Diagnosing and Treating Insomnia  

 

Roughly 3.5 million Canadians —  or 10% of the country’s population – have trouble sleeping.  

Since it’s World Sleep Day, we want to raise awareness about insomnia, a common sleep problem, and explain how to put it to bed once and for all.

Anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, heart failure and certain habits like drinking caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, energy drinks) can cause insomnia.

Symptoms of insomnia include trouble falling asleep, waking up often during the night, and feeling restless, tired and irritable. If you have symptoms, it’s important to make sure you try to keep the same wake-up time every day, get regular exercise, and try to avoid too much caffeine.

If you’re still having problems, you can call us to book a doctor’s appointment. Your doctor will check your health and ask you to talk about your sleep and how it is impacting you.

In some cases, they may also ask you to perform a sleep test and blood test if needed, to help determine what’s causing your sleep problem. The sleep tests are either done at home or the hospital.

Healthy Sleeping Habits

Adopting these habits will help you get a good night’s rest. 

·      First, ensure your sleeping environment is dark, quiet and cool. Since the sun hardly sets in the summer, buy curtains that completely block out light

·      Take your medication at the suggested time. If you believe they’re disrupting your sleep, talk to your doctor.

·      Establish a sleep schedule. Wake up and go to bed at consistent times and avoid daytime naps. Even if you haven’t had much sleep the night before, its important to keep the same wake up time to teach your body when to go to bed.

·      Limit or avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks), nicotine (smoking) and alcohol consumption. Plus, avoid these substances entirely in the late afternoon and evening.

·      Don’t watch TV or go on your phone or computer in your room. If you do, your mind won’t associate that place with rest, resulting in poor-quality sleep. 

·      Perform relaxing activities — including meditation, reading or journaling — right before bed.

·      Take care of your mental health. Learn some effective mental health care tips in this article. 

·      Maintain a healthy, balanced diet and stop eating two hours before bedtime

For more information on sleep disorders, please visit this BC Government webpage.