Insomnia and Its Treatments

by Chandhana I

To begin with, insomnia is a common sleep disorder, causing difficulties when attempting to fall asleep or remain asleep. It is not considered particularly dangerous, as it does not pose a great threat for those with the medical condition. It is particularly prevalent amongst adults, where 1 in 3 adults worldwide experience insomnia symptoms. Those who supposedly have insomnia often experience difficulty falling asleep, wake up several times throughout the night, lie awake at night, feel tiredness after waking up and much more. 

If insomnia is not treated, it can result in lowered brain performance, as sleep disorders may cause difficulty when remembering, concentrating and even making good decisions. Multiple studies have shown that insomnia can lead to poor judgement and risky behaviour due to reduced hours of sleep. Moreover, insomnia could also increase the risk of obesity and diabetes, due to the fact that sleep loss can impact hormones within the body, such as ghrelin and leptin, that control hunger. In addition can also lead to a weaker immune system, as when one sleeps their body releases proteins helping to protect your body against illness. Insomnia may also reduce the antibodies produced in the body, aiding your body to fight infections, which in turn results in a weaker immune system. Furthermore, insomnia may also lead to heart disease, due to the fact that reduced sleep can result in a higher blood pressure, which could potentially damage one’s arteries, making it difficult to pump blood to the body. Insomnia has also been proven to be strongly linked with depression, suicide and even anxiety. Overall, insomnia can have multiple physical and mental health effects on individuals, and therefore solutions must be made to minimise this. 

Insomnia and other sleep disorders can often be treated by melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally within the body, and in fact at night is when someone’s melatonin levels rise, before returning to normal during the day. Meaning that with reduced sleep, melatonin is reduced. Therefore, melatonin is taken often as a synthetic version for short periods, in order to add to the body’s natural supply of melatonin, allowing for people to fall asleep more quickly. In addition, by developing healthy sleep habits this would also provide a treatment for insomnia. Some examples include, making your bedroom sleep friendly, such as quiet and dark spaces, as this allows for a more calmer sleep. Moreover, one can also go to sleep and wake up at around the same time, as this allows for a schedule to be maintained, and can ensure a constant sleep. Moreover, getting more regular physical activity during the daytime also aids with sleep, as working out later at night may make it more difficult to sleep. 

To conclude, despite insomnia not typically being considered as a “dangerous” medical condition, it is still particularly prevalent amongst older adults today. By maintaining a healthier lifestyle, and taking medication if needed for insomnia, this allows for older adults to feel more fulfilled throughout the day and may even boost one’s longevity.