| Insomnia: Acute or Chronic? |
| By Darien Simon, M.S. |
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The sleep disorder known as insomnia has been divided into two types—primary and secondary—based on cause. Primary insomnia is insomnia without any apparent other medical condition or direct cause other than stress or sleep cycle disruption from something like travel (jet lag). Secondary insomnia is a side effect of another problem or condition.
But insomnia is also divided into two other categories, or types, based on how long the problem lasts. These are called acute and chronic insomnia. Acute insomnia is short-term, most often resulting from temporary events, such as increased stress from moving, changing jobs, loss of a relationship, or a death in the family (though these stressors can endure longer than a few days or weeks), fever, metabolic upset, poor sleep conditions or habits, or travel. Acute insomnia lasts up to one month, and is often treated by addressing the primary cause, sometimes with prescription sleep aids or other medications. Long-term, or chronic insomnia by definition lasts longer than one month, with sleep disruptions happening frequently during each week. It is often, though not always, a side effect of a medical condition, physical or psychological problem, other sleep disorder, of the use of certain medications and/or other sleep disrupting substances. Whether acute or chronic, insomnia can have serious side-effects or consequences itself, such as fatigue, depression or other psychological disturbance, impaired concentration, decision making and problem solving, accidents, and illness. Both because of the health consequences, and because of the possibility of health problems causing or contributing to insomnia, it is a good idea to consult your health care provider, especially if you believe you have chronic insomnia. You may also wish to discuss your insomnia symptoms, and cause(s), with a health care provider even if you believe it is due to a particular stressor in life and is therefore likely to be acute. Your health care provider may suggest a treatment including a change of diet or nutrient supplements (Dream Boost is one specially formulated to support your body's natural sleep mechanisms), a prescription sleep aid, behavioral changes, cognitive therapy, light therapy, or a more complete examination, called polysomnography, in a specialized sleep lab to detect any other possible sleep disorder which may be causing the insomnia. |
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