Insomnia Flashcards
Chronic Primary Insomnia
Insomnia that’s not secondary to something else, like drugs or a medical condition
What is the most common type of sleep disorder?
Chronic primary insomnia
What percentage of primary care patients complain of insomnia?
30%
Insomnia can…
transient, acute, or chronic
What are of the vast majority of professional treatments for insomnia?
hypnotics (sleeping pills)
What are the most important factors affecting chronic insomnia that OTC’s and hypnotics neglect?
Behavioral and psychological factors
What structure of the brain houses the “sleep-wake switch”?
The hypothalamus
What NT is associated with sleep?
GABA, the primary inhibitory NT
What NT is associated with wakefulness?
Histamine
What are the 5 stages of sleep?
Stage 1, Stage, 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, and REM
How many cycles does a person go through on average per night?
4-5 cycles, each lasting about 90 minutes
Stage 1
transition from wakefulness to sleep
occupies 5% of sleep in healthy adults
Stage 2
Occupies 50% of sleep
Which stage(s) does a person experience ‘slow-wave’ sleep?
Stage 3 & 4; also known as delta sleep and deep sleep
What disrupts slow-wave sleep?
Stress, alcohol
How does stress disrupt sleep?
Corticotropic-releasing hormone (CRH) & cortisol disrupt slow-wave sleep