What are trouble sleeping and insomnia?

Here, the terms “trouble sleeping” and “insomnia” are meant to cover a wide range of issues around sleeping. There is a distinction between trouble sleeping and insomnia. Trouble sleeping can happen during times of stress or life disruption as your mind is “busy” trying to digest the information of the day. 

 

An ongoing sleep issue that affecting other parts of your life (i.e., work, relationships, etc.) is when insomnia may be the cause. With the disruptive nature of shift work, the mind and body may have trouble relaxing, or circadian rhythms may become off balance.

 

Answering a few questions can be a great start to examining the impact of your sleep issues:

• • Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?
  • How long does it take you to fall asleep?
  • How many times do you wake up per night?
  • Have you found that you are having trouble concentrating or feel irritated because of your fatigue level?
  • Do you have body aches, muscle tension, or “heavy” feelings in your limbs?
  • Do you feel rested after a night’s sleep?

 

Read on to identify if you may have an issue that could be addressed with the help of other resources or a peer mentor. 

 

Signs and Symptoms 

Signs are what may be observed by others. Symptoms are the things reported by a first responder. Many of the following can be signs or symptoms:

• • The inability to obtain or maintain sufficient sleep.
  • Body or leg discomfort during sleep, only relieved by frequent movement.
  • Issues with breathing stopping involuntarily for brief periods of time during sleep.
  • Excessive sleepiness when you need to be awake.
  • Not feeling refreshed after sleep.
  • Lack of energy.
  • Irritability.
  • Tossing and turning.

 

Other Issues to Consider

In a recent study conducted by The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (2015), with more than 7,000 firefighters across the United States as subjects, about 37% had been diagnosed with at least one sleep disorder during their career. Examples of these diagnoses include: obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg disorder, and shift work disorder. Furthermore, they purport that firefighter sleep problems are a likely link for other health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety. This study also reasons that these sleep problems could explain why more than 60% of firefighter deaths are caused by either heart attacks or traffic accidents (Barger, 2015).

 

Healthy Sleep Practices

Although these may be hard to completely follow, especially while working, they are worth consideration.

• • Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, whether on shift or not.
  • Keep your bedroom quiet, comfortable, and dark.
  • Try to avoid caffeine at least 4-6 hours before bedtime.
  • Try to exercise regularly, but finish at least 4-6 hours before bedtime.
  • Try to avoid the use of nicotine close to bedtime or during the night.
  • Try not to nap during the day, but if you do, take a single nap less than 60 minutes before 3pm.
  • Take a warm bath or shower 90 minutes before bed.
  • Try to not read, eat, or watch TV in bed for long periods of time. Mostly use your bed for sleep, sex, or resting when you are sick.
  • Try to not go to bed completely full; a light snack (turkey, avocado, eggs, or other “clean protein”) can promote sound sleep.
  • Do not use substances such as alcohol to help your sleep; they will impact your circadian rhythms.
  • Try to relax your mind and body with light conversation, stretching, or massage before bed.
  • Avoid clock watching.
  • If you’re not sleeping, get out of bed and stretch.
  • Consider drinking chamomile tea (do not use if you have a ragweed allergy).
  • Try a melatonin supplement (two forms: immediate release for trouble falling asleep and extended release for trouble staying asleep).

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Self-Help Goals

Thought Goal: 

• • “I’m having trouble sleeping because I think (insert problematic thought here)…” 
  • “I can stop or lessen my issues with sleep by thinking… (i.e., Remembering I can only solve so much in one day, that I matter and sleep is important for my health, I’m going to be okay, etc.).”

 

Feeling Goal: 

• • “I’m having trouble sleeping because I feel (insert problematic feeling here)….”
  • “I can stop or lessen my issues with sleep by feeling… (That I am loved and important to my family, friends, etc., that I get to have time “off” and to myself where my body can be restored, etc.).”

 

Behavior Goal: 

• • “I’m  having trouble sleeping because my behavior (insert problematic behavior here)…” 
  • “I can stop or lessen my issues with sleeping by behaving… (In ways that make you feel more like you: exercising, eating better, engaging with your loved ones, reaching out when you need someone to talk to, taking care of yourself with medical checkups, etc.).”

 

These goals are only examples. Use them as a guide, not an absolute. You know if there is a problem; let now be the time to fix it.

 

Reaching out for help is never a sign of weakness, but rather one of strength. It may be annoying or frustrating to think about what to do and how to approach it, but it can be done. There are other first responders who understand where you’ve been. If you cannot reach or maintain all of these goals on your own, get connected with a peer support mentor. 

 

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