Insomnia in Adults and Children

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, insomnia could be the culprit.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects 10% to 20% of people worldwide. Characterized by having difficulty falling or staying asleep, the condition can be ongoing or intermittent. More specifically, insomnia is either:

• Short-term and lasts for up to a week long
• Chronic and lasts for three months or longer with at least three episodes per week

Sleep is important for overall health and is responsible for improved immune health, and mental clarity, as well as a reduced risk for cardiovascular problems and weight gain. The ideal amount of sleep will vary among people, but most experts recommend anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep each night for adults and 11 to 14 hours of sleep for children.

Causes of Insomnia

Recent studies have identified 57 gene regions associated with insomnia and have suggested that about a third of the risk of insomnia is inherited. However, all the possible causes of insomnia are incredibly varied among adults, stemming from environmental, psychological and physiological factors, such as:

• Stress brought on by work, school, relationships, finances and more
• Depression and other anxiety disorders
• Sleep disorders
• Neurological disorders
• Caffeine consumption
• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Poor sleep habits
• Chronic pain
• Chronic diseases
• Heartburn and other gastrointestinal disorders
• Hormone imbalances

For children, the causes of insomnia typically revolve around behavioral issues and a resistance to bedtime.

Symptoms of Insomnia

The symptoms of insomnia may include:

• Having trouble falling asleep
• Waking up frequently during sleep
• Feeling extremely tired during the daytime
• Being irritable
• Being depressed
• Having difficulty concentrating or problems with memory

In addition, researchers have found that increased symptoms of insomnia can lead to a higher risk for coronary artery disease, depression, anxiety disorders and alcoholism in adults.

Diagnosing Insomnia

There are no tests to diagnose insomnia, but a healthcare provider or doctor can typically diagnose the condition after performing a physical exam and asking about a patient’s symptoms and medical history. A blood test may be performed to rule out other conditions. In some cases, a sleep study—known as a polysomnogram—may be suggested to discover whether sleep apnea or another sleep disorder is causing insomnia.

Treatments for Insomnia

For short-term insomnia, the treatments largely involve behavior and lifestyle changes, including methods of stress reduction for adults. Similarly, treating insomniac children requires that a parent or guardian set firm limits on and enforce bedtimes.

More severe chronic insomnia in adults may be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and sleep medications.