Chronic Insomnia–A Major Health Risk

Insomnia, or problems going to sleep or staying asleep, can become chronic if it lasts more than three months.  Anyone who has Chronic Insomnia should see a sleep specialist.  Period.  Chronic insomnia can lead to depression, decreased job performance, decreased quality of life, and many other health-related problems.

Chronic insomnia, which is drug-resistant, is usually related to Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders, like Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or its milder cousin, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome.  While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be helpful, if airway closure during sleep is the major problem, then CBT will not ultimately lead to restorative sleep.

On the other hand, a new class of medications are available for patients with Chronic Insomnia.  We at the RNI are participating in an exciting clinical trial for patients suffering with this complaint. 

But sometimes it’s hard to know what comes first, the chicken or the egg, sleep apnea or sleep-related breathing disorder, circadian rhythm disorder, restless leg movements, other causes of leg or body discomfort or pain, or depression, all of which can result in chronic insomnia.
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The RNI sleep team presented a research poster on their years of work at the 2013 Sleep Meeting. Their study showed that a high percentage of patients who came to the RNI with the complaint of insomnia had OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) or sleep disordered breathing, determined by a sleep study in our nationally accredited sleep disorders facility.  This finding was supported by Dr. Barry Krakow, a national expert on insomnia, in an article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and described in a Mayo clinic Video on Insomnia

People with insomnia associated with sleep apnea have symptoms like frequent urination during the night (nocturia), dry mouth, morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, and snoring.  Unfortunately, both patients and primary care physicians are not aware of the possible connection of insomnia with breathing problems and often do not ask about these symptoms.

So come see us at Rowe Neurology for an evaluation by a certified sleep medicine specialist.

And remember: Whatever you do, don’t drive drowsy!!!

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