When you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night, it means that your sleep is regularly maintained and you won’t find yourself waking up in the middle of the night. Well, what happens if your sleep isn’t maintained? That is sleep maintenance insomnia and you may need help from a sleep doctor Silver Spring if you have the symptoms. Here is everything you need to know about this sleep disorder.
What Is Sleep Maintenance Insomnia?
Insomnia is defined as a sleeping disorder that causes you to have difficulty falling asleep or even difficulty in staying asleep for a long time.
If you fall asleep at night and find yourself waking up throughout the night and having very choppy and insufficient sleep, then this insomnia is known as sleep maintenance insomnia. Also known as middle insomnia, sleep maintenance insomnia is different from regular insomnia in a lot of ways.
Firstly, insomnia is a diverse umbrella of sleeping difficulty and it is not just one instance of having difficulty falling or staying asleep. Insomnia has different types and one of them is sleep maintenance insomnia, which is basically not the general difficulty of falling asleep per se, but it is more of a problem of staying asleep.
When people hear the word “insomnia”, they think that it is just the difficulty in falling asleep or staying awake at night, even when they haven’t napped during the daytime.
Well, sleep maintenance insomnia is a bit different because you don’t necessarily have problems falling asleep, but it is as good as nothing because you end up waking up in the middle of the night multiple times and it leads you to feeling lethargic, sleepy, and very irritable.
So, it is a very weird limbo of trying to make yourself stay asleep. It also doesn’t happen due to any external reason like noise or commotion. You can randomly wake up in the middle of the night even if everything is peaceful and then you will be unable to fall back asleep, which is quite frustrating. You will toss and turn, switch sleeping positions and you still won’t be able to sleep comfortably and that is really bad.
Causes Of Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
There can or cannot be any reason for sleep maintenance insomnia. It isn’t caused by things like disturbances or any commotion. Yes, they can lead to frustration and fragmented sleep, but sleep maintenance insomnia doesn’t necessarily stem from these issues.
Like insomnia, the cause of sleep maintenance insomnia can also be inexplicable. It can be hereditary, it can be because of conflicting schedules, and it can even be due to stress. There is no set cause or reason why it can occur.
A lot of people who have really stressful or overlapping work schedules can fall victim to this sleep disorder or it can be anything else.
Determining The Cause
Understanding the cause is important because only then you can rectify the problem, so in the case of sleep maintenance insomnia, you need to do a lot of trial and error when it comes to defining the cause. You want to change certain things in your routine and then figure out whether it is helping you or not. Which things have you recently introduced in your life that have led to this sleep disruption? You can also keep a sleep log to keep an eye on your habits and how things are flowing in your routine and sleep.
This is a very frustrating thing about sleep maintenance insomnia and it is the fact that it doesn’t have one definitive cause. It can be a very random thing, like drinking something stimulating before bed or it can be really deeply ingrained in your DNA, like a genetic or familial issue that causes you to lose sleep and not be able to get your sleep back on track.
So, you need to understand how the pattern works in your case, because it will be different for everyone and then you can go ahead and consult with a doctor to treat and manage sleep maintenance insomnia.
Symptoms Of Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
Speaking of patterns, one thing that will help your case in solidifying the diagnosis is the symptoms. So, here are some very basic but still noteworthy symptoms of sleep maintenance insomnia. And that case, you should visit a sleep clinic Frederick.
- You will fall asleep like normal, but you will wake up in the middle of the night. It can or cannot be due to any reason, but it will still be frustrating to wake up in the middle of the night and have your sleep disrupted.
- Another very common symptom is feeling very lethargic and tired in the morning. You won’t be well rested, so that is to be expected.
- You will also have a foggy and hazy memory. You will find it hard to recall things and you will have a very short focus span, because of not being well rested and that is really bad, especially if you have work or school first thing in the morning.
- You will also feel anxious at night. It mainly stemmed from the fact that you’re afraid that you won’t be able to get enough sleep and you will wake up in the middle of the night and that can really take a toll on you mentally.
- You will also feel a headache coming on and it is going to be really hard to deal with it. Headaches are actually quite common when you are not well rested and that is just a fact.
- You will suffer from constant mood swings. It will take any small thing for you to feel irritable and very tired and that is not good at all.
Treatment For Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
Even though sleep maintenance insomnia might seem like it is untreatable, it’s not. It’s one of the few types of insomnia that can bring your sleep back on track if you modify your lifestyle a bit. Here is what you can do.
Incorporate Exercise In The Morning
This releases endorphins and it also leads you to being energized throughout the day, and you will be tired just in time for bed.
Limit The Usage Of Devices And TV Before Bed
Avoid using phones, tablets, or watching TV just before bed. The same goes for alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, as these things can keep your mind awake. You don’t want that.
You Can Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
It is a tool that is really helpful in ensuring that you are in tune with your habits and are trying the best you can to form healthy habits, cutting off anything that is disrupting your routine and sleep, and adapting habits that lead to a better lifestyle.
Resist The Urge Of Napping In The Middle Of The Day
You want all of your tiredness to take over once the evening approaches. You can even call it a night early, if you want. You will certainly see the difference once you stop taking midday naps and hit the hay at night.
Conclusion
Any sleep disorder is bad for the body. Your body and organs are not designed to stay awake forever. They need rest, which is why you need to get to the bottom of the problem before it’s too late. If you’re noticing the symptoms, see an insomnia specialist Bethesda for diagnosis.
