It’s already 3 in the morning and you have to be up by 6 am to get ready for work. You’re trying everything you can to finally doze off, but no matter what you do – twisting and turning, changing your air-con temperature, and even the thousands of sheep you’ve counted in your head – you just can’t seem to fall asleep.
Insomnia is an extremely common sleeping disorder. Every night, billions of people around the world struggle to fall or stay asleep. While this is usually only a brief problem for most people, in others it can be a severe, on-going challenge. About 35% of all adults experience brief symptoms of insomnia and up to 10% experience it chronically – at least three times a week for up to three months at a time.
The two types of insomnia are:
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- Short-Term Insomnia – this type of insomnia, also known as transient insomnia, is usually due to stress in daily life. It can be emotional – whether that be a new exciting relationship, a loss of a family member, or a looming deadline at work. It is also likely to be caused by changes to your body’s circadian rhythm – such as jet lag from a long flight or changes in shift at work. This usually lasts a few days to a week.
- Chronic Insomnia – this is usually classified as insomnia lasting for more than a few weeks or months. Having chronic insomnia means you’re having difficulty sleeping all the time, even short naps. There is usually a different underlying factor that causes this that cannot be tied back to a singular event.
While a bad night of insomnia can mean that you feel generally tired and grumpy the next day, if it recurs over a long period of time, it can actually be debilitating in that it presents a number of negative effects on your health.
Here are the most common side-effects to those suffering chronic insomnia:
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- Lethargy and fatigue
- Lack of focus and difficulty concentrating
- Worse memory recall
- Poor judgement and decision making
- Mood and hormone imbalance
- Lack of motivation and energy
- Depression
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Why you should NOT use medication
When you get desperate enough for sleep, it’s very tempting to run down to the pharmacy and get some over-the-counter sleeping pills, but you really shouldn’t opt for this solution whenever possible. Sleeping pills don’t actually tackle the root problem to your insomnia, it is only a quick fix. It does not address the symptoms that are preventing you from falling asleep and should only be used as a last resort. While there are certainly uses for it, it is best when used sparingly and short-term (such as when traveling between timezones).
Sleeping pills have their own side effects and risks, and can often present the same memory and fatigue related issues mentioned above. Sleeping pills are known to have a hangover effect, similar to other types of medication like antihistamines that can impair coordination and balance the next day. So while you are giving your body the rest it needs, you’re still experiencing many of the negative side effects from insomnia. Also, you can quickly build up a tolerance and dependency to sleeping pills – something you definitely don’t want.
Physical Therapy for Insomnia in Bangkok
Recently, there have been many studies to support that physical therapy can in fact help treat insomnia. Physical therapists conduct an assessment to determine if there’s anything lacking or detrimental in a patient’s sleep routine, and can advise what adjustments should be made to build better habits to promote sleep and improve quality of sleep.
Pain Away Clinic is amongst the leading clinics and has the best knowledge and technology available in Bangkok. We specialize in all things related to physical therapy and we have hundreds of patients every week coming in to for treatments. You can read some of their success stories here. We are more than happy to give you a quick consultation if you have any questions or are looking to get a professional opinion.
