Studies have revealed that 40 percent of people with insomnia have mental disorders due to psychological factors, including depression, anxiety, family and job pressures, and others.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has explained that mental disorders do not mean that the patient is mentally ill. Still, the change in the modern civil lifestyle has resulted in many psychological pressures that may affect sleep. An average person needs 4-9 hours of sleep every 24 hours to feel energized the next day.
However, the number of sleep hours that a person needs varies from person to person. “The more hours of sleep, the healthier it is,” is a misconception, said the ministry.
“Insomnia is the difficulty of getting a comfortable sleep, which affects the patient's activity during the day. In fact, it is not a disease but is seen as a general symptom of another medical problem,” the ministry clarified.
Insomnia can be divided into three sections – first is sleep difficulty when one starts to sleep. Falling asleep becomes problematic while going to bed. Soon after the sleep, it usually continues.
The second is frequent awakening. It is a condition where a person enters into sleep quickly but complains of interrupted sleep.
The third is waking up early, as people of this category complain of waking up in the early hours of the day unable to return to sleep. There can be many reasons for insomnia, including psychological, organic, behavioral, and environmental.
As for the organic causes, they are multiple. “Doctor may need to conduct a sleep study to diagnose these causes, the most prominent are respiratory disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea, central respiratory arrest, acid reflux into the esophagus, unstable leg movement syndrome, and pain, whatever its causes are. There could be other medical causes such as Parkinson's, kidney disease, thyroid disorder, diabetes, and others” the Ministry explained.
Moreover, insomnia may be caused by behavioral and environmental causes such as irregular sleep and waking times, frequent use of stimulants such as tea, coffee and energy drinks, especially in the evening, besides smoking because tobacco is a stimulant for the brain, and alcohol harms sleep, and increases breathing disorders during sleep.
There are also some social symptoms or psychological pressures that lead to severe tension and insomnia. Yet, after the disappearance of the cause that led to insomnia, the problem remains due to the patient acquiring bad habits in sleeping during the previous period, and he/she becomes preoccupied and anxious about the possibility of not being able to sleep. This creates a vicious circle that increases insomnia problems.
Studies have shown that people who have inactive life sleep worse than those who lead an active life full of vitality. For this, athletes, in general, sleep better than inactive people.
Dr. Hussam Emara, a consultant psychiatrist and neurologist, gave some golden tips to overcome insomnia.
He said, “To fight inability to sleep, it is better to follow the good habits of going to the toilet before bed, preparing the bedroom for sleep by keeping it quiet, temperature suitable, and turning off the lights to stimulate the brain to secrete hormones that stimulate sleep”.
Dr. Emara called for avoiding the use of electronic devices such as smartphones while preparing for sleep as radiations emitted by electronics, in general, makes the mind continue to think and secrete hormones that prevent sleep.
Besides, these radiations increase the level of tension and anxiety. “A warm bath helps to sleep quickly, as it helps to relax, helps calm the mind, and reduces tension. It also raises body heat, which causes the mind to produce the sleep hormone. It is also important to reduce caffeine intake during the day and avoid watching horror movies or that cause stress,” the doctor mentioned.
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