Which doctor treats insomnia?

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Insomnia is not a disease, but a symptom, so the treatment of insomnia is to correctly identify its root causes. Often a sleep disorder becomes a signal that a person has some kind of disturbance in the functioning of the central nervous system, or diseases of the internal organs.

Although sleep problems are thought to be less serious, it's best not to put off visiting your doctor if you need help with insomnia. Self-medication is not the best option, because even the most harmless medications that can be bought without a prescription have unwanted side effects. In addition, only medication for insomnia does not give the desired effect, because it does not eliminate the real reason why sleep is disturbed. Sleeping with sleeping pills is far from physiological; it will give you the opportunity to simply forget yourself, switch off, but only for a while.

A qualified specialist can help you get rid of insomnia by determining whether sleep disturbances indicate psychological difficulties or a specific disease. And treatment of long-term insomnia is possible only under the supervision of a doctor.

INSOMNIA TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE AT THE BRANCHES:

Treatment of insomnia in the Primorsky region

Address: St. Petersburg , Primorsky district, st. Repisheva, 13

Treatment of insomnia in the Petrograd region

Address: St. Petersburg , Petrogradsky district, st. Lenina, 5

Treatment of insomnia in the Krasnogvardeysky district

Address: St. Petersburg , Krasnogvardeisky district, Novocherkassky pr., 33 building 3

Treatment of insomnia in Vsevolzhsk

Address: Vsevolozhsk , Oktyabrsky Prospekt, 96 A

How can you tell if you have insomnia?

The word “insomnia” is translated as “lack of sleep,” but the concept of “insomnia” usually includes a variety of types of sleep disorders. People complain that they don't sleep deeply enough, that they wake up too early or fall asleep later than they would like, and that they feel tired after sleep. All these disorders reduce performance, spoil mood, and increase anxiety. Therefore, treatment of insomnia, as well as other sleep disorders, is necessary to ensure that the quality of life does not decrease.

To sleep or not to sleep? To sleep or not to sleep, and if to sleep, then how?

Often this is a matter of life and death. People who sleep poorly and get little sleep not only feel worse, they get sick more often than others and live shorter lives. For example, patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome are five times more likely to experience myocardial infarction, stroke and other serious cardiovascular diseases. Their risk of depression increases several times. And finally, a drowsy driver may at some point simply pass out while driving and cause a dangerous accident on the road. Therefore, if you cannot sleep normally for the required 7-8 hours, despite the availability of such an opportunity, you are not satisfied with the quality of your sleep, or after waking up you do not feel sufficiently alert and rested, then this is a reason to contact a somnologist. These doctors have both accurate tools for diagnosing sleep disorders and effective treatments for them.

Diagnosis of insomnia

• difficulty falling asleep;
• early or late awakenings;
• frequent awakenings at night;
• too superficial and sensitive sleep;
• fatigue after waking up, feeling like you haven’t slept at all;
• excessive sleepiness;
• inability to sleep.

The lack of proper sleep destroys the habitual, natural rhythm of the human body. In the morning, our performance is usually increased, the sympathetic nervous system releases more adrenaline into the blood, blood pressure and temperature rise slightly, and in the evening all systems smoothly reduce their activity.

It is believed that healthy physiological sleep should last from seven to eight hours, during which time the body rests, psycho-emotional activity decreases, and the nervous system is restored.

In general, the task of sleep is to prepare the entire body and nervous system for the new day. When the “biological clock” malfunctions, all the usual processes are disrupted. Cognitive abilities deteriorate, the functioning of the intellectual sphere decreases, communication skills decrease, mood drops, memory weakens, chronic diseases appear, if a person has them, immunity decreases. The further you go, the more destruction the lack of proper sleep brings, the central nervous system suffers especially severely, mental pathologies and neuroses can begin or worsen, the sense of reality and connection with the world are lost.

Sometimes it is very difficult to get out of this vicious circle; the longer a person suffers from lack of sleep, the more afraid he is of the need to fall asleep. Added to the physiological disturbances are anxiety and fear, which prevent you from relaxing and falling asleep. In addition, lack of sleep releases the hormone cortisol, a stress companion, which further tires the nervous system.

Of course, for lack of sleep to cause serious harm to the body, the problem must last long enough. If a person does not get enough sleep for several days, he is quite capable of organizing his own daily routine and nutrition, restoring his “biological clock.” Avoiding coffee and tea before bedtime, light physical activity, yoga, jogging, exercise, light dinner, creating a calm environment, turning off the TV and cell phone an hour before bedtime help. Simple meditation and auto-training techniques help you relax before bed.

But all this helps with mild forms of insomnia. Treatment of chronic insomnia can only be carried out by a qualified specialist.

Kinds

There are the following types of this disease:

• Primary insomnia. It occurs when sleep problems are not caused by illness or a specific situation.
• Secondary view. Formed against the background of the formation of some disease. This could be oncology, injury, heartburn, asthma, arthritis, or depression. The use of alcoholic beverages or medications can also affect the formation of such a problem.

Based on duration and frequency, the following types of insomnia are distinguished:

1. Chronic. Regular problems that last for several months, or occur periodically every 3-4 months for many years.
2. Spicy. This is a short-term sleep disorder that can last from 1 night to several weeks.

Causes of insomnia

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• heart diseases;
• endocrine pathology, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism;
• renal pathology;
• neurological diseases, parkinsonism;
• age-related changes, senile disorders;
• neurotic disorders of the anxiety, hypochondriacal spectrum;
• depressive disorders;
• asthenia, fatigue;
• disorders of the musculoskeletal system (osteoarthritis);
• neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease).

Treatment of insomnia

Which specialist can help get rid of insomnia?

In most cases, sleep disorders are problems in the central nervous system, so it is best to start by consulting a psychiatrist.

Many patients are nervous about seeing this doctor. It is believed that a person turns to a specialist of such a profile because he is seriously ill. In fact, a psychiatrist treats many different disorders, not necessarily severe ones. You should not be afraid of the word “psychiatrist”, because the fight against insomnia is in the field of his professional activity.

Modern psychiatry is humanistic and person-centered, many non-drug treatment methods have appeared, and medications have a gentler effect on the body and have fewer side effects than before.

Often, sleep disturbance is a symptom that indicates the onset of a mental disorder. For example, a person dozes during the day and cannot fall asleep at night, and this continues for quite a long time. If you do not pay attention to this condition, everything can end in severe depression or other diseases.

For depression, a psychiatrist prescribes treatment with antidepressants and psychotherapy. If the cause of depression is biological, then the emphasis is on prescribing medication and consulting a psychotherapist. If this is a reactive state, then psychotherapy is more appropriate.

If sleep is disturbed due to age-related changes, the treatment of chronic insomnia is to ensure that the patient strictly follows the prescribed regimen. After a certain age, sleep disturbances often occur when a person is not tired, can take a nap during the day, rarely walks, and therefore does not feel like sleeping at night. Therefore, the fight against insomnia is to follow a routine and go for walks in the fresh air. Mild sleeping pills are also prescribed if necessary.

When the reason lies in the past

It often happens that the cause of insomnia is an event that happened months or even years before the onset of symptoms. Most often with acute anxiety disorder caused by the death of a loved one. In the first time after loss, insomnia does not occur due to stress and regular adrenaline surges. But when, six months or later, a person relaxes a little, then chronic sleep disorders appear.

Dr. Kolchina says: “A woman over 80 years old encountered the problem of insomnia 3 years after the death of her husband. She tried to regain sleep with the help of alcohol and tranquilizers, although she had never drank before. It was still not possible to get enough sleep, and the patient had problems during the daytime, including impaired motor functions and even falls. In this case, combined drug and psychotherapeutic treatment helped.”

Obese people often complain about the quality of their sleep. They fall asleep easily, but experience breathing problems during sleep due to pulmonary hypoventilation syndrome. Fat tissue puts pressure on the chest, the lungs breathe only due to the diaphragm. As a result, the body receives insufficient oxygen, which aggravates obesity by inhibiting metabolic processes. That's why overweight people often wake up in the middle of the night and don't get enough sleep.

Psychotherapy

After the psychiatrist has ruled out serious mental illnesses, he refers the patient to specialists of a different profile: a neurologist, an endocrinologist, a psychotherapist. For insomnia, a doctor may prescribe basic examinations: blood tests, urine tests, and consultation with a therapist. These examinations can also help detect illnesses that so far manifest themselves only as sleep disturbances.

A psychotherapist can also help you get rid of insomnia. If insomnia is associated with stress, then psychotherapeutic assistance and a doctor’s explanation of how to deal with insomnia come to the fore.

Sleep disturbance in the everyday sense is caused by stress, overexertion, problems at work, and difficulties in the family. Thoughts go around in circles, preventing a person from relaxing, and the job of a psychotherapist is to help get away from these experiences, learn to switch, and relax.

When overworked, it is important to understand what factors became an overload for the patient. Psychotherapy also helps here, some medications, usually benzodiazepines, which relieve tension in the nervous system, help break the vicious circle.

What studies help a somnologist make a diagnosis?

The most complete and accurate determination of the nature and severity of sleep disorders allows polysomnography - a special complex multifactorial study that is carried out during night sleep and consists of monitoring various parameters and indicators, including:

• blood oxygen saturation level;
• assessment of brain activity (EEG);
• heart function (ECG);
• eye movements (EOG) and muscle activity (EMG);
• characteristics of the respiratory flow, including the number and duration of episodes of respiratory pauses;
• characteristics of snoring, etc.

Polysomnography is the most accurate and informative method for studying sleep disorders

In some cases (primarily when OSAS is suspected), the results of a simplified, cheaper and more accessible option for diagnosing sleep disorders - cardiorespiratory monitoring - are sufficient.

In addition, the somnologist may require data from laboratory and instrumental studies.

Advantages of our clinic

A complex approach

Medical treatment of insomnia is provided by qualified doctors: psychiatrists, psychotherapists, family therapists. We employ more than 150 specialists who deal with both physical and mental disorders. This helps to quickly and efficiently find the cause and begin treatment for insomnia.

Treatment methods at the level of world standards

Medical specialists regularly study in their specialty, undergo advanced training, and follow global trends in their field. Therefore, our doctors carry out diagnosis and treatment of insomnia according to modern models of world psychiatry and psychotherapy.

Individual approach

Our clinic has a special attitude towards the patient. An appointment with a psychiatrist and psychotherapist lasts an hour, during which time the patient can talk in detail about his condition, answer the doctor’s questions, and learn how to deal with insomnia. Such a consultation helps to understand the origins of the problem and identify features that need to be paid attention to.

Multifunctionality

In our clinic, treatment of severe insomnia is possible with specialists of various profiles due to the versatility of medical care. If necessary, you can make an appointment with any doctor without a queue and at a time convenient for you.

Where does the sleep doctor see?

In Russia, every year there are an increasing number of specialists in the field of sleep medicine, so it is much easier to find such a doctor than, say, ten years ago. But today in our country there is no such separate medical specialization as “somnology”; doctors receive this qualification in addition to their main medical specialty - somnologist-pulmonologist, somnologist-neurologist, etc. As a result, the services of sleep doctors, unfortunately, are not included in the compulsory health insurance system, and you will most likely have to treat sleep disorders at your own expense. So, in Moscow, one night in a somnology laboratory will cost on average about 10-15 thousand rubles, depending on the status of the medical institution and the complexity of the examination required by the patient. But as a result, you will receive a qualified opinion about the state of your sleep and competent recommendations for treating the existing problem.

Cost of insomnia treatment: