physiological causes of insomnia

This question was asked in Crest Hill, Illinois on 02/11/2014.
I am only sleeping about three hours per night, and I wake up very stressed out and unable to go back to sleep. This has been going on for about a year and I am becoming desperate. When I wake up, I am in and out of bed and cannot stay put as my mind races and I am hyper. What could a sleep clinic do to help me? What medications might help me get better sleep?

Doctors Answers (1)

SomnoDiagnostics, Inc.
Answered on: 2/11/2014

So sorry you're having these issues. First thing is good sleep hygiene. I will list sleep hygiene tips. Secondly, stress management may be something you discuss with your primary care physician. Sleep Hygiene Tips: Do: 1. Reserve your bed and bedroom for sleep. When you get in bed, turn off the lights immediately and try to go to sleep (i.e., do not read, watch TV, or play on your phone or iPad). If you have trouble falling asleep, go to another room until you feel sleepy enough to try again. Occupy yourself with some non-exciting activity in the meantime. Get your body into the habit of sleeping when you go to bed rather than being engaged in some activity (i.e., thinking, reading) that competes with sleep. 2. Prepare your sleeping environment to produce minimum distraction. Pay attention to light, noise, temperature, mattress, pillow, bedclothes, and sleeping garments. 3. Establish and keep to regular bedtime and arising time. Do not change your schedule on weekends. At the very least, maintain a regular arising time, even if you had trouble sleeping the night before. In time, it should become easier to fall asleep at a regular time. 4. Attempt to systematically determine what your optimal sleep amount is, and then work toward obtaining that amount of sleep each night. Sleeping too much may aggravate your sleep problem the next night. It is better in the long run to sleep a bit too little than to sleep too much. 5. Exercise regularly and in moderate amounts early in the day. 6. Investigate whether a cup of warm milk before bed helps you sleep better. 7. Look for and practice any other activities that will help your body develop a regular and normal sleep schedule. Don't: 1. Avoid reading, watching t.v., etc. in your bed or bedroom. 2. Avoid sleeping environments that are distracting or uncomfortable. 3. Avoid irregular bedtimes and arising times and variations in amount of sleep. 4. Avoid taking naps during the day or evening. 5. Avoid exercise in the late afternoon or evening. 6. Avoid exciting or stimulating activities in the evening. 7. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks, cocoa, etc.) in the later afternoon hours or evening. 8. Avoid eating heavy or spicy food, especially in the evening. 9. Avoid late meals and large quantities of liquids. 10. Avoid going to bed hungry. 11. Avoid immoderate use of alcohol. 12. Avoid any other activities that seem to aggravate your sleep problem.