Insomnia

Insomnia is a common condition that’s unfortunately undertreated. If you often have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night, insomnia could be the reason.

Those who don’t sleep enough or reach deep quality sleep report fatigue in the daytime, difficulty concentrating, emotional changes, and even depression. If untreated, insomnia is also linked to chronic problems such as heart disease. If lack of sleep is affecting your quality of life, talk to your Ogden Clinic physician about a sleep study.

What is chronic insomnia?

Chronic insomnia is a treatable medical condition characterized by poor sleep quality for more than three days per week, lasting a month or longer. Sometimes insomnia is linked to another medical or psychiatric condition, but not always.

How is insomnia treated?

Because insomnia can have several different causes, there are different approaches to treating it. Acute (short-term or occasional) insomnia often does not require treatment and patients find that symptoms are cured by practicing better sleep habits.

If your insomnia is persistent, a comprehensive evaluation will help us determine the best treatment plan. Your diagnosis may include a sleep study overnight in our office to monitor your brain activity, breathing, and factors that can affect quality sleep.

Chronic insomnia can be treated with behavioral/cognitive strategies such as:

• Relaxation or meditation techniques
• Establishing a regular bedtime and wake schedule
• Associating the bedroom with sleep only

We will also discuss sleep aid medication for patients with severe cases of insomnia. Typical medications for insomnia include benzodiazepine hypnotics, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, and melatonin receptor agonists.

We are an ACHC Accredited Sleep Lab. ACHC provides a patient-focused approach with principles that were developed by professionals to ensure relevant and realistic standards. We demonstrate our commitment to our patients through compliance with national regulations and industry best practices. Learn more at Accreditation Commission for Health Care.