Question 1

How do you look at sleep maintenance problems where you wake at the same time every night?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us they can fall asleep, but without fail they wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. and then take a long time to fall back asleep. What's distinctive is that the time is almost always the same.

Question 2

What do you check for unrefreshing sleep, when you sleep but don't feel rested?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us they spend plenty of time in bed, but their body feels heavy in the morning. Many also say they had vivid dreams all night.

Question 3

Why do you do an abdominal exam when treating insomnia?

Accepted Answer

Because many people who can't sleep also have an uncomfortable stomach. If the digestive system is still working at night, sleep becomes light.

Question 4

Waking at night to urinate and insomnia: how do you tell which comes first?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us their sleep is broken because they go to the bathroom several times a night. They also say they keep feeling the urge even though they don't pass much urine.

Question 5

When you sweat a lot and sleep lightly, why look at both together?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us their hands and feet, or their whole body, sweat a lot, and their clothes are wet when they wake up. They also say it takes over an hour to fall asleep after lying down.

Question 6

If palpitations make it hard to fall asleep when lying down, what should be checked first?

Accepted Answer

If you have chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness as if you might faint, or a very fast or irregular pulse, heart tests come first.

Question 7

With tinnitus and insomnia together, which doctor should I see first?

Accepted Answer

If you suddenly lost hearing in one ear or a sound suddenly appeared, see an ENT doctor first. In this case, a few days can change the outcome.

Question 8

What are common causes of twitching under the eye?

Accepted Answer

Most cases are temporary twitches caused by fatigue, lack of sleep and caffeine. They often go away on their own within a few days to a few weeks.

Question 9

How do you look at sleep that gets worse with the menstrual cycle?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us it always takes them a long time to fall asleep, but around their period it gets especially bad and they wake two or three times before dawn. From a week before, they become irritable, their appetite goes up and their chest and lower back feel heavy, and the back pain continues until the second day of their period.

Question 10

Hot flashes and sleep problems in menopause: do I just have to put up with them?

Accepted Answer

These are common changes around menopause. It's not something you have to endure as "just age," and there are things that can be tried.

Question 11

When facial flushing and waking at night come together, what do you sort out?

Accepted Answer

Patients tell us their face flushes, they sweat only around the head, and they wake several times at night and feel even more tired after sleeping. Many come in worried that menopause has started.

Question 12

How far does research support acupuncture for insomnia?

Accepted Answer

There is evidence. An analysis pooling 46 randomized trials found that a higher proportion of people in the acupuncture group had their total sleep time increase by more than 3 hours.

Question 13

How should reducing sleeping pills be done?

Accepted Answer

Gradually reducing them can be a goal. But the pace and method of reduction should be decided with the doctor who prescribed them, and stopping on your own is dangerous.

Question 14

When drinking to fall asleep becomes a habit, which care comes first?

Accepted Answer

Difficulty quitting alcohol is itself an area for psychiatry and addiction counseling. We do not claim to offer treatment that makes you quit drinking.

Insomnia · Sleep Problems

🏥 FAQs by Condition

Types of insomnia

Symptoms that come with it

Menopause

Treatment and sleeping pills

💬 All FAQs 14questions