3Dyssomnia, or primary insomnia, is classified as a primary sleep disorder. As there are many types of sleep disorders, it is helpful to understand the specific criteria in order to identify dyssomnia disorder. The following article discusses the signs and symptoms of this sleep disorder.It is necessary to know a person's detailed history of sleep problem symptoms before making an accurate diagnosis.
- Look for difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or non-restorative sleep. This must be the predominant complaint, which must be present for at least one month. It is not uncommon for other types of symptoms to co-exist such as fatigue, weakness, inability to focus, lack of initiative, and other common symptoms which occur as a result of a lack of sleep over a period of one month or longer.Look for the sleep disturbance (or associated daytime fatigue) to cause clinically significant distress in several areas of functioning. Socially, it can result in interpersonal problems, irritability with others, as well as the possibility of withdrawal from friends or common social events. Occupationally, it can result in time lost at work, an increased number and frequency in sick days taken, loss of productivity while at work, and possibly job termination due to inability to fully complete the necessary duties of the position. This, in turn, can have financial repercussions.Evaluate that the sleep disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of narcolepsy. If this is the case, it is necessary to consider a different sleep disorder diagnosis. This also applies to presenting symptoms of a breathing related sleep disorder such as circadian rhythm sleep disorder, or parasomnia. The professional evaluation of a sleep expert may be necessary in order to differentiate between the different types of sleep disorders.Look to make sure that the sleep disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of another mental disorder. Examples of such disorders would be major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or an episode of delirium. Once again, a specialist might be required to decide if the sleep disorder is a result of a mental disorder or if might be co-occurring.Evaluate that the sleep disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., drug abuse or prescribed medications), or a general medical condition. The sleep disturbances discussed above can commonly occur with the use and/or abuse of medications. For this reason, a complete history is needed in order to accurately diagnose a sleep disorder correctly. It is also for this reason that a complete evaluation from a professional might be needed.
