Insomnia

Many psychiatric disorders come with insomnia, which is inadequate sleep because you either can’t fall asleep or can’t stay asleep through the night. If you experience night after night of poor sleep or constant daytime tiredness with other symptoms like poor concentration or irritability, the team at Lewis Family Psychiatry can provide a telemedicine assessment of your mental health from their office in Wellington, Florida. Lewis Family Psychiatry offers expert diagnoses and treatments for insomnia and the mental health conditions that can cause it. Schedule your telemedicine appointment over the phone or online today.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder or symptom that makes it difficult for you to fall or stay asleep. As a result, you might also develop symptoms of sleep deprivation. Insomnia can be either short- or long-term, depending on its underlying causes.

Acute insomnia happens on occasion to almost everyone, usually due to daily disruptions like too much caffeine or stress. Your sleeplessness lasts for a night or two, and your sleep pattern goes back to normal without intervention.

Chronic insomnia, on the other hand, is characterized by disrupted sleep several nights a week for at least three months. There are multiple mental and physical health conditions that cause chronic insomnia, or you can have it because of long-term habits or medications.

What are the signs of insomnia?

Everyone experiences insomnia differently. Even if you’ve tried every trick you can think of, you might continue waking up throughout the night. 

Sometimes, insomnia leads to daytime symptoms. You might notice:

• Grogginess
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Poor concentration
• Performance issues at work
• Headaches

The Lewis Family Psychiatry team evaluates symptoms like these and can trace them back to insomnia. They also explore the potential underlying causes of your sleep difficulties.

What causes insomnia?

Approximately half of insomnia diagnoses are related to mental health disorders like depression or anxiety. In fact, insomnia often makes the symptoms of these disorders worse while being a symptom itself. 

You might experience insomnia from:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Bipolar mania
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

If your insomnia is due to other medical issues, medications, or lifestyle factors, the lack of sleep can trigger symptoms of depression and anxiety or could contribute to substance use disorders if you try to self-medicate to fall asleep.

What are my treatment options for insomnia?

The mental health professionals at Lewis Family Psychiatry base your treatment plan on the root cause of your insomnia. The therapists work closely with each patient to explore and treat the underlying cause, whether it’s psychiatric, stress-related, or comes from a physical condition.

The team provides advice on improving your sleep hygiene. This means setting a specific bedtime, removing distractions like television, and using your bed only for sleeping at night and not for naps or lounging throughout the day.

If you’re experiencing problems with your sleep, contact Lewis Family Psychiatry by phone or online to schedule your telemedicine consultation and get help with insomnia today.