From the Guidelines
The medical term for a patient not getting enough hours of sleep is insomnia. Insomnia specifically refers to difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing non-restorative sleep despite adequate opportunity for sleep, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition 1. This condition can be acute (short-term) or chronic (lasting more than three months).
Key Characteristics of Insomnia
- Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep
- Early-morning waking with inability to return to sleep
- Clinically significant distress or impairment in activities
- Occurs at least 3 nights per week for 3 months or more
- Not better explained by medical or mental conditions, including another sleep disorder, or medication or substance use
Treatment Options
Treatment options vary depending on severity and may include cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as first-line treatment 1. For medication management, options include short-term use of medications like zolpidem (5-10mg), eszopiclone (1-3mg), or trazodone (25-100mg) at bedtime. Sleep hygiene practices are essential and include maintaining consistent sleep schedules, avoiding caffeine after noon, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment.
Importance of Proper Diagnosis and Treatment
Insomnia often results from disruptions to the body's natural circadian rhythm or heightened arousal in the brain's sleep-wake regulation centers. Chronic insomnia can lead to significant health consequences including increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and impaired immune function, making proper diagnosis and treatment important 1.
From the Research
Medical Term for Insufficient Sleep
The medical term for a patient not getting enough hours of sleep is insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that involves difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep, despite adequate opportunity to do so 2, 3, 4.
Characteristics of Insomnia
Insomnia can be characterized by:
- Difficulty falling asleep (sleep onset insomnia)
- Waking up frequently during the night and having trouble returning to sleep (sleep maintenance insomnia)
- Waking up too early in the morning and being unable to fall back asleep (early morning awakening)
- Poor quality of sleep, such as light or restless sleep
Prevalence of Insomnia
Insomnia is a prevalent health problem, affecting approximately 33% to 50% of adults, with about 7% to 18% of adults meeting the criteria for an insomnia disorder 2.
Treatment of Insomnia
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is a highly effective treatment for insomnia, producing results equivalent to sleep medication, with no side effects, fewer episodes of relapse, and a tendency for sleep to continue to improve long past the end of treatment 2, 3, 5, 6.