Difference between acute and chronic Insomnia Disorder
The term “insomnia” was used to describe several nights of sleep deprivation or bad sleep rather than making a medical diagnosis as intended. Insomnia is the difficulty of falling asleep or staying asleep or the difficulty of getting restful, uninterrupted sleep.
This is the most common sleep disorder in the United States, with 1 in 3 adults experiencing short-term insomnia and 1 in 10 adults experiencing long-term chronic insomnia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 70 million Americans experience some degree of insomnia. This frustrating sleep disorder may also disrupt the normal sleep of teens and children.
On the other hand, acute insomnia is a short-term sleeping disease that lasts for a few days to a few weeks. It is a very common type of insomnia. It happens when you experience any stressful events, such as exam tension, breakup, death of your relative or dear one, or starting a new job with new people.
Are you suffering from insomnia? If you are dissatisfied with the quality or duration of your sleep, you may be in the numbers above. But don’t panic. It is essential to note that there are several forms of insomnia, and this sleep disorder can be chronic or acute (temporary). In any case, you may improve your sleep with the help of a sleep specialist. The first step is to analyze and track your symptoms and see if you are likely to ha tove insomnia and, if so, what it is.
Insomnia symptoms
Do you:
- Do you feel awake at bedtime and awake?
- Do you often wake up at night and have difficulty falling asleep again?
- Do you Wake up early in the morning, a few hours before the alarm clock?
- Do you throw around at night?
- Are you suffering from daytime fatigue and lack of energy?
- Have you ever been unable to “brain fog” or focus or remember things?
- Do you feel headaches during the day?
- Do you have excessive daytime sleepiness (including the overwhelming desire to take a nap while driving)?
- Do you feel frustrated, moody, or impatient?
- Are you suffering from depression or anxiety?
- Are you suffering from restful sleep deprivation?
These are some of the most common signs and symptoms that can lead to sleep deprivation. However, keep in mind that some of these symptoms overlap with other sleep disorders and behavioral symptoms such as sleep apnea and bruxism. Other medical conditions may also contribute. For instance, insomnia can be the cause of mood swings, but insomnia can also be a symptom of underlying mental illness such as major depression.
Insomnia is complex. Surface signs are a fantastic indicator of the sleep problem; however, they don’t paint the whole picture. Your insomnia may be short-term (acute insomnia) due to a few transient existence strains, college or work, shifting house, courting troubles, or beginning a brand-new job. Or it can be chronic insomnia, which might also additionally factor into an underlying circadian rhythm disorder, apprehensive gadget trouble, or mental cause.
“It is also possible you are suffering from more than one sleep disorder occurring at once, along with insomnia and OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). This complexity is why it’s critical to discuss with a physician.”
Types of Chronic Insomnia
There are two main types of chronic insomnia: primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is not due to other clinical or medical conditions or medications and is poorly understood by scientists. A special MRI scan is used to check this condition.
Acute (short-term) insomnia- If we talk about acute insomnia, it stays or lasts for less than three months and is often related to an identifiable reason. Insomnia exists when there is a problem or difficulty maintaining sleep or when the obtained rest is non-refreshing or poor-quality sleep. It can be related to early morning awakenings.
Chronic (long-term) insomnia- Insomnia disease is considered chronic when a person falls asleep for more than three months, three nights a week or more, or has difficulty staying asleep. Some people with chronic insomnia have a long history of sleep disorders.
Causes of Chronic and Acute insomnia
Causes of Acute insomnia
Acute insomnia is characterized by its simplicity. It is short-term and affects short-term sleep (1 to several days, or up to weeks). Causes are usually associated with life changes and temporary stressors, making it difficult to stay asleep or fall asleep until the stressors are gone.
The triggers for common acute insomnia are: Important event or function the next day Communicate or relay sad memories from the early part of the day Worries and fears about something specific, such as upcoming tests, seeing a doctor, wedding, divorce, illness of family or friends.
This type of acute insomnia usually resolves spontaneously as the situation changes and the stress subsides. If necessary, relaxation techniques and distractions can be used to manage short-term insomnia and eliminate anxiety.
Causes of Chronic insomnia
Unlike acute insomnia, which is usually easy to understand and treat, chronic insomnia has many different root causes. Reaching the roots of your sleep problems can be like reading a crime novel that the suspect must take the time to eliminate through the elimination process.
Chronic insomnia can be caused by:
- Shift work with late-night or overnight shifts or rotating shifts
- Poor sleep habits and sleep hygiene (such as ignoring one’s natural body clock and staying up too late, going to bed too early; or having a sleep environment that is not conducive to staying asleep or falling asleep)
- Long-term stress (such as having a high-pressure job or hard work)
- Diet and exercise habits (drinking too much caffeine at the end of the day. “Midnight treats” can affect blood sugar levels and cause gastrointestinal upset. Exercise too close to bedtime.)
- Changes in the sleeping environment (e.g., moving to a noisy apartment or sharing a bedroom with a sleeping partner or pet)
- Side effects of the drug
- Clinical disorders of psychiatric nature or a medical
If you are worried and looking for severe chronic insomnia treatment, you dont need to panic. We will discuss its treatment and medications in this article. Keep reading this article until the end and learn about its treatment that may help you get rid of insomnia, whether chronic or acute.
Elucidating the specific causes of chronic insomnia can be time-consuming and may require patience. You and your pharmacist or doctor may need to work together to try different approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, acupuncture, relaxation techniques, exercise and diet changes, medications, etc. before you notice any changes in sleep.
Medications for treating Chronic and Acute insomnia
There are several medications available in the market for treating insomnia-
- temazepam (Restoril)
- zolpidem (Ambien)
- doxepin (Silenor)
- eszopiclone (Lunesta)
- suvorexant (Belsomra)
- zaleplon (Sonata)
- ramelteon (Rozerem)
If you have chronic insomnia, the medicine and the treatment can continue longer than acute insomnia because chronic insomnia stays longer than acute insomnia. Besides, if you don’t have any severe acute or chronic insomnia, you can use non-prescription drugs. Ambien (zolpidem) is one of the best drugs to treat insomnia. If you take Ambien for insomnia correctly, it would definitely help you.
The IR (immediate-release) tablet or capsule is mainly used to help you fall asleep when you first go to your bed. Ambien CR, The ER (extended-release) form, has a first layer that melts or dissolves quickly to help you fall asleep & a second layer that melts slowly to help you stay asleep longer.
Conclusion– We have read about acute and chronic insomnia disorders in the above lines. Acute is a short-term sleeping disorder, while Chronic is a long-term sleeping disorder. If we talk about insomnia, it is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to stay asleep or hard to fall asleep or cause you to wake up too early in the morning and not be able to get back to sleep. You can still feel tired when you wake up. If you want to ride off insomnia, you may take the medications that I mentioned above, or you can contact any sleep specialist.