We’ve all been there… We find ourselves struggling to sleep, or that we’re feeling foggy and grumpy for a lack of good night’s rest. We lie awake at night and it feels like everyone else in the world is asleep. One of the most frustrating experiences that we can go through is difficulty falling asleep or even staying asleep. There’s no doubt we’re feeling bothered, the mind is all over the place and we lie in bed tossing and turning. The more we stress about being sleepless at night the worse it gets for us.
Before long we start to notice every little thing going on from the wind blowing against the tree outside the window, the tick-tocking of the clock, and the moon glistening in. The question is – why do we have trouble falling asleep at night? What’s really causing us to stay asleep? What should we do?
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.
What are symptoms?
People who suffer from insomnia will experience one or more of the following insomnia symptoms such as waking up frequently and having trouble going back to sleep. Others may have difficulty falling asleep, feeling tired in the morning or waking up too early in the morning. Some people who suffer from insomnia may experience anxiety, depression or irritability.
Causes of insomnia
Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other conditions. Chronic insomnia is usually a result of stress, life events or habits that disrupt sleep. Treating the underlying cause can resolve insomnia, but sometimes it can last for years.
Risks of untreated or misdiagnosed insomnia
Often insomnia goes misdiagnosed to where there are underlying causes of acute or chronic insomnia. This occurs when diaries are filled out as the only means to diagnose Insomnia. Without an objective measure, insomnia goes undetected by both patient and physician. The costs are direct and indirect ranging from work absenteeism, utilization of short-term disability benefits, to work-place accidents. These patients contribute to rising costs among ER visits, inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy.
How is it diagnosed?
In the past, sleep disorders were diagnosed by spending a night in a facility-based sleep lab, called a polysomnography or PSG. A PSG records multiple biophysiological signals throughout the night after sensors have been applied over much of the body. A PSG can tell what percentage of time you are spending in each stage of sleep (which is a measure of how efficiently you are sleeping) and whether you have other, more rare disorders such as a sleep movement disorder or narcolepsy.
Your physician can also determine if you have insomnia symptoms by asking you to complete a questionnaire compiling a series of sleep-related, anxiety, and depression questions. Based on the score of these questions, he or she can order an EEG test. The advantage of the EEG test is that you are being recorded in your own bed, so it is more likely to reflect what happens each night. It is also covered by most insurances and more convenient.
VirtuSOM Testing Benefits
Comfort
Many people find it difficult to sleep in new places, let alone covered in electrodes with someone watching from the next room. Your routine before bed is not interrupted so we are capturing a typical night. With a headband containing just 3 sensors on your forehead, VirtuSOM can validate your insomnia symptoms or reveal underlying causes.
Convenience
No need to drive across town, miss work or hassle with your insurance company to see if an expensive procedure is covered. With VirtuSOM, the EEG device is delivered right to your door with complete instructions and a toll-free technical support line 24/7, should you need it. The next day, just drops everything in a FedEx box in a stamped, pre-paid priority mail box and wait 2-3 days for your doctor to get the report. Nothing could be easier!
Cost
These days, patients are responsible for more of the cost of their healthcare than ever before. It matters what procedures cost now! Whether it's your portion as a co-pay, the full amount because you have a high deductible or the entire cost because your insurance doesn't cover the procedure, many patients are searching for a more cost-effective solution. EEG is significantly lower than a facility based arbitration study. In most cases, the outcome is the same.
Treatment for insomnia
If you are diagnosed with insomnia, we recommend 6 weeks of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-I). CBT-I is a course that emphasizes mental and physical behavior modification for better sleep. CBT-I is the gold standard for insomnia treatment and studies show improvement in sleep rivaling various sleep medications without the risk of medication dependency which yields adverse side effects. CBT conditions you to break habits and behaviors that compromise restorative sleep which will ultimately produce a lasting effect on your sleep patterns holistically.
VirtuOx is the leader in home sleep tests and pulse oximetry.
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