{"id":293,"date":"2016-12-19T14:51:26","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T22:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/product-content01.castlighthealth.com\/?p=293"},"modified":"2019-11-07T23:56:28","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T07:56:28","slug":"is-chronic-insomnia-affecting-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/is-chronic-insomnia-affecting-your-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Is chronic insomnia affecting your health?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">From time to time, everyone experiences a loss of sleep. Whether it\u2019s caused by jet lag or a stressful work situation, we\u2019ve all flopped into bed, snuggled into our pillows, but then... sleep won\u2019t come.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In the morning, we may experience the short-term effects of little sleep, including daytime drowsiness and an inability to focus. But at what point does the inability to sleep through the night begin to affect our health? And when should we consult our doctor about chronic insomnia?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">First, how much sleep should we be getting?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Researchers say that adults should aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Your sleep needs may change as you age. You\u2019ll need to assess your own sleep patterns to see what amount works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chronic insomnia: Causes and conditions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sleepfoundation.org\/insomnia\/content\/what-causes-insomnia\">The Sleep Foundation defines chronic insomnia<\/a> as, \u201cwhen a person has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at least 3 nights per week for 3 months or longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Sometimes it\u2019s a simple matter of being unable to sleep, then having anxiety about not being able to sleep, resulting again in the inability to fall asleep the next night. See the pattern?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">However, there are specific medical causes for insomnia too. Some include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Depression<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Anxiety<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Nasal\/sinus allergies<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Gastrointestinal problems (reflux)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Hyperthyroidism<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Arthritis<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Asthma<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chronic pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Low back pain<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you\u2019re experiencing chronic insomnia, it\u2019s a good idea to see your primary care doctor to rule out these underlying causes. It will give you answers and a course of action for putting your insomnia to bed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Are there physical health risks for decreased sleep over long periods of time?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Health risks? Yes. Definite damage to our health? No. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that chronic physical diseases and conditions like diabetes and obesity are linked to insomnia, insomnia has not been deemed the sole cause of these conditions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">A likely explanation for the linkage is that people with stress or anxiety and chronic insomnia may turn to unhealthy lifestyle choices, like smoking, drinking more alcohol, or eating fatty or sugary foods, in response to stress. These lifestyle choices may cause chronic conditions like diabetes. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">That isn\u2019t to say that there are no risks to chronic insomnia. One example? between 2005 and 2009, drowsy driving was responsible for approximately 83,000 crashes, as reported by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/sleep\/about_sleep\/drowsy_driving.html\">The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Tips for putting chronic insomnia to bed<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Turn off cell phones and computers 2 hours before bedtime.<\/strong> The blue light from screens disrupts circadian rhythms and the production of melatonin, which are crucial for good sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Get more exercise.<\/strong> Daily exercise decreases stress and anxiety and helps tire out your body for a better night\u2019s sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Cut out alcohol and caffeine late in the day.<\/strong> Caffeine can affect you for up to 8 hours, so be sure to stop drinking coffee, tea, and soda before 1pm. Also, while alcohol may make you temporarily sleepy, it also reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and can result in insomnia<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Use blackout curtains or wear an eye mask.<\/strong> Even tiny amounts of light can signal your brain that it\u2019s time to wake up<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>Bonus<\/strong>: Read our other article on \"<a href=\"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/what-to-do-when-you-cant-fall-asleep\/\">What to do when you can't fall asleep<\/a>.\"<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Use your bedroom only for sleeping, avoiding it during the daytime<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One cause of insomnia is the association of your bed with being awake. Therefore, if you\u2019re used to talking on the phone or watching movies on your iPad in bed, your brain is also used to being awake while in bed. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Using your bedroom for sleep only will help your brain associate the space with being calm and drowsy. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you\u2019re experiencing chronic insomnia, make an appointment with your <a href=\"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-a-primary-care-physician\/\">primary care doctor<\/a> to rule out underlying conditions as possible causes. They will also recommend resources like sleep therapy to help you get back on a normal sleep schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #7182a7;\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a name=\"footnoteone\"><\/a>1.\u00a0https:\/\/sleepfoundation.org\/insomnia\/content\/what-causes-insomnia<a style=\"color: #7182a7;\" href=\"https:\/\/sleepfoundation.org\/insomnia\/content\/what-causes-insomnia\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a name=\"footnotetwo\"><\/a>2.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/sleep\/about_sleep\/drowsy_driving.html<\/span><a style=\"color: #7182a7;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/sleep\/about_sleep\/drowsy_driving.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a name=\"footnotethree\"><\/a>3. <\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/sleepfoundation.org\/ask-the-expert\/stress-and-insomnia<\/span><\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From time to time, everyone experiences a loss of sleep. Whether it\u2019s caused by jet lag or a stressful work situation, we\u2019ve all flopped into bed, snuggled into our pillows, but then... sleep won\u2019t come. In the morning, we may experience the short-term effects of little sleep, including daytime drowsiness and an inability to focus. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,9],"tags":[153,290,408,39],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-featured-image.jpg","acf":{"post_subtitle":"What you can do now to ease your way back to sleep and when to speak to your doctor.","post_hero_image":{"ID":363,"id":363,"title":"man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image","filename":"man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","filesize":29008,"url":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/is-chronic-insomnia-affecting-your-health\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image\/","alt":"Man suffering from chronic insomnia sits on the edge of his bed, rubbing his head while his wife sleeps behind him.","author":"49","description":"Man suffering from chronic insomnia sits on the edge of his bed, rubbing his head while his wife sleeps behind him. ","caption":"When should we consult our doctor about chronic insomnia?","name":"man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":293,"date":"2016-12-20 22:23:38","modified":"2018-01-03 20:35:39","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":960,"height":400,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":63,"medium":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":125,"medium_large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":267,"large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","large-width":640,"large-height":267,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":400,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-hero-image.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":400}},"post_cta_status":"true","post_co_branding_status":"false","post_type":"post","post_conclusion_status":"false","mobile_content":{"mobile_story_label":"Featured","mobile_post_title":"Is chronic insomnia affecting your health?","mobile_carousel_image":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/chronic-insomnia-carousel.jpg","mobile_hero_image":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/man-suffering-chronic-insomnia-featured-image.jpg","mobile_content_body":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sleepfoundation.org\/insomnia\/content\/what-causes-insomnia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Sleep Foundation<\/a> defines chronic insomnia as when \u201ca person has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at least three nights per week for three months or longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The cause? Hard to say. Sometimes it\u2019s a simple matter of being unable to sleep, then having anxiety about not being able to sleep, resulting again in the inability to fall asleep the next night. See the pattern?<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re experiencing chronic insomnia, it\u2019s a good idea to see your primary care doctor to rule out these underlying causes. It will give you answers and a course of action for putting your insomnia to bed.<\/p>\n<h3>Are there physical health risks for decreased sleep over long periods of time?<\/h3>\n<p>Health risks? Yes. Definite damage to your health? No.<\/p>\n<p>Although Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that chronic physical diseases and conditions like diabetes and obesity are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/sleep\/about_sleep\/chronic_disease.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">linked to insomnia<\/a>, insomnia has not been deemed the sole cause of these conditions.<\/p>\n<h3>Tips for putting insomnia to bed<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Turn off cell phones and computers for an hour or two before bedtime. <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Get more exercise.<\/strong> Daily exercise decreases stress and anxiety and helps tire out your body for a better night\u2019s sleep.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cut out alcohol and caffeine late in the day. <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Use your bedroom only for sleeping.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Stay up later.<\/strong> Instead of going to bed early and forcing yourself to sleep, count the number of hours you are actually sleeping, then set your sleep schedule according to that amount of time. For example, if you are sleeping only five hours, give yourself only 5-6 hours in bed, instead of eight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Why? One cause of insomnia is the association of your bed with being awake. Therefore, if you\u2019re used to talking on the phone or watching movies on your iPad in bed, your brain is also used to being awake while in bed.<\/p>\n<p>Using your bedroom for sleep only will help your brain associate the space with being calm and drowsy.<\/p>\n<p>Another tip: Make sure your bedroom is pitch black, or wear an eye mask for sleeping. Even tiny amounts of light can signal to your brain that it\u2019s time to wake up.<\/p>\n"},"card_title":"Is chronic insomnia affecting your health?","header":"Worth the look","footer":"3 minute read"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}