Methods to cure insomnia

The article is written by Master. Resident Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long - Psychological consultant - Psychological Clinic, Department of General Internal Medicine, Vinmec Times City International Hospital

Sleep disorder is one of the neurological disorders that cause discomfort and have many serious consequences for the health and spirit of the patient. Treatment of sleep disorders takes a long time, the disease is easy to recur, so it is necessary to have a specific and clear treatment course.

In modern life there is a lot of stress and fatigue that can make people worry, worry, have trouble sleeping, not sleep well, not sleep deeply... but that is not called insomnia or disorder. sleep. Insomnia is considered a medical condition if it occurs more than 3 times in a week and persists for more than a month.
Sleep is a prolonged activity to help the body balance endogenous and exogenous factors, fluctuate day-night rhythm, ensure brain activity in the waking state.
On average, each person will sleep about 6-9 hours/night. Sleep is associated with changes in breathing, heart, hormones, body temperature, ... is a normal physiological process of the body.

There are many causes of sleep disturbances, divided into two main causes, including:
Secondary causes: sleep disturbances as a result of another illness such as depression, heart disease, kidney disease ... Primary cause : sleep disorder of unknown cause However, sleep disorder is not always considered a pathology. There are also many cases of insomnia which is a normal manifestation in a certain period of human life such as: perimenopause in women, menopause in men...

People with sleep disorders may lose sleep or sleep a lot, affecting social and work activities.
People with insomnia often have difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, losing sleep in the middle, waking up early. Primary insomnia can continue for at least a month and on average lasts up to 1 year, there are cases of patients with primary insomnia lasting for decades.
People with primary insomnia are often awake at night but always feel tired, depressed, and moody during the day. Prolonged inadequate sleep leads to impaired health, reduced mental health, reduced ability to work, study, even behavioral disorders, hallucinations and paranoia.
People who sleep a lot can sleep from 8 to 12 hours / night, it is very difficult to wake up in the morning. This has been going on for at least 1 month. Patients always feel sleepy, not alert, difficult to concentrate, absent-minded.
Primary insomnia is common in the elderly, especially women. Young people often lose sleep at the end and in the middle of sleep. Elderly people often have trouble falling asleep.

Many studies on sleep disorders have shown that modern life makes people's sleep less and less. Psychological pressures, stress, fatigue produce countless free radicals. Free radicals strongly attack brain artery walls leading to serious damage, forming atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots causing narrowing of arteries, obstructing blood circulation, transporting oxygen and nutrients essential substances to the brain. Brain cells do not receive enough nutrients to function, affecting the structure of the nervous system for a long time, leading to sleep disturbances.
Not only that, free radicals also directly affect brain cells. Brain cells are both attacked by free radicals and are not supplied with enough nutrients and oxygen, leading to brain dysfunction. Areas of the brain that govern sleep are affected, unable to coordinate smoothly, neurotransmitters are interrupted, causing sleep to be disrupted, difficult to fall asleep, not sleeping deeply, dozing off. ..
Long-term sleep disorder can affect the brain, causing nerve cell damage, brain degeneration. People with long-term sleep disorders can lose more than 20% of their brain volume, leading to memory impairment, forgetfulness, language disorders, movement disorders, and depression... , the medical condition becomes more and more severe and persistent. If not treated in time, it can lead to chronic sleep disorders.
Sleep disorders also increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, arrhythmia, brain stroke, sudden death..

The best way to treat chronic insomnia is to find the cause of this insomnia.
There are several treatments for chronic insomnia including:
Sleep hygiene are recommended environmental behaviors and practices that aim to promote better quality sleep. This is an indispensable method to help patients improve their sleep disorders. Poor sleep hygiene can lead to primary sleep disorders. The sleep hygiene methods are as follows: Wake up at the same time every day; limit the time in bed before bed; do not use central nervous system stimulants (coffee, tobacco, alcohol); have vigorous exercise in the early morning; avoiding provocative events, replacing them with listening to the radio, watching television, or reading; massage or soak your feet in warm water for about 20 minutes before going to bed; eat at a certain time of the day. Do not eat much before going to bed; do exercises to relax the mind and muscles in the evenings every day; Try to get comfortable sleeping conditions. Psychotherapy: This method plays a very important role in the treatment of chronic insomnia.
Simple relaxation such as meditation, qigong practice, yoga, nourishing exercises, ... are all effective for treating insomnia.
Eat some nutritious food to treat insomnia such as Chamomile tea, oatmeal or chicken at dinner, a cup of warm honey before going to bed, .... help overcome chronic insomnia.
Treatment with Western medicine: Using psychotropic drugs to support the treatment of chronic insomnia. This is the optimal method for treating both primary and secondary sleep disorders. However, the treatment according to the cause must be prescribed and guided by the doctor. With each different cause, the specific treatment with Western medicine also varies depending on that cause. Moreover, the treatment with Western medicine can bring unwanted effects, so it must be supervised by specialized doctors.
Treatment with Oriental medicine often uses herbs that activate blood, clear blood vessels, nourish the brain, and nourish blood to help patients gradually overcome the symptoms of insomnia. However, the treatment is supportive, it is difficult to treat the underlying diseases or co-existing psycho-psychiatric disorders.
You should visit a specialist in Psychology - Neurology to get the most accurate diagnosis and treatment of chronic insomnia by a doctor. Psychological Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital is a prestigious address specializing in examination, consultation and effective treatment of psychological and mental health problems.
Clinic under Vinmec Times City International General Hospital with modern and world-class facilities. Helping patients feel comfortable when visiting for examination and consultation, improving treatment efficiency. The clinic is capable of deploying psychological tests and intensive psychotherapy for medical examination and treatment.
Team of highly qualified and experienced psychologists:
Master, Doctor Nguyen Van Phi Master, Doctor Pham Thanh Luan Master, Doctor Nguyen Trong Hien Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Quyet Master , Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Hoa The clinic cooperates with professors, leading experts of Hanoi Medical University, frontline hospitals in the country and internationally to diagnose and treatment to bring about the best treatment effect.
Customers can go directly to Vinmec Times City to visit or contact hotline 0243 9743 556 for support.