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The 5 Main Types of Insomnia
CAN'T GET TO SLEEP | SLEEP ONSET LATENCY (SOL)
The first problem we’ll tackle is the "Can’t Get to Sleep" type of insomnia. You know the routine - go to bed on time, but then toss and turn for hours before finally drifting off.
The technical term for "how long it takes to fall asleep" is Sleep Onset Latency (SOL). This is the time from when you go to bed, to the time you actually fall asleep.
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0-30 minutes is considered normal by sleep physicians
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30-60 minutes is moderate "Sleep Onset Latency"
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More than 60 minutes is severe "Sleep Onset Latency"
If you have moderate or severe onset latency more than once per week, it’s time to do something!
Maybe you had caffeine late in the day, or you’re stressed, or even just having common "Sunday Night Insomnia" as your brain prepares for work. People commonly get this type of insomnia on Sunday nights as they worry about the upcoming work week.
EverSleep measures your SOL using Cole-Kripke, then analyzes the data using the answers to your nightly questions and some additional measures. Then, the virtual coaching algorithm helps you understand the different reasons causing SOL, and work helps you through some suggested remedies.
insomnia: 5 types
CAN'T STAY ASLEEP | WAKE AFTER SLEEP ONSET (WASO)
We’ve all had this type of insomnia too…. sleeping peacefully and then suddenly you’re awake and don’t know why. This is frustrating and guarantees an unpleasant morning.
The technical team for "Can’t Stay Asleep", is Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO). It means exactly what it says…. you woke up after the "onset" of sleep as defined above.
Now, here comes the interesting part: sometimes this type is insomnia is caused by Breathing Interruptions that might be related to sleep apnea! Sometimes it is NOT related to Breathing Interruptions. Only EverSleep can tell you for sure…
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WASO WITH BREATHING INTERRUPTIONS
Have you heard the term "Sleep Apnea"? This is a medical term for a problem that causes you to stop breathing for a short time while asleep. You are literally choking for air, and it interferes with your sleep. You may notice heavy snoring, or waking up with your heart pounding and body sweating due to adrenaline and cortisol. This kind of insomnia also causes morning headaches.
Only a doctor can truly diagnose "Sleep Apnea", and only after a night in a sleep lab. EverSleep can however measure breathing interruptions that might be related to sleep apnea.
Every time you have a breathing interruption or sleep apnea event, your brain wakes you up to say "Hey - Breathe!"
This sleep "fragmentation" prevents you from getting the deep restorative sleep you need. EverSleep calculates and graphs your sleep fragmentation - so you can watch your improvement every night.
![At least 1in 5 Americans suffer from Sleep Apnea [sleephealth.org]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e33914_ef5850d268df4d6c9a6d211ad0af7655~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_72,h_17,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/1%20in%205%20americans.png)
WASO WITHOUT BREATHING INTERRUPTIONS
There are lots of things that cause this "WASO without Breathing Interruption". Maybe pets, stress, alcohol, a heavy carbohydrate meal or sweets. Sometimes your natural production of melatonin is shifted by artificial lighting. There is also an entire category of problems called Sleep Hygiene that are involved with WASO.
EverSleep’s detailed profile and nightly questionnaire differentiates between these problems, and help you work through the reasons.
Once you understand WHY you aren’t sleeping well, you can understand HOW to sleep better.
WAKING UP TOO EARLY | EARLY AWAKENING INSOMNIA (EAI)
Here’s the last type of insomnia - waking up too early! This one is terrible also. You awake 2-3 hours before your alarm, and lie in bed staring at the clock. You know it’s bad when you start doing math to figure out how much sleep you could get between now and the alarm…
The clinical term for this type of insomnia is easy: Early Awakening Insomnia (EAI). However, finding the cause is much harder, because this type of insomnia may be caused by breathing problems, stress, melatonin, stimulant or other chemical problems, or even sleep "hygiene" problems.
EverSleep measures your EAI and correlates it to your profile and nightly questions. Just like the other examples, the EverSleep virtual coaching app differentiates between these problems and helps you isolate the problem to improve your sleep!
EAI WITH BREATHING INTERRUPTIONS
Just like WASO, your EAI insomnia may be caused by breathing interruptions related to sleep apnea. The adrenaline coursing through your body due to the lack of oxygen literally keeps you awake until morning!
Because EverSleep is the only consumer sleep tracker and virtual coaching app that senses oxygen, you can measure and see the breathing interruptions causing your EAI.
But don't worry, you won't need to interpret the graphs, EverSleep understands your sleep data and gives you personalized coaching to improve your sleep.
EAI WITHOUT BREATHING INTERRUPTIONS
Causes of EAI without breathing interruptions are many! Stress, stimulants, melatonin disturbances, or even something as simple as curtains that let in too much light!
Here’s another common cause: many people don’t realize that their pets wake up very early to "patrol" the house. Then the pet jumps back into bed and wakes you up just as they are going back to sleep!
EverSleep knows the difference between between all of these problems, and the virtual coaching has suggestions for all of these problems.
Persistent insomnia affects your body, your relationships, your work, and your life in general.
Take the first step - purchase an EverSleep today
Let EverSleep advanced technology determine your sleep problem, then with the help of in-app analysis and virtual coaching you can understand and improve your sleep!
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