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Insomnia
A broad term denoting
unsatisfactory sleep
Perception that sleep is inadequate
or abnormal
Common problem
A symptom, not a disease or sign,
therefore difficult to measure
Diagnosis
Complaint that the sleep is:
Brief or inadequate
Light or easily disrupted
Non-refreshing or non-restorative
International Congress of
Sleep Disorders
Classification
Based on the duration of
symptoms
Transient or acute
Few days to 2-4 weeks
Chronic
Persisting for more than 1-3 months
Definitions
Mild
Almost nightly complaint of non-restorative sleep
Associated with little or no impairment of social or
occupational functioning
Moderate
Nightly complaints of disturbed sleep
Mild to moderate impairment of social or
occupational function
Severe
Nightly complaints of disturbed sleep
Severe daytime dysfunction
Classification
Sleep initiating insomnia
Sleep maintaining insomnia
Early morning insomnia
Short period of sleep
Non-restorative sleep
Multiple awakenings
Combination of above patterns
Presentation Goals
Review of normal sleep cycle
Causes of insomnia
Diagnosis and assessment of
insomnia
Treatment modalities
Stages of Sleep
Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep
Stage I
Stage II
Stages I & II are light sleep
Stage III
Stage IV
Stages III & IV are deep sleep
Causes
Insomnia is a downstream symptom
of an upstream problem, for example:
Medical
Psychological/ Psychiatric
Behavioral
Parasomnias
Drug-induced
Combination of factors in chronic
insomnia
Epidemiology
Studies throughout the world show that it
occurs everywhere
Depending on the area, study, etc., between
10-50% of the population are affected
Increases with age
Twice as common in females
Up to the age of 30, there is little difference
between sexes
Beyond 30 years, it is more common in females
Beyond 70 years, females are affected twice as
much as males
Etiology
Symptom of numerous diverse
etiologies
Usually due to more than one factor
and each needs a separate
evaluation
In all cases, one should strive to
find the cause as it will dictate the
proper treatment
3 Ps of Acute Insomnia
Predisposition
Anxiety, depression, etc.
Precipitation
Sudden change in life
Perpetuation
Poor sleep hygiene
Acute Insomnia
Resolves with the management of inciting factors
Adjustment sleep disorder
Acute stress such as momentous life events or
unfamiliar sleep environments
PSG: increased SOL, increased awakenings and sleep
fragmentation with poor sleep efficiency
More common in women and those with anxiety
Jet Lag
Symptoms last longer with eastbound travel
Remits spontaneously in 2-3 days
More common in the elderly
Chronic Insomnia
Primary or Intrinsic
Secondary or Extrinsic
Causes
Changes in circadian rhythm, behavior,
environment
Body movements in sleep
Medical, neurological, psychiatric
disorders
Drugs
Primary/Intrinsic Insomnia
Idiopathic
Starts early in childhood, rare but relentless course
Rare disorders affect both genders
CNS abnormalities, unknown etiology, etc.
Secondary/Extrinsic
Insomnia
1. Circadian rhythm sleep disorder: sleep
3. Environmental factors
Environmental sleep disorder
Food allergy insomnia
Toxin-induced sleep disorder
4. Movement disorders
PLMS disorder (5%)
RLS syndrome (12%)
REM behavior disorder
5. Medical Disorders: Respiratory
Altitude insomnia
Central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome
Central apnea syndrome
COPD
OSAS (4-6%)
Sleep-related asthma
6. Medical: Cardiac
Nocturnal myocardial ischemia
7. Medical: GI
Peptic ulcer disease
GERD
8. Medical: Musculoskeletal
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
9. Medical: Endocrine
Hyperthyroidism
Cushings disease
Menstrual cycle association
Pregnancy
Parasomnia Events
Physical phenomena
occurring in sleep
Confusional arousals
Nightmares
Nocturnal leg cramps
Nocturnal paroxysmal
dystonia
REM sleep behavior
disorder
Rhythmic
movement disorder
Painful erections
Sleep starts
Sleep terrors
Sleep walking
Abnormal
swallowing
Hyperhidrosis
Laryngospasms
Evaluation
HISTORY!
Precipitating factors
Psychiatric and medical disturbances
Medications
Sleep hygiene
Circadian tendencies
Cognitive distortions and conditional
arousals
Sleep diary
Evaluation
PSG
if PLMS or sleep-related breathing
disorder or if CBT, sleep hygiene,
pharmacological interventions fail as
recommended by the AASM
Not routinely employed in the
evaluation of transient or chronic
insomnia
Should not be substituted for a careful
clinical history
Insomnia questionnaire
I have real difficulty falling asleep.
Thoughts race through my mind and this prevents me
from sleeping.
I wake during the night and cant go back to sleep.
I wake up earlier in the morning than I would like to.
Ill lie awake for half an hour or more before I fall asleep.
I anticipate a problem with sleep almost every night
Treatment Selection
1. Meet and educate about disease, goals,
CBT
Longest lasting improvements, assuming
the precipitating cause is dealt with
counseling or talk through therapy
for thoughts and attitudes that may be
leading to the sleep disturbances
Identifying distorted attitudes or thinking
that makes the patient anxious or
stressed and replacing with more
realistic or rational ones
CBT Examples
I need more hours of sleep or I
will not function
I can never die
Uses restructuring techniques
Short circuit cycle of insomnia,
cognitive distortions, distress
Sleep hygiene, relaxation, stimulus
control, sleep restrictions
Sleep Hygiene
Exercise earlier during the day, and no more than 4-6
hours before sleep
Keep bedroom dark and quiet, to be used only for sex
or sleep
Curtail time in bed to only when sleepy
Fixed sleep/wake times for 365 days
Avoid naps
Avoid stimulus or stimulating activities before sleep
or in bed
No alcohol at least 4 hours before sleep, no caffeine
after noon, and quit smoking!!
Light snack before bedtime
Stimulus Control
Use bedroom for sleep or sex only
Go to bed only when tired and sleepy
Remove clock from the bedroom to
avoid constantly watching it
Regular sleep/wake times
Light therapy if required
No bright lights when you wake up at
night
Sleep Restriction
An effective form of treatment
Estimate the time actually asleep
then limit bedtime to that amount,
but no less than 5 hours
Add time in bed gradually once the
patient sleeps more than 85% of
that time
Pharmacotherapy
Nationally, there has been a decline in
hypnotic usage with an increase in
usage of non-hypnotics
Trazadone
Seroquel
Hypnotics
5 questions to ask when choosing a
hypnotic:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Benzodiazepines
Dose
Half-life
Comments
Flurazepam(Dalmane)
15,30mg
Long
Daytimedrowsiness
common;rarelyused
Clonazepam(Klonopin)
0.5-2mg
Long
Temazepam(Restoril)
15,30mg
Intermediate
UsedforPLM,REM
behaviordisorder;can
causemorning
drowsiness
Estazolam(ProSom)
1-2mg
Intermediate
Cancause
agranulocytosis
Triazolam(Halcion)
0.125,0.25mg
Short
Reboundinsomniamay
occur
Zolpidem(Ambien)
5,10mg
Short
Anonbenzodiazepam
Zopliclone(Sonata)
5,10mg
Short,1-1.5hours
Anonbenzodiazepam
Recent Medication
Additions
Eszopiclone
Intermediate
1,2,3 mg
Alternative Medications
Antidepressants
Not much research
Some, including SSRIs, can cause daytime drowsiness
Melatonin
Good for jet leg, especially in elderly, but not much
information on long-term use
Reported to cause depression, vasoconstriction
Benadryl
Rarely indicated, can cause a hangover
Herbal supplements
Use in conjunction with a sleep log
Conclusion
Insomnia is a complex symptom with many
causes and perpetuating influences
It is nerve-racking for patients and
physicians yet it is very remediable, if
properly diagnosed and treated
It should be aggressively treated as
emerging evidence is that chronic insomnia
can precipitate major depressive disorder
Depression in turn confers an increased risk of
suicide, cardiovascular disease, death, etc.