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How Insomnia Negatively Impacts Your Health

Hibernation Sleep MN Blog How Insomnia Negatively Impacts Your Health
How Insomnia Negatively Impacts Your Health

When you can’t get quality sleep because you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you have insomnia. Affecting about one out of every three people throughout the world, insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can have detrimental effects on your health, especially when it’s an ongoing problem.

Your body needs sleep to repair the body from the day's stresses and prepare for the next. Not getting enough quality sleep from sleep disorders like insomnia affects this process, leaving you tired, grouchy, and foggy. It may also put you at risk of chronic health conditions.

At Hibernation Sleep MN, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, we want nothing more than to help you get the quality sleep you need. Dr. Daniel Cogswell and our team create plans to help our patients wake up feeling refreshed and rested so they can have a better day and a healthier future.

Here, we want to talk about insomnia and how it negatively impacts health.

Short-term insomnia vs. chronic insomnia

Whether it’s from stress, a change in environment, or a new routine, short-term insomnia is an acute sleep problem typically lasting a few days or a few weeks. Your sleepless nights may affect your daytime routine; short-term insomnia isn’t a serious health concern and usually resolves on its own. 

But if you have a hard time sleeping three or more nights a week for three or more months, then you have chronic insomnia. This type of insomnia develops from a multitude of causes, making it more challenging to address.

The cumulative sleep loss from chronic insomnia zaps your energy and motivation and is associated with a myriad of serious health problems.

Benefits of good sleep

While sleep is a time of rest, your body works hard, supporting and restoring the vital systems you need to function. Your body needs an adequate amount of sleep every night to:

Sleep disruptions affect these crucial processes, taking a toll on your physical and emotional well-being. 

Complications of chronic insomnia

Research suggests that poor sleep quality drives inflammation in the body, creating an environment for long-term disease. Chronic insomnia may put you at greater risk of:

Poor sleep may also weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections. There’s also a strong association between sleep loss and certain types of cancer like breast, prostate, and colon cancer. 

Additionally, chronic insomnia takes a toll on your mental health, potentially leading to depression, anxiety, or substance use disorder. 

Getting help for better sleep

With the right tools and support, you can overcome insomnia and get a good night’s sleep. We start with lifestyle habits and a sleep routine, such as:

We can also try medications to help you sleep better. But, most importantly, we want to identify and address the root cause of your chronic insomnia. 

We may determine that your poor sleep is a symptom of sleep apnea, and you may sleep better with a sleep apnea mouthpiece or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Whatever the cause, we want you to get the rest you need, creating plans that help you overcome sleepless nights.

Are you tired of always feeling tired? Let us help you sleep better and feel better. Call us today or request an appointment online with our sleep experts.