Insomnia: neurologist or psychotherapist, which doctor can help?

Which doctor should I contact for insomnia?

In the beginning, when sleep disturbance occurs, people try to eliminate the condition on their own.
But after the body is exhausted, they come to the doctors. And most often, people do not know which doctor to contact if they have insomnia. Patients are initially referred to a general specialist – a general practitioner. He conducts diagnostic tests and sends patients to specialist doctors. Sleep disturbances appear due to pathologies in the brain, most often with systemic diseases and psychoemotional disorders. Each problem is treated separately by different specialists. Therefore, you need to know which doctor to contact for insomnia so that there is no relapse. The choice of a physician is made by a therapist after an initial examination, identifying symptoms, and conducting diagnostic tests.

Therapist

This is a general practitioner who sees all patients. During the initial appointment, the patient is examined in stages:

collecting complaints from a person’s words;
examination of skin surfaces, mucous membranes and oral cavity;
prescribing laboratory tests (general clinical examination of urine and blood, blood biochemistry);
instrumental examination methods (pressure measurement, auscultation, pulse measurement, palpation of lymph nodes);
radiography for suspected respiratory tract disease;
MRI, CT to identify the condition of blood vessels, nervous tissue, the presence of benign and malignant tumors.

If the cause of insomnia is fatigue or psycho-emotional disturbance, the therapist gives general recommendations:

schedule stabilization, breaks from work to recuperate;
activity, physical exercise;
elimination of bad habits, medications, psychostimulants;
relaxing massages, swimming;
walks in the open air.

If the therapist discovers a serious cause of the disease, the patient is referred to specialist doctors.

Psychologist

At the appointment, the doctor asks the patient about concerns, finds out the area of work, his work schedule. Asks about family relationships. At each psychotherapy session, a person tells the doctor about the problems that bother him.

Methods of therapy with a psychologist:

hypnosis;
meditation;
respiratory system.

Drug therapy by a psychologist is carried out only in extreme cases.

Psychiatrist

Unlike a psychologist, a psychiatrist deals with difficult problems:

bipolar disorder;
schizophrenia;
drug addict;
panic attacks.

Therapy is accompanied by the prescription of medications. The doctor prescribes sedatives, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills.

Somnologist

This is a doctor who identifies and treats primary insomnia. This is a new direction in medicine. There are no somnologists in free institutions; appointments are made at a private clinic.

If during the initial conversation with the patient the cause of insomnia is not identified, the doctor prescribes an EEG procedure during sleep. The passage of nerve impulses in the brain at night is studied.

Neurologist

In half of the cases of insomnia, the cause is neurological disorders that arise from disorders of the central or peripheral nervous system. To make a diagnosis, studies are carried out:

electroencephalogram;
checking nervous reflexes;
MRI, CT.

Treatment is carried out using:

medicines;
massage;
physiotherapy;
increasing physical activity.

Most neurological disorders in people develop due to excessive nervous tension. Then therapy is carried out with the additional use of sedatives.

Manual or acupuncturist

In areas of the human body there are reflexogenic points. Nerve endings are stimulated by inserting a needle. This allows a person to relax. Using the method, systemic diseases are treated. The procedures are carried out in courses. To do this, use 10-15 sessions, after which they take a break. In some cases, even 21 sessions are required.

Other specialists

If insomnia develops due to systemic diseases, treatment is carried out by specialized doctors:

cardiologist (cardiovascular disease);
otolaryngologist (diseases of the ear, nose and throat);
surgeon (removal of tumors, restoration of damaged tissue, correction of a deviated nasal septum that makes breathing difficult during sleep);
urologist, nephrologist (frequent calls to urinate in chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases of the urinary system disturb sleep).

When the primary disease is completely cured, insomnia will disappear on its own, without the need for additional use of medications.

What studies help a somnologist make a diagnosis?

The most complete and accurate determination of the nature and severity of sleep disorders allows polysomnography - a special complex multifactorial study that is carried out during night sleep and consists of monitoring various parameters and indicators, including:

blood oxygen saturation level;
assessment of brain activity (EEG);
heart function (ECG);
eye movements (EOG) and muscle activity (EMG);
characteristics of the respiratory flow, including the number and duration of episodes of respiratory pauses;
characteristics of snoring, etc.

Polysomnography is the most accurate and informative method for studying sleep disorders

In some cases (primarily when OSAS is suspected), the results of a simplified, cheaper and more accessible option for diagnosing sleep disorders - cardiorespiratory monitoring - are sufficient.

In addition, the somnologist may require data from laboratory and instrumental studies.

Which doctor should I contact for insomnia? Causes and methods of treating pathology

Insomnia (lat. insomnia) – poor quality or complete absence of sleep. A person suffering from insomnia cannot sleep for a long time, wakes up at night, has problems waking up in the morning, feels exhausted throughout the day and loses ability to work.

The patient loses the ability to concentrate on the tasks being performed, is distracted, does not perceive information well, loses appetite, or, conversely, begins to suffer from overeating. Often the disease is accompanied by increased nervousness or, conversely, depression. Symptoms may alternate.

Insomnia is divided into three types:

chronic
short-term
transient

The reasons for the appearance may be various factors depending on the type:

Insomnia

Transient insomnia can be caused by a stressful situation, nervous shock or excessive fatigue. It comes on suddenly, but goes away as soon as the situation stabilizes. It is the easiest type of violation, as it is caused by external factors. Short-term insomnia can be triggered by any everyday problem, an unpleasant situation at work, a conflict with loved ones, a move, an exam, etc. As soon as the irritating factor disappears, insomnia goes away along with it, leaving no complications in the person’s mental state.
Short-term insomnia lasts several nights a month and can cause the development of chronic depression. It also occurs due to everyday problems, however, it lasts longer than the transient one and is constantly repeated. This disease can be triggered by metabolic disorders or diseases such as ulcers, gastritis, pneumonia, joint diseases and many others. For short-term insomnia, treatment should be started, as it can lead to asthenia and even depression. Fortunately, it is treated quite simply; there are many folk remedies that can help quickly solve this problem. Playing sports or walking daily for 30-40 minutes helps.
Chronic insomnia is the most severe type of disease that requires serious comprehensive treatment. Chronic insomnia can be associated with neurosis, mental and chronic diseases, dementia (dementia in old age), increased anxiety and much more. The cause of depression should be determined privately by the attending physician.

Which doctor should I contact for insomnia?

Somnology

A somnologist deals with sleep problems. Somnology is a science that deals with the study of sleep, its disorders and treatment methods. Sleep may be too short, or, conversely, too long. Both conditions are abnormal and must be treated.

The somnologist must first determine the causes of insomnia and find out what caused it. Insomnia caused by depression or asthenia should be treated accompanied by a psychologist or psychiatrist (depending on the severity of the condition).

Sometimes drug treatment is required because the brain of a person suffering from insomnia lacks certain substances or neurometabolism is impaired. The new generation of drugs are not addictive; their action is aimed at restoring brain function.

If the cause of insomnia is a serious physical illness, then an examination by a therapist is scheduled, who will help determine the root cause of the illness.

Some practical tips

If you begin to notice manifestations of insomnia, you should listen more carefully to your body. Perhaps the body is just tired and needs to relax. Fatigue may not always be triggered by stressful situations.

A routine lifestyle exhausts the nervous system, not giving it the opportunity to relax. Try to spend more time outdoors and not in front of the TV or computer. You should always go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends.

Give up bad habits: tobacco and alcohol. Providing a temporary relaxation effect, they exhaust the nervous system. Watch your diet, give up processed foods and heavy foods. Make a choice in favor of vegetables and fruits, white meat, dairy products. The last meal should be at least 2 hours before bedtime.

Following these simple rules will help a person avoid insomnia.

Sleep disturbance

Arthritis

Rheumatism

37629 06 November

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Sleep disturbance: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

Sleep disturbance, or insomnia (insomnia), is a general term that includes difficulty falling asleep, problems staying asleep, and waking up too early. As a result, during sleep a person cannot fully restore strength and performance, which reduces the quality of life. Sleep disturbance to one degree or another is observed in almost half of the adult population, but only in 9–15% of people does this problem become clinically significant. In older people, chronic insomnia is observed much more often than in young people - more than 55% of cases.

With any sleep disturbances, a person experiences fatigue, decreased attention or memory, depression, depression, and decreased vital activity.
Types of sleep disorders
Depending on the cause of sleep disorders, primary and secondary insomnia are distinguished. When diagnosing primary insomnia, organic, psychiatric, or neurological causes for sleep disturbance are not noted. Secondary insomnia is the result of various diseases, taking stimulants, or any unfavorable external conditions.

Sleep disturbances can be acute (transient), short-term (up to 6 months) and chronic (more than six months). Acute sleep disturbance can occur in any person under the influence of stress, overexcitation, or due to time zone change. Chronic insomnia develops in people predisposed to it. Typically, this condition affects elderly patients, women, people who, for one reason or another, sleep no more than 5 hours a day, as well as those who experience prolonged absence from work, marital divorce, psychological and psychiatric trauma, and patients with chronic diseases.

Possible causes of sleep disorders

Difficulty falling asleep is the most common complaint of patients. The desire to sleep that a person experiences before going to bed, but it disappears under the influence of a variety of factors when the person lies down. These may be unpleasant thoughts and memories, the inability to find a comfortable position due to restlessness in the legs, pain or itching, or extraneous sounds. A light drowsiness is disturbed even by the slightest noise, and sometimes a person who has fallen asleep thinks that “he hasn’t slept for a minute.”

There can be many reasons for such difficulty falling asleep, in particular, lack of fatigue, spending a long time in bed during the day, irregular bedtime, anxiety, illnesses that cause itching or pain.

A common complaint is unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities (pins and needles, trembling, tingling, burning, twitching), which force you to constantly change the position of your legs (restless legs syndrome). Symptoms are significantly weakened or disappear completely with movement. The best effect is often achieved by walking or simply standing. Recently, the proportion of patients who have problems falling asleep due to the consumption of stimulating drinks (tea, coffee, energy drinks) in the evening, as well as the abuse of medications (caffeine, psychostimulants, some antidepressants, antipsychotics, nootropics) has increased.

Problems with maintaining sleep mainly consist of frequent awakenings, after which it is difficult to fall back to sleep, and a feeling of “shallow” sleep. The reasons for awakening can be very different (dreams, fears, nightmares, breathing problems, palpitations, the urge to urinate).

Most often, chronic insomnia is a symptom of neurological and mental diseases.

Complaints of poor sleep are typical for patients with stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety-manic states are also accompanied by sleep disturbances.

In many cases, frequent awakenings at night are associated with sleep apnea.

This respiratory disorder occurs during snoring due to the collapse of the tissues of the pharyngeal ring during inspiration and is characterized by a short-term cessation of breathing, which is accompanied by a decrease in blood oxygen levels and interruption of sleep.

Disruption of the circadian rhythm almost always leads to chronic insomnia. This situation occurs during shift work and shift work, as well as among those who sit for a long time in the evening watching TV or a computer. Excess blue light from screens in the evening and night hours causes desynchronosis - a disruption of the circadian biorhythm, which, in turn, leads to sleep disturbances.

Frequent awakenings can be a consequence of cardiovascular (arrhythmias, arterial hypertension), pulmonary (COPD), musculoskeletal (arthritis, rheumatism), genitourinary (prostatitis, urinary incontinence) and endocrine diseases.

Problems with early morning awakening are observed in older people, people suffering from depressive disorders, and panic attacks. As a rule, sleep is interrupted at 4–5 o'clock in the morning and does not resume. Immediately after waking up, patients note a flood of negative thoughts rushing over them. In the morning and during the day they complain of a “broken” state, they have decreased performance, and constant drowsiness.

Which doctors should I contact for sleep disorders?

Initially, you should consult a general practitioner to determine the true cause of insomnia and identify possible concomitant diseases that may lead to sleep disturbances.

If you suspect depressive syndrome, you should consult a psychotherapist or neurologist. With successful treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, sleep usually returns to normal.

In cases where diagnosing sleep disorders is difficult, the therapist refers the patient to a somnologist.

Diagnosis and examinations for sleep disorders

When diagnosing sleep disorders, the first step is to understand whether insomnia is primary or secondary. It should be borne in mind that about 80% of cases of sleep disorders are caused by various diseases. Along with complaints of poor sleep, the following factors should be taken into account: snoring, excess weight, arterial hypertension, neurological disorders (stroke, traumatic brain injury), the presence of diseases that can cause pain at night (rheumatism, myalgia, arthritis of various etiologies) or itching (psoriasis, herpes, thyroid and liver diseases).

Why do you need healthy sleep?

A person needs sleep to restore the physical and psychological strength of the body. It occurs cyclically almost every 24 hours and these cycles are called the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is regulated by the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a pituitary hormone that is produced only in complete darkness. Therefore, an important condition for healthy and long sleep is the illumination of the room. Consequently, failure to adhere to the schedule, sleeping during the day, or working at night can cause circadian rhythm disturbances and cause insomnia.

Inadequate sleep caused by insomnia worsens metabolism and over time can cause obesity and then type 2 diabetes, but this is in the long term. In the short term, there is a risk of dying from a myocardial infarction or stroke without waiting for diabetes

Since lack of sleep or lack of sleep primarily affects the cardiovascular system, you need to treat this problem with due attention

How an osteopath treats insomnia

Among the methods of osteopathy that help in the fight against insomnia are direct and indirect techniques to eliminate the tone of ligaments, fascia and muscles, which is often a reaction of organs to bruise, injury or displacement of the vertebrae.

An osteopath uses methods of inhibition, stretching, traction, twisting, influencing tissue. The spasm goes away, and all organs and parts of the body return to their usual position. The swelling subsides, the pain decreases, and all this contributes to the normalization of sleep patterns. The organs begin to be supplied with blood as expected, irritants are eliminated.

The patient may feel slightly dizzy after an osteopathy session, but this is a normal reaction of the body.

Visiting a therapist and neurologist

To understand which doctor cures insomnia, you need to carefully evaluate the type of activity of each doctor. As you visit the therapist and complain to him about poor quality of sleep, he first of all asks the patient what is involved in going to sleep at night. This can be done:

noise from households and (or) neighbors;
taking certain types of tonics;
taking medications, the side effects of which are considered to be insomnia.

If the doctor is a true professional, he will first try to cure the disease without prescribing medications. After all, sleeping pills from pharmacy counters do not return the patient to full and healthy sleep, but only have a depressing effect on a person’s consciousness. Therefore, waking up in the morning after taking sleeping pills, the patient will not feel better.

Before visiting a doctor, you will need to prepare for him to prescribe tests and additional examinations that will help identify the causes of insomnia, as well as assess the person’s general condition. If this is not done, there will be no result from therapy.

If such a condition was caused by taking medications, the doctor will most likely cancel them or replace them with similar compounds that have a more gentle effect on health.

If the doctor finds the cause of insomnia, but cannot completely cure it, he will give a referral to a specialist with a narrower profile, for example, a neurologist.

The neurologist accepts those patients who have been diagnosed with:

Parkinson's disease;
narcolepsy;
problems related to blood circulation in the brain;
history of stroke;
dementia that was acquired during life;
high pressure inside the skull.

If the cause of disturbed sleep is accurately identified, treatment of insomnia will be quick and quite successful.

It is prohibited to take sleeping pills without a doctor's indication, since if a person has sleep problems caused by hormonal drugs, any sleeping pills will not be able to provide adequate assistance.

If a person suffers from diseases of the brain or blood vessels, sleeping pills will lead to a deterioration in memory.

A neurologist will prescribe drugs to a patient only after making a correct diagnosis - if the disease that has caused deterioration in sleep quality falls within his specialty, the doctor will prescribe a comprehensive treatment. Its correct implementation will help restore healthy and complete sleep in 2-4 weeks.

Kinds

There are the following types of this disease:

Primary insomnia. It occurs when sleep problems are not caused by illness or a specific situation.
Secondary view. Formed against the background of the formation of some disease. This could be oncology, injury, heartburn, asthma, arthritis, or depression. The use of alcoholic beverages or medications can also affect the formation of such a problem.

Based on duration and frequency, the following types of insomnia are distinguished:

Chronic. Regular problems that last for several months, or occur periodically every 3-4 months for many years.
Spicy. This is a short-term sleep disorder that can last from 1 night to several weeks.

Treatment of insomnia

At the initial stage of the disease, you should not resort to self-medication by taking medications without a doctor’s prescription.
This can worsen the situation, cause drug dependence, which will complicate the course of the disease and transfer it to the chronic phase. Restoring brain functions falls within the competence of a psychiatrist-psychotherapist. Only a specialist can correctly understand the true causes of insomnia and prescribe adequate treatment.

Do not put off visiting a professional psychotherapist “for later” - this can lead to irreversible mental health problems.

We do not believe in miracles and easy results in treating brain disorders. We fight together for your healthy life. The desire and willpower of a person, as well as the help of people close to him, are very important.

Insomnia is known to many, but very few see it as a serious problem that needs to be addressed by a specialist. Poor sleep not only causes moral discomfort, but can also cause significant harm to the health of the sleep-deprived.

Violations can also be caused by the use of various psychoactive substances. In this case, therapy should be carried out in a drug treatment clinic.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is defined by both deterioration in sleep quality and shortness of sleep. Sleep, as a natural process that replenishes our body with the necessary energy, does not tolerate when little attention is paid to it. Your body immediately reacts with drowsiness, irritability, decreased performance, and a weakened immune system.

Manifestations of insomnia

prolonged falling asleep, difficulty falling asleep;
frequent awakening;
getting up early;
malaise;
lack of a full night's sleep;
depression.

Main causes of chronic sleep deprivation

prolonged depression;
diseases of the nervous system;
asthma;
overwork;
stress;
heart failure;
alcohol and drug abuse;
kidney diseases;
arthritis;
encephalitis.

If all of the above symptoms apply to you, then you need to take proper measures to eliminate this problem. The problem of insomnia itself can develop for numerous reasons. The epicenter of the development of insomnia can be a number of mental and somatic diseases.

Insomnia and the social environment

Often, social factors also influence the quality and duration of sleep. Self-doubt, inferiority complexes, lack of confidence in the future - all this provokes a violation of the structure of the sleep process.

Distortion of normal sleep is not only a problem of an internal psychological nature, but also the fault of technological progress

All inventions of mankind - television, computer, Internet, mobile phone - pay due attention to human consciousness. These factors prevent him from relaxing properly

Causes

Various factors can provoke the formation of the disease, for example:

serious physical and mental stress;
heart diseases;
disruption of the endocrine system;
night work;
change in the rhythm of life;
gastrointestinal diseases;
frequent air travel;
diseases of the nervous system;
emotional experiences;
stress.

A serious effect on the nervous system is indicated by long-term use of sleeping pills, which can ultimately cause insomnia. In the case of prolonged use of such medications, the excitability of the nervous system only increases, which is why a person cannot sleep.

Treatment of insomnia in endogenous diseases

With endogenous diseases, despite the fact that the mechanism of the disease is known, the cause of the disease is not always clear to many doctors, and in this case they are not able to provide the correct treatment for insomnia. Therefore, a specialist is needed who has the ability to qualitatively diagnose such conditions - a highly qualified psychotherapist.

For various types of endogenous diseases, the main cause lies in disturbances in the metabolic processes of the brain. Therefore, the main means of influencing the cause will be complex neurometabolic therapy based on high-tech methods of restorative medicine. Psychotherapeutic influence, when treating insomnia of this type, in the first stages will negatively affect the result. It is possible to effectively get rid of insomnia due to endogenous disorders only by taking into account accurate data on disrupted brain processes.

In these cases, treatment of insomnia is taken under the special supervision of an experienced doctor and requires specialized medical care. However, if the treatment is carried out correctly and the patient follows all the instructions of the attending physician, treatment of insomnia due to endogenous disorders is successful and in a short time.

Treatment of insomnia with asthenia

Asthenia is the most common phenomenon in today's world, so doctors most often encounter the problem of treating insomnia in these disorders of the nervous system. In such cases, treatment of insomnia must be carried out by completely different means. Unfortunately, these disorders are very insidious and difficult to correctly recognize by most doctors. In the initial stages of the formation and development of this mental disorder, it is very well treated, and with it, the treatment of insomnia occurs not only quickly, but also quickly.

The symptoms that are characteristic of this condition are a universal protective reaction of the brain and can be observed in various diseases (mental and internal organs). And also in people who are not sick (with overwork, malnutrition, prolonged stress). In addition to disturbed sleep, it can manifest itself as poor general health, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, absent-mindedness, and headaches. In this case, treatment of insomnia should be aimed at restoring nervous activity. This is achieved by using specific medications, physiotherapy, and using a simple diet and daily routine.

The insidiousness of these disorders lies in the complications that can affect the midline structures of the brain and disrupt the biological processes of the central nervous system.

Causes of insomnia

There are many reasons why sleep disturbance occurs.

Biorhythm disturbance. The pineal gland is located in the human brain. It produces hormonal substances, one of which is melatonin. It is responsible for day and night rhythms. If it is produced in insufficient quantities, the patient has difficulty falling asleep.
Presence of irritants. Sleep is affected by bright light, loud noises, and excessively low or high ambient temperatures.
Sudden sleep apnea due to snoring.
Stress. Violations of a person’s psycho-emotional background lead to changes in hormonal levels. An increased amount of adrenaline is released into the blood, leading to overexcitation.
Pain in acute and chronic diseases. Pulpitis, wounds on the surface of the skin, gastrointestinal infections, conditions after surgery, ARVI with elevated body temperature can lead to insomnia.
Eliminating bad habits. If the patient has been using alcohol, drugs, or nicotine for a long time, abrupt withdrawal of these substances causes poor health and inability to sleep.
Mental illness, depression, anxiety.
Use of medications: corticosteroids, adrenergic blockers, chondroitin and other drugs.
Primary sleep disorder. In early childhood (up to 3 years), sleep disturbances occur for no apparent reason. In adults, insomnia occurs due to disorders of the brain and circadian rhythm. People cannot fall asleep with increased muscle tone and involuntary movements (trembling legs).

What causes of insomnia can an osteopath help with?

In a situation where problems with night rest were caused by a somatic illness, an osteopathic specialist will direct efforts to restore the functioning of the impaired organ. It will help increase lymph flow and blood flow, eliminate muscle tension and pinched nerves. Often this is what causes the patient to wake up at night in pain.

If the cause of loss of sleep is hidden in emotional overstrain, osteopathic methods will help the patient relax and eliminate muscle tone. Already during the procedure, many patients feel relaxed and sleep right on the massage table. This is a significant argument indicating the high effectiveness of osteopathy in relieving tension.

The doctor will also help with insomnia diagnosed due to central nervous system disorders. Using a specific technique, a specialist will help improve the functioning of the brain. This especially helps older people. The activity of the hypothalamus decreases, the secretion of melatonin slows down, hence the sleep becomes shallow.

What does the doctor prescribe

Depending on the identified cause of insomnia, the attending physician prescribes a specific treatment regimen for the patient. The therapeutic course may contain both medications and various techniques for correcting sleep disorders.

Sleeping pills and sedatives.

Doctors try not to immediately prescribe powerful drugs that have a direct hypnotic effect.
They are quickly addictive and do not eliminate the cause of insomnia. Patients are often prescribed mild sedatives that can relieve insomnia. When a person begins to regain his own proper sleep, the doctor gradually discontinues drug therapy. Recently, the drugs Sonylux and DreamZzz appeared on the pharmaceutical market. They effectively streamline your night's rest and significantly reduce the time spent falling asleep. In addition, they performed well against depression. These drugs help overcome anxiety, stress and chronic fatigue. They also protect against excessive nervous tension and improve mood.

"Sonylux" and DreamZzz are natural medicines. The manufacturer made them from natural ingredients (Alishan gaba tea, lofant, a collection of 32 medicinal plants and beaver stream).

O and DreamZzz not only cope well with insomnia, but also have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole. As a result, a person gets good sleep, gets rid of a melancholic mood and improves the nervous system.

To say goodbye to insomnia and depression, you should take Sonilyux or DreamZzz at least 2 times a day - one measuring spoon at a time.

Psychotherapy

Sometimes it remains the only method of treating insomnia if sleep disturbances are provoked by stress, neurosis or increased anxiety. If necessary, psychotherapeutic sessions are supplemented with mild sedatives.

Treatment of diseases of organs and their systems.

If insomnia occurs as a result of dysfunction of the endocrine, nervous and other systems, a complex effect on the body is necessary. Sometimes medication is included in the course of treatment to restore normal sleep.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jcRhQd_5Nh8

How to deal with insomnia? The somnologist answered readers' questions

Is it possible to get rid of snoring? How to deal with sleep disorders in children? What to do about unstable breathing during sleep? These and other questions from AiF readers were answered by Chelyabinsk cardiologist, specialist in sleep disorders and respiratory support, head of the Center for Neurology and Sleep Medicine, Natalya Belinskaya. Sleep is not a joy I don’t have insomnia, I always go to bed at the same time and get up at seven in the morning. But lately I feel like I’m not getting enough sleep, I’m not resting in my sleep. With what it can be connected? Milana G., Kartaly - Your poor health may be associated with an increase in daylight hours. Perhaps your body is simply forced to wake up at sunrise, with the appearance of sunlight in the room. The solution is dark curtains, special eye masks, and earplugs. It is best to sleep in silence and darkness. It is a fact. I am a supporter of closed windows, because noise from the street during sleep is just as irritating to the nervous system as light. If the room is stuffy, turn on the air conditioner. There is a myth that you can catch a cold under them, but modern air conditioning systems are regulated. When you prevent yourself from sleeping I often wake up because when I lie on my back, my breathing stops. Plus, my relatives complain about my snoring. Sometimes I wake up snoring myself. Galina Alekseevna, Chelyabinsk - Of all sleep disorders, respiratory arrest is the worst. This phenomenon can have two reasons: either central genesis, in which the respiratory center in the brain is blocked, or obstructive apnea, when the muscles of the respiratory tract slam shut. As a rule, it is the accompanying snoring that helps to identify respiratory arrest during sleep: a person snores and snores, then stops breathing, then snores heavily and continues to breathe and snore further. In this case, there can be snoring without apnea and there can be apnea without snoring. First of all, you need to undergo a diagnostic test called respiratory monitoring (or polysomnography). It will determine the cause of breathing stops, their number and the severity of sleep apnea. After this, it will be possible to prescribe competent treatment. The Center for Neurology and Sleep Medicine still remains the only institution in Chelyabinsk that conducts respiratory monitoring. You can make an appointment by calling 7-400-140. Diagnostics can be done in a medical center, or on an outpatient basis, that is, at home. Polysomnography is the most complete diagnosis of sleep disorders; it is carried out in a sleep center. It also has disadvantages: not every person can sleep comfortably in a new, strange room, and even with thirty sensors on the body. Therefore, we often turn to simpler outpatient diagnostics. In this case, you are given a small diagnostic device to take home overnight, and you spend the night under familiar conditions. A child at hand My three-year-old child comes into my and my husband’s bed at night. This is despite the fact that he always falls asleep only in his own. Of course, this causes discomfort, because my son spreads his arms and legs in the middle of the bed, and my husband and I hang on the edges and because of this we do not sleep properly. We tried to carry the child back - after half an hour or an hour he returned to us. Marina P., Chelyabinsk - Imagine: you go to bed with your husband in your apartment in the city, and you clearly remember this. In the middle of the night you open your eyes and realize that you are lying in a house in the country. What is your condition? Fright, lack of understanding of the situation, bewilderment as to how you got here in the first place. It's the same with a child. Remembering that he fell asleep in your arms or in your bed, a child who wakes up at night alone in another bed experiences shock. Instead of closing his eyes and continuing to sleep, he begins to cry or comes to his parents. Each person opens his eyes 8-10 times during the night to make sure that everything is exactly the same as when he fell asleep. Nobody remembers this, but it has been scientifically proven that this is true. As for co-sleeping, today there are two schools: some experts believe that if a child is comfortable sleeping with his parents, then he should sleep with them. After all, animals sleep together with their young. Others say that the baby should sleep in his own bed. There is common sense in both. Personally, I adhere to the second school. The child must have his own sleeping place. What unites the family more is not the baby sleeping between the parents, the father not leaving the parent’s bed on the sofa in the living room for several years, but the calm, sound sleep of the child in his crib. In addition to sleeping together, parents have many other opportunities to prove their love to their child and give the baby much-needed warmth and care. As soon as you bring your baby from the hospital, teach him that night is night, it means darkness, silence and his own bed. When this moment is established, parents do not experience discomfort because the child sleeps in his own crib, and possibly in another room. A snoring husband is an angry wife. The husband snores unbearably in his sleep. We live in a one-room apartment, every night I wake up dozens of times to ask him to turn over. However, to no avail: the husband snores in any position. I don't get enough sleep all the time and I get nervous. Is it possible to stop my husband from snoring? E. Nemova, Kopeysk - Snoring is a sound that slightly irritates the snorer himself and very much irritates those around him. A snoring husband robs his wife of an hour and a half of normal sleep, this has been verified. Very often, a husband with snoring and a wife with insomnia come to the appointment. But if your husband snores next to you, then this is not insomnia, but it is the husband who snores next to you. Taking sleeping pills just because you don't have the conditions for normal sleep is pointless. No remedies for insomnia will help. As for the snorer himself, he doesn’t get enough sleep either. Note: people who snore tend to fall asleep very quickly, literally as soon as their head touches the pillow. This suggests that they lack just the deep phases of sleep. A snorer can sleep for a long time because he constantly stimulates himself with his snoring and because of this he constantly lacks sleep. They have high levels of daytime sleepiness. To rid your husband of snoring, you need to find out its cause. This may be an ENT pathology (in children - adenoids, in adults - tonsils, enlarged uvula, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, etc.) or anatomical features (for example, a lower jaw displaced back). It is also important to find out if your husband has a predisposition to apnea. After all, if a person with apnea has the uvula removed, his tongue will begin to sink in, and then breathing stops will become even more frequent and prolonged. That is why the patient should not independently choose the method of treating snoring and apnea. Make an appointment for your spouse to undergo respiratory monitoring and then see a sleep specialist. You can get rid of snoring, just like you can get rid of sleep apnea.

Published on the website www.chel.aif.ru 05/29/2012

Return to list

Visiting a therapist and neurologist

noise from households and (or) neighbors;
taking certain types of tonics;
taking medications, the side effects of which are considered to be insomnia.

If such a condition was caused by taking medications, the doctor will most likely cancel them or replace them with similar compounds that have a more gentle effect on health.

If the doctor finds the cause of insomnia, but cannot completely cure it, he will give a referral to a specialist with a narrower profile, for example, a neurologist.

The neurologist accepts those patients who have been diagnosed with:

Parkinson's disease;
narcolepsy;
problems related to blood circulation in the brain;
history of stroke;
dementia that was acquired during life;
high pressure inside the skull.

If the cause of disturbed sleep is accurately identified, treatment of insomnia will be quick and quite successful.

If a person suffers from diseases of the brain or blood vessels, sleeping pills will lead to a deterioration in memory.

To establish the correct diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe the patient polysomnography - this is a modern study in which a special instrument records sleep parameters when the patient is asleep.

Since narcolepsy cannot be completely cured, comprehensive treatment is aimed at reducing the signs of the disease. During its course, the doctor’s duty is to normalize the quality of sleep at the maximum level. Of course, this is not always possible to do fully - in this case, the somnologist will prescribe medications to the patient that stimulate the central nervous system.

Such drugs will not allow a person to suddenly fall asleep during the daytime. And before going to bed, the patient will need to drink a gentle sleeping pill, which will allow the person to fall asleep quickly and soundly. Sometimes somnologists prescribe behavioral therapy to patients to fully cure insomnia.

However, this is not so - a psychologist will be able to correctly identify the cause of insomnia, as well as understand the psycho-emotional state of the patient. If insomnia occurs in an advanced form, the patient will need to undergo hypnoanalysis to carefully understand the person’s condition.

If a person develops insomnia due to a mental disorder, which is considered a common problem of the modern generation, patients will need to see a psychiatrist. After diagnosis, he will prescribe the following types of medications to the patient:

neuroleptics;
sedatives;
antidepressants.

It is prohibited to take such medications on your own, since only a doctor can choose the correct dosage of a particular drug, as well as choose the safest and most effective treatment.

In the event that insomnia was caused by depression or stress, the doctor prescribes medications to help the person get enough sleep, after which he sends him to a psychologist to fully solve the problem.

Psychiatrist

The solution to the problem of which doctor to go to if you are tormented by insomnia depends on the etiology (cause). A psychiatrist or psychotherapist analyzes the influence of increased anxiety, psycho-emotional stress, and depression on the occurrence of sleep disorders.

Attention! Depression manifests itself by waking up early with a feeling of anxiety (anticipation of trouble).

Insomnia is caused by mental problems. This group of diseases includes schizophrenia, bipolar and panic disorders. If such psychogenic causes of sleep disturbances predominate, then behavioral techniques are used.

Therapy consists of adjusting the daily routine and streamlining the lifestyle. The psychotherapist teaches methods of relaxation (relaxation) and reduction of emotional stress.

For chronic insomnia, the doctor recommends that the patient prepare for bed only if he feels drowsy. The bed is used for sleeping; during the day they do not read or watch TV shows while lying in bed. Then, within 3 months, insomnia is cured.

General recommendations

Each of the specialists mentioned, in addition to specific treatment, will give the patient general recommendations regarding behavior in everyday life:

Do not smoke before bed, because the stimulant effect of nicotine interferes with normal sleep and prevents you from falling asleep.
Do not drink alcohol before bed - it affects the deep sleep phases.
Do not abuse coffee and caffeine-containing products (cola, tea and chocolate). Since caffeine remains in the body for at least 12 hours, it is recommended to consume such products only in the first half of the day or not at all.
Do not overeat shortly before bedtime - a heavy stomach prevents you from falling asleep. If you want to have a snack, it is better to drink a glass of warm milk or eat 1 tsp. honey
The bedroom should be quiet and dark. If noise from behind the wall bothers you, you can try using earplugs, but some people cannot fall asleep precisely because of the sensation of a foreign body in their ears.
Before turning off the lights, it is better to read for a few minutes until you feel drowsy.
Avoid watching horror films, thrillers and melodramas that cause anxiety in the evening.

Usually it takes at least 3 months to normalize sleep, especially in the case of insomnia due to stress. If a person has been weakening his nervous system for several years, then he will not be able to cope with the problem in a week.

Type

Factors of insomnia

To cure a disease, it is important to know what causes it. Dream disorder can occur due to mental, emotional, physical reasons and have an acute and chronic course

It happens that insomnia develops due to overexertion during the day, drinking large amounts of coffee or energy drinks.

Psychogenic causes

Most often, when a patient complains of insomnia, the problem is of psychogenic origin. Insomnia is caused by:

emotional excitement;
stress;
state of anxiety;
neuroses;
depression.

Typical situations in which a violation occurs include:

overstrain on an emotional level due to a busy day or an upcoming important event; anxiety about not falling asleep - if you force the body to sleep, the chances of falling asleep are minimal; nightmares - with frequent dreams of horror films, on a subconscious level there is no desire to sleep, so as not to see them again.

Problems with dreams may occur due to mental illness (depression). In this case, you should immediately consult an insomnia doctor to make a diagnosis and prescribe the required treatment.

Failure in the respiratory system

A fairly common phenomenon is sleep apnea, which is characterized by repeated cessation of breathing during dreaming. Similar cessations can be observed when a person snores while sleeping. The snoring stops at a certain moment, becomes quiet, after which the patient snores and changes position.

During sleep, human muscles relax. This also applies to the throat apparatus. When the tissues in the back of the throat relax, the breathing pathways are blocked, followed by blockage of air. A fragment of respiratory arrest does not last long, no more than 10 seconds, but more than 500 similar episodes can occur per night.

Basically, the patient does not notice the interruption in breathing and does not awaken. Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night, the quality of sleep is lost, rest becomes intermittent, and he cannot get enough sleep and gain strength.

Somatic ailments

Insomnia can be caused by somatic diseases. In this case, the disorder refers to a secondary manifestation, which is not an independent problem, but a sign of a somatic or mental illness.

The main cause of insomnia in pathology is pain. Any severe pain will make it difficult to sleep. In addition, sleep may be interfered with by:

cough;
arrhythmia;
nausea;
itchy skin.

List of somatic diseases observed in insomnia.

Hiatal hernia. Painful sensations are provoked by a late dinner, food that causes flatulence and appears immediately after going to bed.
Stomach ulcer – pain develops after 3 hours of rest, close to morning.
Angina pectoris – the patient does not sleep due to pain and heaviness in the heart, which is aggravated by lying on his back. The syndrome results in repeated risings during the night.
Heart failure is the reason for waking up suffocated. The symptom is typical for people who suffer from hypertension, heart defects, and coronary artery disease.
With most diseases, frequent urination is possible, sometimes at night.
Thyrotoxicosis.
Feverish conditions.

Domestic reasons and lifestyle

The appearance of insomnia can be caused by everyday problems, which include:

violation of recreational hygiene rules;
change in biological rhythm;
late eating;
drinking coffee and other tonic drinks;
drinking alcohol;
lack of employment during the day.

Hygiene is understood as a set of rules that promote healthy rest. Rest disorders can appear due to noise and light. It is impossible to sleep on an uncomfortable bed, poorly chosen pajamas, a cold or hot blanket, or high or low temperature.

If you spend the whole day in bed without even sleeping, then the problem of insomnia at night is guaranteed. With a lifestyle that favors rest and quiet, constant sleep disorders will undoubtedly begin, and then the feeling of wakefulness will be absent.

Who's at risk

Statistics of visits to doctors show that middle-aged and elderly people experience insomnia much more often than young people. According to somnologist Gleb Lutokhin, the two main categories of his patients are men and women 60+, as well as women 40-55 years old. There are also many men over the age of 40 who are prevented from falling asleep by sleep apnea.

In the elderly, insomnia is often caused by vascular lesions of the brain and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. Women almost always experience sleep problems at the onset of menopause. In addition, problems with falling asleep and quality of sleep often plague anxious people with increased responsibility, and these are often women. Men go to the doctor when the symptoms are so severe that they interfere with normal work and life.

Among people of various professions, those who work on irregular schedules with alternating day/night shifts have the most problems with sleep: dispatchers, train drivers, airplane pilots. Therefore, the departmental clinic of Russian Railways has its own staff of somnologists. According to the observations of Gleb Lutokhin, lawyers disproportionately often experience insomnia.

Neurologist Sergei Makarov notes that people who are engaged in intellectual work usually sleep poorly. Physical labor is the best cure for insomnia. When a person is physically tired, he falls asleep soundly and sleeps for a long time.