Last Updated on Monday, 19 October 2009 11:15

Insomnia Symptoms

Insomnia symptoms are variable and differ from person to person.

• Difficulty falling asleep

• Disturbed sleep with trouble getting back to sleep, once awake

• Early morning wakefulness

• Feeling tired upon awakening

• Daytime consequences such as irritability and drowsiness

The most commonly reported symptoms among the elderly are ‘fragmented sleep’ with longer periods of wakefulness, as well as early morning insomnia.

Insomnia Diagnosis

It is important that you discuss any sleep disturbance, especially of a long-standing nature, with your physician. Your doctor may then like to get a history of your sleep pattern, sleep-wake schedule, and nocturnal symptoms, if any, such as snoring, restless legs, nightmares, and headaches. He may also ask for a history of daytime consequences such as irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, as well as a medical and psychosocial history.

Sleep diaries are a simple and inexpensive way of assessing the nature of your problem, if you find it difficult to answer your physician’s questions. The patient is asked to record all sleep-related information everyday for two weeks. A bed partner may contribute by adding observations of the patient's sleep behaviour.

Sleep specialists may occasionally resort to the use of a device called an actigraph, which provides objective information about sleep patterns, duration, and continuity. This is a small motion-detection device that may be worn on the wrist or the leg, and may provide useful information in the assessment of insomnia.