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Sleeping Problems
What is it?
Most adults need 7 – 9 hours of sleep/night. Those that are well rested feel alert and do not feel a need to nap. Problems sleeping can originate from several sources:
- Sleep apnea – this disorder causes a person to stop breathing in his or her sleep for short periods.
- It is often associated with loud snoring.
- The most frequent cause in college students is enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
- Being over weight also can be a cause.
- Nightmares - everyone has a nightmare once in a while. However, some people have them frequently, making them want to avoid falling asleep.
- Nightmares may be triggered by certain medications, drugs, alcohol or sleep deprivation.
- Periodic limb movement and restless legs syndrome – people with either of these disorders find their sleep disturbed by movements of their legs.
- These movements are generally involuntary twitches or jerks.
- Frequently those with periodic limb movement do not realize that they moved. It’s their bed partner that notices it.
- Some people with restless leg syndrome feel tingling, burning, cramping or itching that is only relieved with movement.
- Circadian rhythm disorders – we all have circadian rhythms that refer to our “internal body clocks” and regulate our 24 hour cycle of biologic processes, such as when we sleep or eat.
- The circadian rhythm of college students is frequently different from that of “working adults”. This why some students are much more productive during the middle of the night.
- You may need to adjust your schedule to be a better fit with your circadian rhythm. At other times, you may need to make small incremental adjustments in your routines to get your circadian rhythm on a schedule that meets your scholastic needs.
- Insomnia – This is the sleeping disorder that causes most people to seek care. This is a condition in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep. This is where we will focus our attention.
- Insomnia may be primary, meaning there is no other known cause, or secondary, meaning it is because of something else such as medication or alcohol.
- It has lasted at least 1 month.
- Chronic insomnia is a serious problem that can affect your safety, performance in school/work and/or your mood.
Signs and Symptoms
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Daytime sleepiness/feeling fatigued all the time
- Loud snoring; especially if accompanied by periods without breathing
- Difficulty concentrating/memory problems
- Depression or irritability
- Morning headaches
Causes
- Stress and anxiety – sometimes we are unable to turn our brain off to allow us to sleep. We may be thinking about our concerns with school, work, finances, relationships, or whatever.
- Depression – with depression we may either sleep too little or too much.
- Stimulants – some medications, including some antidepressants, decongestants, steroids, and weight loss medications, may worsen symptoms.
- Changes in your environment or schedule – just changing from your home environment to living in the resident hall or apartment with other people can affect your sleep.
- Medical conditions that cause chronic pain
- Ingestion of alcohol before going to bed – although we may fall asleep initially after ingesting large amounts of alcohol, it causes us to wake frequently and have difficulty falling back to sleep.
- Eating too much before going to bed – this can cause reflux and disturb our sleep.
Treatment/Recommendations
- Keep a sleep diary: what time went to bed, how long to fall asleep, what time awoke, number of hours slept, how alert feel in the morning
- Go to bed at the same time every night.
- If you are unable to sleep after about 15 minutes, get up and occupy your time.
- Do not take day time naps.
- Follow a routine that helps you to unwind and relax before bed
- Avoid exercise, games, etc that energizes you before bed
- Don’t exercise within 2 hours of going to bed.
- Make your bedroom sleep friendly
- Room should be dark (no TVs, computer screens, etc) and quiet.
- Be sure you have comfortable bedding and temperature.
- Use your bed only for sleep or sex. Do not watch TV in bed.
- Avoid caffeinated beverages after dinner. Drink water, juices, herbal teas, etc.
- Avoid energy drinks, such as Red Bull, after dinner.
- Avoid large meals within 2 hours of bedtime.
- You may want to use the Counseling Center to improve your relaxation techniques and/or deal with any underlying anxiety and/or depression.
- Medications – these may be over-the-counter or prescription.
- Over-the-counter:
- Many people try different OTC meds such as Benedryl (also found in Tylenol PM, Sominex, etc).
- Others use OTC herbal medications such as Melatonin or Valerian Root.
- Prescription: There are a number of prescription meds that can be used such as Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem.
- These are good for short term use since they may have the potential to cause rebound insomnia.
- You will need an appointment with your provider to discuss any of these.
- If you have a condition that causes chronic pain, seek medical care for that condition.
Back to the Common Ailments page
Last revised: December 13, 2007
