The ideal would be to always go to bed at the same time, always get up at the same time and enjoy a peaceful and restful sleep every night. But this is not always the case because there are many factors, internal and external, that can alter our sleep. And it is that there are times that we sleep badly or that we cannot sleep. What we wonder is when a bad night can become a problem of insomnia. We wonder when we should go to the doctor for insomnia.
Go to the doctor for insomnia
- It is clear that when you have not slept or slept badly for a while and it is an insomnia linked to an emotional disorder such as depression or anxiety, you should see a doctor to seek the best treatment. It is also evident that when insomnia begins to affect your work and social life, a visit to the doctor should not be delayed.
- But there are other situations in which insomnia appears and the need to go to the doctor is not so clear. You may have been having sleep problems for a few days due to the death of someone close to you, a specific work problem may be taking away your sleep, you may be going through a breakup, or you may have moved house and have not gotten used to your new bedroom. Should I go to the doctor in such cases?
- The answer is complicated. In principle, it is a temporary insomnia that will subside when you overcome the situation that caused it, but it never hurts to consult a professional. However, we must be realistic in terms of expectations about that visit to the doctor, because it may not be the best solution to treat mild insomnia.
Medical treatment for insomnia
- When you go to the doctor for a temporary insomnia problem, the most likely thing is that the doctor will limit himself to prescribing a sleeping pill. By now we know that sleeping pills may be necessary in some cases, but not all. And given the high risk of dependence and the side effects associated with these medications, we may not be facing the best sleep remedy.
- The costs of treatment for insomnia are very high, so a person who goes to the primary care doctor with sleeping problems is never referred to a specialist. Curing insomnia is a long process in which the causes of this insomnia must be carefully studied, as well as all those environmental factors that can aggravate it. It is, in any case, a personalized study.
- Since not everyone can afford a private consultation with a sleep specialist, most people turn to the quick and easy remedy for falling asleep, which is sleeping pills. But it should be borne in mind that overcoming insomnia is a task that must also be carried out by the person who suffers from it, taking seriously the need to maintain adequate sleep hygiene and scrupulously follow sleep and wake schedules.
