Have you ever noticed that after a poor night’s sleep, small frustrations suddenly feel much harder to handle? A stressful email, a traffic jam or an unexpected change of plans might normally be manageable, but when you’re running on too little sleep, your emotions can feel closer to the surface.
There’s a reason for this. Sleep plays an important role in how the brain processes emotions, and when insomnia becomes ongoing, emotional regulation can become more difficult.
If sleep suddenly feels harder to come by during menopause, you are far from alone. Around 40 to 60% of women experience sleep disturbances during perimenopause and post-menopause.1 This might mean struggling to fall asleep, waking repeatedly throughout the night or finding yourself wide awake much earlier than planned.
Hormonal changes are an important part of the picture, but they can affect sleep in several different ways.
We’ve all had nights when our mind seems to switch on the moment our head hits the pillow. You might replay a stressful conversation, think about tomorrow’s workload or simply wonder why you’re still awake. Unfortunately, stress can make sleep harder, and a poor night’s sleep can leave you feeling even more stressed the next day.1
When this happens repeatedly, it can create a frustrating sleep-stress cycle.
If you regularly struggle to fall asleep, wake throughout the night or feel exhausted despite spending enough time in bed, it can be difficult to know what is actually going on. Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can occur separately, but they also commonly occur together, a combination known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, or COMISA.
Talking openly with your doctor about all your sleep symptoms can help you get a clearer picture. Here are some useful questions to guide the conversation.
When insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occur together, it is known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, or COMISA, and managing it often means looking at the bigger picture. Rather than focusing on a single treatment, most people benefit from addressing both conditions through a combination of healthy sleep habits, lifestyle changes and targeted therapies.
Building healthier sleep habits: Simple changes to your daily routine can provide an important foundation for better sleep…
Living with poor sleep night after night can affect much more than how tired you feel the next morning. When insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occur together, a condition known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA), the effects of two sleep disorders can combine and have a significant impact on everyday life and long-term health.
Poor sleep can become an ongoing cycle - Insomnia can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep, while OSA repeatedly disrupts sleep when the airway narrows or closes…
We all know how difficult it can be to get through the day after a poor night’s sleep. But for people living with both insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), disrupted sleep can become an ongoing problem that affects much more than how tired they feel.
This combination is known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, or COMISA. Around 30 to 40% of people with insomnia also have sleep apnea, while 30 to 50% of people with sleep apnea experience insomnia symptoms.1 In Australia, up to 10% of adults are thought to have COMISA.
Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are common sleep disorders, and they often occur together. This combination is known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, or COMISA. While anyone can experience COMISA, certain factors may increase your likelihood of developing one or both conditions. Some, such as age and genetics, are outside your control, while others relate to lifestyle and sleep habits.
Age and sex: Getting older increases the risk of both insomnia and sleep apnea, making age an important risk factor for COMISA.
If you regularly struggle to sleep but also snore, wake gasping or never feel properly refreshed, there may be more than one thing disrupting your nights. Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) frequently occur together, a combination known as comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, or COMISA.
It is surprisingly common. Around 30 to 40% of people with insomnia also have sleep apnea, while 30 to 50% of people with sleep apnea experience insomnia.1
What symptoms should I look for? Insomnia typically involves difficulty falling asleep..
