Insomnia - Chronic Diseases

Insomnia Treatment Abroad

Overview

Trouble falling or staying asleep is often characterized as insomnia. There are two main forms of insomnia: primary and secondary. A patient with primary insomnia indicates that trouble falling or staying asleep is not related or associated with other health conditions or medical problems, while a patient with secondary insomnia suffers from the condition as a result of a health ailment or condition, such as depression or medication. Insomnia affects many people in different ways, and a variety of symptoms can indicate the sleeping disorder, such as:

• Waking up tired and not refreshed
• Waking too early, regardless of a late bedtime
• Frequently waking up throughout the night and having trouble falling back asleep
• Despite being tired, trouble falling asleep at bedtime

Procedure

A few medical procedures can help your physician determine if you suffer from insomnia. A physical exam is often completed, as well as a medical history of the patient, which will include questions about drug use, medications currently taken and family history.

Tests will help determine that the sleep disorder is insomnia, and not a different type of disorder, such as sleep apnea. An overnight sleep study will allow your physician to monitor your sleeping pattern to suggest the best treatment, and a polysomnography, which is a multi-parametric test used to study how a patient sleeps.

There are two variations of insomnia, and after undergoing tests and physical exam, your physician will best know how to treat the sleeping disorder. A sleep diary will record a pattern or variation in sleep habits. When it comes to the length of time in which a patient suffers insomnia, there are two types:

• Chronic – Lasts over a long period of time and occurs at least three times per week for an extended period of a few months.
• Acute – Short-term insomnia, lasts between one night a week up to a few weeks, but then goes away for a period before reemerging.

Those who do not get a full eight hours of sleep each night are not necessarily experiencing insomnia. Each person is different, so one person may do well with only six hours of sleep, while another may only feel refreshed with nine hours of sleep. Tweaking your sleep time and keeping a sleep journal will help determine if you can change the hours in which you sleep to improve daily functioning.

Treatments

The first treatment is to determine if any medications or lifestyle conditions are causing the insomnia. Drugs and some prescribed medications can often cause disruption in sleeping patterns, so it is important your physician knows about them in order to treat the disorder properly.
The physician may prescribe medication to encourage sleep, including:

• Sedatives – Must be used with doctor supervision, as many can cause a tolerance toward the medication and create dependence for sleep.
• Antihistamines – Typically found in over-the-counter sleeping aids.
• Antidepressants – A low dose of this medication can offer sleep aid without the tolerance or dependence sedatives create.

Benefits of Insomnia Treatments

A benefit of an insomnia treatment is that a patient will get proper sleep and feel refreshed and renewed upon awaking. Before bed, patients may also implement relaxation exercises or breathing to relax the body before sleeping. Sleeping resets the brain and body, allowing for optimal functioning the following day.

Cost of Insomnia Treatments

The cost of insomnia treatments in the United States often cost about $200 USD per year for medication, and $1200 USD or more for a sleep study or behavioral modification therapy. The type of insomnia a patient suffers from determines the annual cost for the treatment. A sleep study treatment in India costs approximately $275 USD, which includes overnight stays in the treatment center.

Choose Your Doctor

Physicians and D.O.’s (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) today often offer their patients alternative chronic illness and chronic infections medicine and treatment therapies in conjunction with current treatment plans. D.O.’s are fully trained and licensed physicians, just like M.D.’s, who may specialize in surgery, family medicine, pediatrics and so forth. However, D.O.’s treat the body unit as a whole, using what is commonly referred to as the “whole person” approach.

If you need to know more about Insomnia and the available treatments, contact us!