Insomnia in men

Sleep is a natural process during which our body rests and regenerates. Deficiency and sleep disturbances lead to serious consequences, including serious illnesses. The development of insomnia is a serious danger to the physical and psychological health of a person, an indicator of the presence of serious problems.  

Males are less likely to experience problem sleep than women [1]. However, they may have difficulty getting a good night’s rest. At the same time, the causes of sleep disorders in men 30 – 40 years old are extremely diverse. 

Causes

There can be many reasons why a man does not sleep at night.

Most often, this is the manifestation of problems of the nervous system, excessive fatigue and psychological stress, but sometimes there are completely physiological explanations for this.

Sometimes, in order to get rid of an unpleasant condition, it is enough to correct the daily routine. But in some cases, full treatment is necessary.

The reasons for sleep deprivation in men:

  1. Acute, chronic stress. It is caused by intra-family and personal problems, external pressure from society. It is provoked by problems at work, in communication, arises when you change your place of residence.
  2. Hormonal imbalance. Sleep problems occur against the background of disorders of the gonads, thyroid.
  3. Taking substances that stimulate the nervous system. It can be both medications and stimulants, caffeine-containing foods, alcohol.
  4. Exercise right before bedtime.
  5. Overeating, excessive consumption of calories. To normalize the regime, first of all, you will have to give up late evening snacks.
  6. Somatic diseases, manifested by regular pain.
  7. Sleep apnea syndrome, snoring. Breathing problems lead to numerous waking up during the night, which makes it impossible to get a good night’s sleep.
  1. Using gadgets before bed. Sleep quality is equally affected by watching TV, playing a game console or reading the news, and communicating on social networks.
  2. Neurological diseases. Early stages of development of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis. 

Insomnia that develops in men for these reasons is often more serious and complex than in women in similar situations. This is partly due to the socio-cultural characteristics of the upbringing of boys in our society. An adult man prefers to hide the psychological stress and experiences in himself, not to share them and not to receive emotional relief.

Sometimes sleep disorders associated with frequent urge to urinate and pain accompanying inflammation of the genitourinary system are perceived as shameful. The male sex prefers to endure such problems, and not go to the doctor at the first symptoms. And thus aggravates the state of his health.

Types and symptoms of insomnia in men

Depending on what causes insomnia in men after 40, 4 groups of diseases are distinguished:

  1. Adaptive, when abrupt changes in the usual routine of life become the cause. Change of type of activity, mode of operation or relocation.
  2. Psychophysiological type. Sleep is disturbed due to a person’s refusal to perceive signals from the body. Overcoming drowsiness during the day, by nightfall, a person loses the ability to sleep peacefully. 
  1. Sleep hygiene disorders. Arise due to improper alignment of the evening pastime. Something: abuse of food and drink, physical work, exercise in the evenings.
  2. Secondary form, which is the consequences of somatic, bodily diseases.

It is not always easy to recognize sleep problems at the initial stage, they are often perceived as other disorders: depression, anxiety. Let’s list the symptoms of developed insomnia: 

  1. falling asleep for a long time, which can last more than 1 hour;
  2. regular conscious awakenings at night;
  3. increased sensitivity, sleep destroys even a random sound;
  4. early awakening without the ability to fall asleep again;
  5. headaches on waking;
  6. fatigue, lack of the usual vigor in the morning;
  7. fatigue, reduced performance;
  8. irritability increases.

Having found at least two of the listed symptoms, you should consult a somnologist. This will help to quickly cope with negative symptoms and restore the quality of life. 

Diagnostics

To find out why there are reasons for insomnia at night in men after 30-40 and how to cure it, a consultation with an experienced doctor will help.

It would be correct to contact a specialized clinic. There, where there is access to consultation by doctors of different profiles: neurologist, psychologist, somnologist. A comprehensive diagnostic approach is needed to understand in which specific area the original problem lies.

Before sending a patient for research to identify the causes of poor sleep in an adult male, the doctor will conduct a detailed survey:

  • will identify the main symptoms;
  • will indicate concomitant changes in the way of life of a person;
  • identify the symptoms associated with sleep disorders;
  • check for established complications;
  • will determine the original cause that triggered sleep problems.

Based on the results of a preliminary survey and examination, diagnostic procedures are assigned:

  • EEG monitoring procedure , which will clearly show how the patient’s sleep process looks like; 
  • polysomnography to determine if sleep apnea is present;
  • functional MRI allows you to accurately establish the features of the brain during sleep and wakefulness. 

After receiving the results, in order to directly eliminate the problem that has arisen, the patient is referred to a specialized doctor. This could be a neurologist, psychotherapist, etc.

Treatment

As a rule, poor sleep is a consequence of negative processes occurring in the body.

In order to prescribe an effective treatment, the doctor must determine the cause of insomnia in men, analyze the symptoms. And have the data of instrumental examinations on hand.

To defeat the problem, depending on the specific situation, the following can be used:

  • A course of psychotherapy, if the condition has arisen due to psychological or mental problems.
  • Prescribing medications to help restore healthy sleep patterns.
  • Herbal remedies that gently affect the body and restore natural biorhythms.
  • The use of vitamin complexes that improve brain function.
  • Treating the root cause of apnea.

How to treat insomnia in a man is always decided on an individual basis and, sometimes, you can achieve a result with folk remedies. However, faced with such a problem, it is required to undergo a full examination in order to identify the cause of the disorder in a particular patient, and not rely on someone else’s experience. 

Prevention

Male insomnia in adulthood is a problem that almost every person faces from time to time. However, discomfort can be avoided by taking preventive measures to help ensure healthy sleep:

  • The bed should not turn into a place of constant pastime. Try to read and watch TV in another part of the apartment, coming to bed just for sleep.
  • Have a healthy sleep and wake schedule, don’t stay up too late, and try to stick to your daily schedule.
  • Avoid eating large amounts of food before bed, foods containing caffeine and sugar.
  • Stop vigorous physical activity 2 hours before bedtime.
  • Do the morning exercises daily.
  • Use the relaxation techniques that work for you before bed.
  • Ventilate the room before going to bed, take a walk down the street in the evening.

If methods to improve sleep quality stop working and your rhythm is out of order, see your doctor as soon as possible. In such a situation, it is highly likely that the appearance of insomnia or dyssomnia is associated with neurological pathology. 

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