quickly and then can't return to the realm of Morpheus.

How to understand that you really have a big problem with sleep:

• you do not fall asleep well or do not sleep at all, wake up early or constantly wake up in the middle of the night;
• your condition worsens during the day – you constantly feel tired and exhausted;
• insomnia visits you at least three nights a week for 2-3 months.

Everyone can have difficulties with sleeping from time to time – someone gets nervous before launching a difficult project or before an important meeting and loses sleep because of this. Someone loses sleep for romantic reasons. Someone can't tolerate a conflict with friends, which is why they stop sleeping for a while. This is normal. Even if it lasts for several nights in a row – it's still normal. Most likely, sleep will return when the tension eases. The project will start, friends will make up, and the object of desires will respond in the messenger with a cheerful smile.

We can consider sleep loss abnormal when it becomes systematic, that is, insomnia manifests itself at least three nights a week for several months. If you are faced this, then you are dealing with clinical insomnia.

According to Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist and author of a book “Why We Sleep”, there are two main triggers for chronic insomnia:

• emotional preoccupation or restlessness;
• emotional distress or anxiety.

In both cases, people cannot stop the changing, restless, chaotic flow of thoughts. Brain activity continues, which is why the body can not go to sleep and rest. In addition, the overhyped brain begins to increase the level of cortisol – the stress hormone, as well as adrenaline and norepinephrine. These hormones increase the heart rate, which prevents the transition to a sleepy state.

If you have recognized yourself and your situation in the above mentioned, then you may have already tried many options. Say, chamomile tea, sleeping pills, and even “calming down”. Of course, here comes the question – what should I do? There are at least two options: find a somnologist or a psychiatrist. Both of these specialists will not feed you sleeping pills, because they understand that sleeping pills do not give a long-term effect, they are addictive, and the body develops resistance.

Most likely, with chronic insomnia, you will not be able to cope without medication and, possibly, without psychotherapy. However, it's better than sleeping like a baby for months – meaning waking up terrified every half hour or not sleeping at all.

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