Adult Insomnia:
Restoring Sleep without Medication

Audio Version

Do you have to count sheep at night to fall asleep? Is getting back to sleep difficult after waking up frequently? Is sleeping very late and waking up too early affecting your daytime activities? Do you find yourself often dozing or feeling tired during the day? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be experiencing a sleep disorder like insomnia.

Insomnia can disturb not only your nights but also your days. It is a condition that can impact your physical and mental health. When we struggle with sleep we can also have difficulty focusing which can lead us to make mistakes and even be more prone to accidents. When we aren’t functioning at our best it can impact how successful we are in our work, school and even relationships. 

There are several options when it comes to the treatment of insomnia. Many individuals find medication management to be helpful, though this isn’t your only option. Counseling can be extremely effective in treating insomnia and can be combined with medication management or on its own. There are treatment options that do not use medications, such as talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).  According to Web MD, “talk therapy can help if you are struggling with adult insomnia.”  

Do You Have Insomnia? 

Not getting enough sleep happens to a lot of people. Life can be full of stressors that lead us to worry and to stay up late at night. This type of insomnia is likely to be short-term insomnia or ‘acute insomnia.’ It is also often referred to as ‘sleeplessness.’ It will often resolve when the problems that led to it are resolved. 

The other, more worrisome form of insomnia is long-term or ‘chronic insomnia’. As the term suggests, this is the type of sleep disturbance that can persist. Though it may last for just a few nights, it can also come back again and again, even when there is no identifiable reason to lose sleep. If you have been losing sleep for at least three nights a week for over three months it may be time to address this with a trained professional. 

If sleep has been elusive, you likely want this resolved as soon as possible. How do you know if it is merely sleeplessness or insomnia? Insomnia generally has other symptoms. 

Insomnia symptoms may include:

  • Difficulty falling asleep at night
  • Waking up during the night
  • Waking up too early
  • Not feeling well-rested after a night’s sleep
  • Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
  • Irritability, depression or anxiety
  • Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
  • Increased mistakes or accidents
  • Ongoing worries about sleep

What Triggers Insomnia?

Being unnecessarily up late, night after night, you could be wondering what is causing your insomnia. It could be a primary condition, but it can also be triggered or associated with other concerns.  

  • Insomnia can be a response to other challenges, like stress, overwhelm, grief, poor self-esteem, etc. It can indicate deeper mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety Studies reveal that aside from being a symptom, it can also trigger or complicate depression. Insomnia is linked to other depressive symptoms such as; low energy, fatigue, hopelessness and/or loss of interest in many things like activities and people that used to matter in their lives. 
  • Insomnia can also be triggered by excessive worrying about various concerns, tension, stress, remembering past traumatic experiences, or being overwhelmed. Fear can similarly cause you to stay up late. Being apprehensive about sleep and/or excessive fears can worsen your difficulty sleeping.
  • Insomnia can be brought about by your lifestyle. It can be supported and even made worse by your sleep patterns and behaviors. If you are an avid coffee drinker you may have problems sleeping at night, particularly if you drink a caffeinated beverage close to bedtime. Other stimulants can similarly affect your sleep patterns, such as smoking cigarettes/nicotine use. Eating a lot of food at night can also lead to sleeplessness. 
  • Do you catch up with work in the evenings, or do you work the night shift? If you do, there can be a danger of changing your biological clock or the circadian rhythm of your body. Taking naps during the day or sleeping through the day to make up for lost hours of night sleep can confuse your biological clock, triggering insomnia.
  • Insomnia is linked to certain medical conditions and even some medications. One  example is the ‘restless leg syndrome.’ There are also medications that may cause you to lose sleep. Some of these conditions include allergies, acid reflux, arthritis, chronic pain, neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Insomnia may also be an indication of another sleep disorder, like sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when your breathing is affected during sleep, causing your oxygen level drops, waking you up repeatedly during the night.
  • Insomnia can have biological factors as well. There are brain chemicals that regulate and interfere with sleep. The chemicals or neurotransmitters and their interactions dictate our sleep and wake cycles. Too much wake drive can leave you sleepless. The dominance of the two cycles vary from person to person. This explains why people have different sleep patterns or why some people have insomnia and why others seem to have no trouble sleeping at all.

Treatment Interventions for Insomnia 

Getting the sleep you need can’t just be a luxury. It is vital to your physical and emotional well-being. In search of a solution, you may feel limited to medications. Medications can help,though that isn’t’ your only option. To put an end to your insomnia for good, it is critical that the underlying causes are addressed. Working with a skilled counselor can  help you to identify what is causing your sleep troubles and help you to find resolution. 

Carolina Counseling Services – Cameron, NC contracts with knowledgeable and caring therapists who can help you put your insomnia to bed. There are many approaches that can help with insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of them!

What is CBT? According to the Mayo Clinic, “CBT helps you find out which thoughts and behaviors cause sleep problems or make them worse. You learn how to replace these thoughts and behaviors with habits that support sound sleep. Unlike sleeping pills, CBT helps you overcome the causes of your sleep problems.”

Insomnia is powerful but you’re not powerless. Therapy can help. Call today to start your journey toward better sleep.