Fountain Link

Middle-of-the-night Insomnia (MOTN), commonly referred to as “middle insomnia” involves waking up after successfully going to sleep and losing significant amounts of sleep time in the process. While many people may wake up for various reasons in the middle of the night, it is generally not considered an actual medical condition unless the sufferer routinely loses more than thirty minutes per night. Generally speaking, if a person wakes up in the middle of the night and then cannot go back to sleep, despite the initial reason for waking up being resolved, the person likely suffers from middle insomnia.

The range of initial reasons for waking up is extremely wide and can include virtually anything that can wake the person up from sleep, however it does not become middle insomnia until this happens regularly and the person is unable to go back to sleep after the fact. Most of the frequent causes of middle insomnia are physical in nature, such as acid reflux problems, alcohol consumption, chronic pain, heart disease, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and menopause. However, there can also be psychological reasons as well, such as serious anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders.

While MOTN is usually not as disruptive as sleep-onset insomnia since the sufferer does tend to get at least some sleep during the night, though it may not be enough. As a result, the most prevalent middle insomnia side effects are fatigue related symptoms the following day. The most prevalent symptoms include exhaustion, lack of energy, tiredness, and physical weakness. However, in more extreme cases additional symptoms may include dizziness, fainting (or feeling faint), palpitations (feeling your heart beat), and vertigo.

While there are many different sleep aids available – both medical and otherwise – the effectiveness of these treatments depends in large part on the cause of the problem. In fact, many sleep aids that are designed to help people get to sleep initially and gradually lose their effectiveness during the night, which means these are probably not the right answer for people suffering from middle insomnia. Further, it is possible that middle insomnia is a symptom of a larger problem, so it is usually a good idea for a person suffering from middle insomnia to consult a medical professional if the problem is persistent.  They may be able to help you find easy ways to fall asleep that do not require you to go on medication or point you in the direction of a herbal supplement that can you with your sleep problems.