Top Questions To Ask About Insomnia For Doctors And Patients

There are many people who suffer from insomnia and visit insomnia doctors for the treatment. However, you cannot just figure out the type of insomnia in the patient without asking anything from them. To accurately know what is the condition of your patient, you should ask the following questions about insomnia.

When does insomnia occur?

The first question while checking up a patient should be about when they encounter insomnia. The most important thing is to know whether your patient is having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up pretty early in the morning. Every patient faces only one out of these three major problems and on the basis of it, you can further evaluate the condition. Once you have known the main issue, you can ask related questions to figure out the type and what kind of treatment should be given.

For how long have you been suffering from insomnia?

It is important to know that for how long your patient have been facing this problem as this can help in telling whether it is chronic insomnia or short-term insomnia.

How many times do the symptoms show up in a week?

The time of symptoms to show up is different in every other type of insomnia. Asking your patient about this can help a lot in further processes. Also, if your patient doesn’t remember or hasn’t noticed it yet then ask them to observe it for a week and them come to you with the exact data.

How many hours of sleep do you get per night?

Well, on average, a healthy person should get a sleep of about 7-8 hours per night. Ask your patient about the hours of their sleep, if they get lower than the average amount of sleep then you can tell that they have insomnia. You can also tell them to use certain positions for better sleep.

Do you take naps? How long are they?

If your patient is a busy person with a tough routine then he/she is expected to take naps during the daytime. Know that if they take naps or not and for how long are their naps. A standard and a perfect nap should not be more than 30 minutes otherwise you feel lethargic throughout the day and have trouble falling asleep at night.

Do you consume alcohol or caffeine?

A big reason for insomnia is the intake of alcohol and caffeine, especially at night, prior to bedtime. As an insomnia doctor, you should tell your patient about how adversely alcohol and caffeine affect their sleep patterns at night which ultimately end up affecting their health negatively.

Do you have any health or mental disorders?

There are some types of insomnia that are triggered by health and mental conditions hence, asking this question is a must. For any insomnia treatment, it is important to know whether the patient already has any medical condition or not. Ask for proper medical reports if there are any health issues with your patient. However, if they are suffering from psychological issues such as stress, anxiety, or depression, recommend them to visit a psychiatrist and get themselves counseled as it helps in reducing the symptoms of insomnia.

Do have midnight snacks?

Grabbing a pack of chips or juice late at night right before sleeping also disrupts a patient’s sleep routine and result in sleep disorders. Tell your patients to completely eliminate this unhealthy habit to reduce insomnia symptoms.

Do you take any medicines?

Insomnia is also triggered by reactions of some medications. Before prescribing medicines for insomnia, ask your patient about the medication record (if they have) so that you can figure out whether or not some of their medications are responsible for their insomnia.

Questions about Insomnia Patients Should Ask

  1. What are the causes and symptoms of insomnia?
  2. How long does insomnia lasts?
  3. Can you treat insomnia?
  4. Is insomnia life-threatening?
  5. Can I live a normal life?
  6. Should I see a doctor or try natural remedies?
  7. Should I take medication or try natural methods?
  8. How long should I take a medication?
  9. What kind of results should I expect with medication?
  10. Should I go for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?
  11. What kind of results should I expect with CBT?
  12. Is CBT expensive?

With these questions about insomnia treatment, you will on your track to get the treatment that is right for you.

About author

Related Articles

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Enter Captcha Here : *

Reload Image

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.


Close