We’ve talked about insomnia over the past couple of days. Many times people will go undiagnosed with a sleep disorder, feeling that they’re just a light sleeper, or that they just don’t need a lot of sleep to function. The truth is that you do need sleep. Your body cannot function correctly without enough sleep and it is very rare for a person to actually need under 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Many common signs of insomnia are
- Fatigue
- Problems with attention, concentration or memory (cognitive impairment)
- Poor performance at school or work
- Moodiness or irritability
- Daytime sleepiness
- Impulsiveness or aggression
- Lack of energy or motivation
- Errors or accidents
- Concern or frustration about your sleep
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms you should consider speaking with a sleep specialist.
Insomnia or Not?
How do you know if it’s insomnia keeping you up? Sometimes it’s not a disorder at all that keeps you up late at night but maybe that coffee you had with lunch. There are many things that can keep you up at night that may have you concerned about your sleep. Some common reasons you can’t sleep include cell phone or electronic use at night, caffeine, alcohol, too much light, uncomfortable bed, a room that is too hot, stress, anxiety, or even a confused biological clock! Did you know if you go to bed at a different time each night your body can actually become confused about when it’s bedtime? So how do you know if it’s insomnia or your cell phone keeping you awake?
Help
If you suspect that you may have insomnia the best way to know is to talk with a sleep specialist. If you are needing to talk to the doctor about any sleeping problems you can reach out to Dr. Bhat at (913) 221-6059 and to talk more about what you are struggling with. If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder you can begin to work towards treating it. By working with Dr. Bhat you will learn how to use both Western Medicine and Alternative medicine to find the methods that work best for you and your needs.
