Overview of Insomnia
Characterized by difficulty falling asleep or early awakening, often accompanied by shallow sleep and frequent dreaming. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. It may occur in the following situations:
1. Insomnia caused by mental factors: Mental tension, anxiety, fear, excitement, etc., can trigger transient insomnia, primarily manifesting as difficulty falling asleep and easy awakening. Once the mental factor resolves, insomnia improves. Patients with neurasthenia often report difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep, and frequent dreams, yet EEG recordings show no reduction in sleep duration, but increased wakefulness time and frequency. These patients commonly experience headache, dizziness, forgetfulness, fatigue, and irritability. Depression-related insomnia often manifests as early awakening or shallow sleep, with EEG showing markedly prolonged wakefulness periods. Mania presents with difficulty falling asleep or even complete sleeplessness throughout the night. Schizophrenia, influenced by delusions, may present with difficulty falling asleep or shallow sleep.
2. Insomnia caused by physical factors: Various bodily diseases causing pain, itching, nasal congestion, breathing difficulties, asthma, coughing, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, palpitations, etc., can all lead to difficulty falling asleep and shallow sleep.
3. Physiological factors: Changes in living or working environment, initial unfamiliarity with a new place, drinking strong tea or coffee can cause insomnia. Symptoms usually improve after short-term adaptation.
4. Insomnia caused by medication: Drugs such as reserpine, amphetamine, thyroxine, caffeine, and aminophylline can cause insomnia, which disappears after discontinuation.
5. Diffuse brain disorders: Various factors such as chronic poisoning, endocrine disorders, nutritional and metabolic disorders, and cerebral arteriosclerosis can cause diffuse brain lesions, where insomnia is often an early symptom—manifesting as reduced sleep duration, frequent awakenings, disappearance of deep sleep phases. As the condition worsens, somnolence and impaired consciousness may appear.
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