Insomnia

Up to 66% of people experience insomnia sometimes, and some 10% have a serious insomnia disorder. At Insight Psychiatric Services, PA, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Kevin Joseph, DNP, PMHNP-BC, understands the problems insomnia can cause at home, work, and other parts of your life. Dr. Joseph treats insomnia by addressing its root cause through time-limited psychotherapy and medication management. If you’re ready to get back to restful nights, call the office or book your appointment online today.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia means you’re having trouble falling and staying asleep. It can happen only once in a while, fairly often, or every night. The more often you have insomnia, the more likely you are to have mental and physical effects that disrupt your daily life.

What are the effects of insomnia?

The effects of insomnia are usually obvious during the day. They include:

• Drowsiness
• Feeling sick
• Slow thinking and reactions
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes, like anxiety, irritability, and/or depression

When you have insomnia, you might wake up feeling drained instead of refreshed. 

Insomnia increases your risk of driving accidents and can cause serious mistakes at work and school, so it might make it hard to keep up your routine.

If you’re experiencing these problems often, reach out for help at Insight Psychiatric Services, PA.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia can be caused by many things, including:

• Stress
• Mental disorders
• Behavioral disorders
• Neurological disorders
• Chronic pain
• Heart disease
• Asthma
• Overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)

Specific prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause insomnia.

Some people appear to have a higher risk of insomnia due to their genetics and brain chemistry. 

How is insomnia treated?

At Insight Psychiatric Services, PA, Dr. Joseph specializes in psychiatric disorders and the symptoms they cause. Insomnia is a common problem for many people with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Joseph often recommends time-limited intense psychotherapy and medication management for patients who struggle with insomnia. This approach gets to the root of your insomnia and helps you overcome the problems that cause it.

Psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medication management are available in the Sunrise office and through telemedicine appointments. Your first appointment (an evaluation) takes about an hour. Most visits after that are medication management checkups that take around 30 minutes.

If your insomnia isn’t related to a mental disorder, Dr. Joseph will refer you to a sleep medicine specialist or another medical specialist to treat the underlying health problem.

If you’re tired during the day and spend your nights tossing and turning, it’s time to reach out for help with insomnia. Call Insight Psychiatric Services, PA, today or click the online scheduling feature to set up your insomnia assessment with Dr. Joseph.