Having a few sleepless nights once in a while is a common phenomenon and can happen to anyone, even people with good mental health. However, when you have continuous sleepless nights and have difficulty falling or staying asleep, you may question whether you have insomnia. Insomnia is a serious mental health condition and can negatively impact your life.
Mental health experts at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, LLC understand the toll insomnia can take on your physical and mental health. They can provide you with a proper diagnosis and comprehensive care to fix your condition. That being said, if you suspect you have insomnia, here are some common warning signs.
Warning signs of insomnia
- You have difficulty falling asleep.
If you have a healthy sleeping routine and pattern, it should not take you more than 20 minutes to fall asleep once your head hits the pillow. It could be an early sign of insomnia if you find it difficult to fall asleep or it takes you hours to sleep even when you are tired. Acute insomnia lasts for less than a month and can be cured with over-the-counter medications.
- You have trouble staying asleep.
Normally, people may wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. However, waking up multiple times during the night for no reason and having trouble staying asleep can be an early warning sign of insomnia. Waking up at night is not normal and disrupts your sleep quality. You may wake up feeling tired due to poor sleep.
- You have dreams that disturb your sleep.
If you have other mental health conditions along with insomnia, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you may have nightmares related to the traumatic event that disrupts your sleep. You may wake up feeling scared and your eyes red in the morning. Other conditions like depression can also cause dreams.
- You experience daytime sleepiness.
Even though you think you have slept for a good eight hours, you may not feel refreshed and energized in the morning if you have insomnia. One common symptom of insomnia is daytime sleepiness, often overlooked by people. Your circadian rhythm will be off when you do not get enough sleep, which results in daytime sleepiness.
- You have anxiety about sleep.
For most people, sleep is something they look forward to after a long day of work. However, people with insomnia feel stressed about going to bed. They worry about falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night.
If you have insomnia, you should seek help immediately.
