Insomnia should definitely be consulted with a doctor, not only because of its dangerous consequences. Sometimes it is a symptom of some serious diseases. So, in the course of which diseases can sleep disorders occur? Which doctor should you go to to overcome this problem?
There is probably no need to convince anyone that sleep is essential to life. When a person sleeps insufficient hours, it may occur during the day, among others, fatigue, excessive irritability or problems with concentration. When a patient struggles with insomnia only periodically, there is generally no need to worry. The situation is different, however, when sleep problems happen to someone every day.
The causes of insomnia vary and the problem is often very mundane. It happens that difficulties with sleep result from inadequate conditions in the bedroom, where it may be, for example, too loud, too bright or too warm. Sometimes difficulties with falling asleep arise from inappropriate behaviors of patients immediately before going to bed, such as e.g. eating a large meal, intense physical activity or watching an exciting horror movie.
These are common, but not the only possible causes of insomnia. It can be both primary and secondary. In the latter case, it can be one of the symptoms of some disease. Some of these diseases are very dangerous, so sleep problems should not be underestimated and if they persist for a long time, it becomes necessary to see a doctor.
Insomnia and mental disorders
Insomnia occurs in the course of many different mental disorders. In the case of some of them, the detection of sleep problems in a patient may, moreover, confirm their diagnosis. Sleep disorders are experienced by depressed patients who experience both insomnia and excessive sleepiness.
Difficulties with falling asleep may be related to the patient's schizophrenia, but also some kind of neurotic disorders (e.g. generalized anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder).
A problem worth taking a closer look at because of its association with sleep is affective disorderbipolar (bipolar disorder). In the course of a manic episode, patients may struggle with various ailments, such as racing thoughts, elevated mood or increased psychomotor activity.
They may also experience a reduction in the need for sleep - people with bipolar disorder may sleep 2-3 hours a day during mania, and then, during the day, they usually do not complain of drowsiness or fatigue at all .
Insomnia and neurological diseases
Difficulty sleeping may be a symptom of certain diseases in the field of neuroscience. Insomnia can appear, for example, in the case of dementia disorders, such as, for example, Alzheimer's disease.
In their course, patients may experience disturbances in the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness, which may manifest themselves, among others, in just having difficulty falling asleep at night.
Insomnia and endocrine diseases
Possible causes of sleep disorders are endocrine diseases, such as thyroid dysfunction. In their case, their effect on sleep turns out to be quite interesting. Both hypothyroidism and an overactive thyroid can lead to insomnia.
Hypothyroidism can manifest itself in many ways. Patients may experience, among others :
- concentration disorders,
- constipation,
- dry skin
- Is the heart rate slowing down.
There may be other problems associated with it, such as obstructive sleep apnea, which in turn can cause insomnia.
As in the case of hypothyroidism, also in the case of hyperthyroidism, patients may complain of various ailments. They can, inter alia, to:
- irritability,
- attention problems,
- diarrhea
- Are you losing weight.
However, symptoms such as constant anxiety or a significant increase in sweating are not uncommon, which are not only troublesome, but can also lead to insomnia.
Insomnia and menopause
Menopause and related ailments for many women can be a unique nuisance. Patients can struggle, among others with problems such as significant mood swings, irritability or vaginal dryness, and decreased libido.
Many women in the perimenopausal period also complain about sleep problems. They can occur due to the fluctuations in the levels of female hormones in the body associated with the menopause, but also due to the occurrence of hot flashes or increased sweating in the evening or night time.
Insomnia and respiratory diseases
Respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and cystic fibrosis, are other entities that can affect sleep.
In their course, various ailments can occur, one of them is a cough. When it is persistent and occurs at night, it can wake the patient from sleep. If this happens several times in one night, the patient may simply not be able to get enough sleep.
Insomnia and reflux
A gastrointestinal disease that may be related to insomnia is gastroesophageal reflux disease. When acidic content enters the esophagus, patients experience unpleasant ailments, such as a burning sensation or pain in the retrosternal area. Sometimes they are even very intense and in some people they lead to insomnia.
Insomnia and pain ailments
Sleep problems are relatively common in people who struggle with chronic pain. The complaints of insomnia include: patients with:
- rheumatoid arthritis,
- cancer,
- ankylosing spondylitis
- Do people struggling with osteoarthritis.
When the pain is extreme, it can just wake people up from sleep. Additionally, they may then experience anxiety that does not help them fall asleep again.
Insomnia and diabetes
Theoretically, diabetes has nothing to do with sleeping. In practice, however, this disease can have a very large impact on the course of night rest. Patients with it have episodes of pollakiuria which may make them feel the need to go to the toilet at night.
Fluctuations in blood glucose levels and pain experienced by patients can also negatively affect sleep. They may be especially intense in people who develop diabetic neuropathy.
Insomnia and genetic diseases
A genetic disease that is directly related to sleep disorders is fatal familial insomnia. So far, it has been found in only a few dozen families all over the world. This disease leads not only to insomnia, but also to thermoregulatory disorders, heart abnormalities, and psychiatric symptoms such as panic attacks and hallucinations.
Insomnia in children
Adults most often complain of insomnia. However, the problem may also appear in children. Sometimes it is associated with hormonal changes that occur during the periodadolescence, but sometimes sleep problems have a completely different background.
Insomnia in children can be found, among others in the case of hyperkinetic disorders (ADHD), in addition, parents of children with autism spectrum disorders often complain about sleep problems in their children.
Insomnia and medications
Sometimes it happens that sleep problems are caused by the patient taking some medication. The following pharmaceuticals, the use of which can cause insomnia, include:
- antidepressants,
- glucocorticosteroids,
- beta-blockers (used, among others, in the treatment of arrhythmias),
- antihypertensive drugs (lowering blood pressure, such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors),
- statins.
Which doctor should a patient suffering from insomnia see?
Considering the possible causes of insomnia, it is hardly surprising that some patients with sleep problems may not know which specialist they should go to.
You can first make an appointment with a primary care physician. Based on the interview and physical examination, he or she may order basic tests and, if necessary, suggest the need to consult other specialists, e.g. a neurologist, psychiatrist or endocrinologist.