Up to 20 percent of the population struggles with insomnia, ie chronic sleep problems, according to professor at the National Institute of Public Health Børge Syversen. Untreated sleep disorders cost Norwegian society between 10 and 20 billion kroner a year, he says. MORE TIRED: As many as two out of ten adults in Norway suffer from insomnia. The numbers have increased since the year 2000, especially among young people, NIPH’s figures show. Illustration: Alexander Slotten / news How do you know if you have insomnia? – Insomnia is that you experience that you have chronic sleep difficulties that are so great that they go beyond how well you function in daily life, Håvard Kallestad tells news. Kallestad leads a research group on sleep at NTNU Department of Mental Health. DIFFERENT FIGURES: It can be difficult to give an estimate of how many people suffer from insomnia in Norway. Among other things, it depends on whether it is a diagnosis made by a psychologist or whether you answer a questionnaire. – But regardless of method, there are very many people who have insomnia, explains researcher Håvard Kallestad. Photo: NTNU – Chronic means that it must have a certain duration. If you have had this most days of the week for more than one to three months, then it may be time to seek help, he encourages. But if you seek help, it is not certain you will get it. Unavailable treatment Kallestad says that he does not know of good and well-documented methods for preventing insomnia. – What exists is very well documented treatment once it has become chronic, he says. SEVERAL TYPES: Difficulty sleeping is common in all age groups in the population. Insomnia is the most common form of insomnia, but insomnia is usually categorized into different groups. Illustration: Alexander Slotten / news This treatment is called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. If you look at this with scientific eyes, this should be the first choice of treatment, says Kallestad. – We who work with this want to increase access to this treatment. Because there is a shortage of qualified health personnel, he explains. Tips if you struggle with sleep If you struggle with sleep from time to time, this is quite normal, and is not considered insomnia, Kallestad points out. news met students at Oslo Met who told about their experiences of sleep problems. news asked a sleep expert for some advice for those who sometimes struggle with sleep. – The body thrives best with a stable circadian rhythm, says Morten Engstrøm, associate professor at the Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science at NTNU. Since it is easiest to get stable sleep, he believes. WAKES UP OFTEN: Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. The most common symptoms are difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings or early morning awakening, in addition to impaired daytime function. Illustration: Alexander Slotten / news The tips can be summarized as follows: Get lots of light early in the day. Get started quickly with the day. Use energy and get tired during the day. Take time to calm down before going to sleep. Are you willing to change your habits to get better sleep? Yes, sleep is important to me No, when I think about it it becomes too difficult Just some of them. It will be too much to change everyone I already sleep well Show result – One should spend time on the transition from awake to sleep. Give the body time to calm down, says the expert. He points out that it should not be so much exciting right before going to bed. – A lot of phones and electronic gadgets make this much more difficult. It is also important to have a low temperature in the bedroom. – Keep it cool and dark, is the latest tip to Engstrøm. Different types of sleep disorders Illustration: Alexander Slotten / news Sleep disorders can be divided into several subgroups: Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. The main symptoms of insomnia are problems with falling asleep, frequent awakenings or early morning awakening, in addition to impaired daytime function. Circadian rhythm disorders are characterized by a mismatch between the body’s circadian rhythm and the social environment. The most common is delayed sleep phase disorder, which is characterized by great difficulty in falling asleep at normal times. Read more in the section on youth below. Sleep-related respiratory disorders, the most common of which is obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated respiratory arrest (apnea) during sleep, often accompanied by loud and intense snoring. Hypersomnia is characterized by increased daytime sleepiness. Narcolepsy is best known, and is characterized by increased sleepiness and seizures with abnormal urge to sleep during the day. Parasomnias are a collective term for sleep disorders with unwanted physical events or experiences during sleep. Nightmares are the most common type. Sleep-related movement disorders, with restless legs being the most common. Source: National Institute of Public Health There is a difference in how easy it is for people to follow these tips, the researcher believes. Some people feel most awake at night and like to have a calm start to the day. But this will go beyond sleep, he explains.
ttn-69
Sleep problems cost society between 10 and 20 billion kroner a year. – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
