Insomnia is a condition that's becoming more and more common in everyday life. If you find it's hard to sleep, or that you wake up feeling unrefreshed in the morning, then insomnia could be the cause. If you feel as though you may have insomnia, you can be tested for the condition. Here's what insomnia tests can tell you, and what you should do with the results.

What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition where you struggle to fall asleep or wake up feeling unrested in the morning. It can be characterized by several different symptoms, including:

• Being unable to fall asleep, despite feeling tired
• Inability to stay asleep once you have fallen asleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Not feeling rested once you wake up

These symptoms can come about in one of two ways. Either they're sleeping problems that are unrelated to anything else, or they're caused by another underlying issue. The issue could be pain from another condition, a substance you're using, or depression.

The Effects Of Insomnia

Insomnia, if left untreated, can lead to long-term health effects that can decrease your quality of life. The most obvious effect is that you'll be more tired during the day, which affects your productivity, especially at work. As well as this, you'll be at risk of depression, thanks to your brain's inability to cope with what life throws at you thanks to lack of sleep.

There are a few physical issues that insomnia can cause, too. These include poor immune system function, obesity, high blood pressure, the risk of heart disease, and risk of diabetes. As you can see, it's important to test for and treat insomnia as soon as you can.

The Symptoms To Look Out For

It's possible that you're suffering from insomnia, even if you think you're ok. Here are the insomnia symptoms you need to be looking out for:

• Excessive daytime sleeping
• Difficulty falling and staying asleep
• Memory problems
• Irritability
• Depression
• Difficulty concentrating

If you recognize these symptoms, then you may want to get tested for insomnia.

What Can An Insomnia Test Tell You?

If you think you may have insomnia, a sleep insomnia test can help you get an accurate diagnosis, quickly. It's not that you just need a test to tell you if you have the condition. The test will be able to tell you what's causing insomnia in the first place. If your doctor has this information, then they'll be able to make a decision on how to treat you.

In the past, the only way to get a test would be to go to a sleep lab and be studied as you slept that night. This is still an option, and it works well for many people. For others though, this isn't as helpful as it could be. Some patients can't be away from home all night, or they find they can't sleep if they're not in their own bed. Because of this, they can't get accurate results from their sleep test.

If this is the case for you, then there is another option. A home insomnia test is a newer option that lets you test yourself in your own home. It's comfortable, can be used in your own bed, and is easy to set up. It means that you can get the test results to take to your doctor as soon as you can.

What To Do With A Home Test

Once your home test arrives, all you need to do is set it up as according to the instructions. These will show that there's only a handful of sensors involved, and none of them will interfere with your sleep. Then, all you have to do is go to bed.

In the morning, you can collect the data and take it to your doctor. They'll be able to interpret the results and recommend a course of treatment for you. Once that's done, you're well on your way to getting a good night's sleep again.

If you're finding that it's harder to get a good night's sleep, try out an insomnia home test for yourself. You'll be able to get the help you need and fast.

VirtuOx is the leader in home sleep tests and pulse oximetry.