Types of insomnia can range from transient, lasting for a few nights, to short-term, which brings two or three weeks of poor sleep. When poor sleep lasts three weeks or longer, it's characterized as chronic insomnia. Causes of insomnia are varied, and there is often more than one reason for experiencing sleeplessness. Leading causes include arthritis pain, depression or anxiety, behavioral factors like alcoholism, shiftwork, jetlag, and medical disorders such as restless-leg syndrome. The St. Francis Sleep Disorders Program offers a complete array of preventative, counseling, and treatment services.
Treatment begins with a complete physical exam and medical history.
To complete the diagnosis, you may spend a night in the Sleep Lab, where sensitive equipment records eye movements, brain waves, breathing, heartbeat and other functions. Copyright 1997 by St. Francis Medical Center Send notes to Healthy Times .