Illustration by EUGENE CUBILLO

While you may think continuous sleepless nights are harmless to your mental wellbeing, think again. More research shows that insomnia is directly associated with and is a symptom of anxiety, depression, and mood affective disorders causing one an impaired quality of life. Hence, doctors suggest that any person having trouble sleeping take heed because this isn’t a matter that should be taken so lightly.

Defining insomnia

Insomnia is not sleep deprivation, says former president of the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) Dr. Felicitas Soriano. She explains that sleep deprivation is when one could sleep but is not allowed to, as in a new mother who is sleepy but could not go to bed because she needs to feed her baby in the middle of the night. On the other hand, insomnia happens when one still cannot sleep despite his or her having an adequate opportunity to do so.

“Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep, but rather, by an individual‘s ability to sleep long enough to feel healthy and alert during the day,” she relates.

There are two types of insomnia: acute and chronic. Lasting for only one to three nights, acute insomnia is commonly caused by stressful events. Chronic insomnia however persists at least a month and is usually brought on by abnormalities that control sleeping and waking in primary chronic insomnia and underlying medical, psychiatric, behavioral, and environmental conditions in secondary chronic insomnia.

Dr. Soriano adds that studies reveal that 20 percent to 40 percent of adults are insomniacs but only about a third of these patients seek treatment from physicians. Women more than men and the elderly are affected by it, she says.

Indicator of mental disorders

Based on to statistics, psychiatric disabilities are the leading causes of insomnia. Ninety percent of depressed patients report sleep disturbance like insomnia. An international clinical study also shows that out of the 811 insomniac respondents, 324 respondents, or 40 percent, had one or more psychiatric disorders.

These psychiatric disorders include bipolar disorder that induces dramatic and drastic mood swings that affect one’s ability to function and is one of the leading causes of suicide incidences; anxiety disorders; and depressive disorders.

Needless to say, there is now proof that a relationship between insomnia and psychiatric disorders exist. And doctors are becoming more vigilant about this.

Dr. Paul Lee, PPA member, expresses that insomnia could not be necessarily cured by sleeping pills if there is another serious illness causing it. He notes that the deterioration in the level of functionality of a person is a compelling reason for someone to consult his or her doctor. “It is very alarming,” he comments, adding that experiencing these mood disorders may well lessen a person’s lifespan by 15 to 25 years.

But then again, for Filipinos who don’t necessarily want to be bothered with their own business, not wanting to admit any fault in their systems, seeking professional help for disorders such as insomnia has always been unsuccessful.

Seeking help is not a sign of weakness

Practicing neurologist and psychiatrist Gerardo Carmelo Salazar tells that seeking professional help is not a sign of weakness because it’s doing something about what you feel. He reminds that mental illnesses are not a personality problem but real illnesses caused by changes in the chemistry of the brain, likening them to a systematic problem such as diabetes and heart disease.

“It is now very important to emphasize their significance and discuss them,” he advises. Recognizing signs early is key in treating such disorders so that treatment may be given before they even progress and control and ruin a person’s chance at living a healthy and normal life.

And as these disorders are chronic, long-term management is necessary. Furthermore, forming support and advocacy groups may also help and an open communication line with one’s doctor should be established, he concludes.

So the next time you experience persisting sleepless nights, take caution and be brave enough to ask your doctor about it—it will do you good.

(Write the author at wellbeing@mb.com.ph)