Insomnia

What is insomnia?

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or you’re consistently sleep deprived because you wake up too early, you may have a condition known as insomnia. 

Short periods of insomnia are common and may resolve without intervention, but ongoing sleep disturbances can have a devastating effect on your overall health and well-being.

What are the symptoms of insomnia?

Sleep deprivation as a result of insomnia can result in debilitating symptoms, such as:

• Daytime fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor memory
• Irritability
• Increased errors, mistakes, or accidents

Chronic insomnia can also contribute to mood disorders, such as depression or anxiety, and a negative self-image and world-view.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia can create mood disorders, but it can also arise from these and other mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among others. 

Sometimes insomnia has no apparent cause, but certain factors are thought to contribute to the condition, such as:

• Stress
• Stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
• Certain medications
• Digestive troubles

Medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders, sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome can also cause insomnia. It occurs more frequently in women, and in adults over the age of 60.

What is the treatment for insomnia?

Because insomnia presents differently in each individual, the team at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates performs a comprehensive evaluation and screening for underlying health conditions that may contribute to your insomnia. 

The team may also ask you to keep a sleep diary for a few weeks to help identify patterns and triggers for your sleep disturbances.

Your provider then designs customized treatment plans to address the root causes of your insomnia. Based on your individual needs, your treatment plan may include:

• Stress management techniques
• Psychotherapy or counseling 
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Prescription medications
• Nutritional or lifestyle changes

If your insomnia is related to depression, your provider may recommend transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-pharmacological treatment that uses magnetic pulses to activate areas of your brain that are responsible for mood regulation. 

Over time, TMS therapy can readjust neuronal activity in your brain to help you overcome your depression. 

Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, the only practice in the Merrimack Valley that currently offers this innovative treatment option, uses the cutting-edge CloudTMS™ system to help men and women overcome mental health conditions in conjunction with other therapies.