Insomnia – Symptoms and Causes Q&A
Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, leading to daytime fatigue and irritability. Common symptoms include waking up frequently during the night, trouble falling back asleep and feeling unrefreshed upon waking. Visit Dr. Safarpour, MD at Helyx Health for personalized insomnia treatment. Contact us today for more information or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients across the state of California including locations in Palo Alto, Orange, and San Francisco, CA.


Table of Contents:
What are the most common symptoms of insomnia, and how can they affect daily life?
How do physical and mental health issues contribute to the development of insomnia?
Can lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, impact the severity of insomnia?
How can disruptions in sleep patterns lead to chronic insomnia over time?
Our approach to managing insomnia is personalized and multifaceted. We recognize that difficulty falling asleep and maintaining restful sleep can lead to significant disruptions in your daily activities, cognitive function, and emotional health. That’s why our team at Helyx Health focuses on identifying the root causes of your sleep disturbances and tailoring treatment plans to your unique needs.
We offer a range of evidence-based interventions designed to improve sleep quality and enhance your overall health. Our services include cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which is considered the gold standard in behavioral treatments for sleep disorders. This therapy addresses the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to insomnia, helping you establish healthier sleep patterns.
In addition to CBT-I, Helyx Health guides lifestyle modifications that promote better sleep hygiene. Our experts work with you to develop strategies for managing stress and anxiety, which are often intertwined with sleep issues. We also collaborate with you to create a conducive sleep environment and establish a consistent sleep schedule.
At Helyx Health, we are dedicated to supporting your journey towards restful, restorative sleep. By addressing both the symptoms and underlying causes of insomnia, we aim to enhance your cognitive performance, emotional resilience, and physical health.
Physically, we acknowledge that a range of health conditions can contribute to insomnia. Our multidisciplinary team is equipped to manage chronic pain conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia, offering personalized treatment plans that may include pain management strategies and physical therapy to help improve sleep. We also address respiratory issues, such as asthma or sleep apnea, through advanced diagnostic tools and tailored interventions, ensuring that our patients receive comprehensive care that supports better sleep.
For individuals experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hormonal changes during menopause or pregnancy, or other physical health issues that disrupt sleep, our specialists provide targeted treatments and lifestyle recommendations to alleviate these symptoms.
Mental health is a critical component of our insomnia treatment strategy. We offer a range of therapeutic services to address anxiety, depression, PTSD, and stress, recognizing how these conditions can hinder sleep. Our mental health professionals utilize evidence-based approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), to help patients manage racing thoughts, reduce hyperarousal, and develop healthier sleep patterns.
At Helyx Health, we understand the bidirectional relationship between insomnia and health issues, where poor sleep can exacerbate existing conditions. Therefore, our holistic approach not only targets the symptoms of insomnia but also addresses the underlying health concerns. We empower our patients with tools and strategies to enhance their sleep hygiene, improve immune function, and support mental well-being.
By integrating physical and mental health care, Helyx Health is committed to helping our patients overcome insomnia and achieve optimal health. Our personalized treatment plans are designed to foster long-lasting improvements in sleep and overall quality of life, ensuring that our patients receive the comprehensive care they deserve.
Yes, lifestyle choices like diet and exercise can significantly impact the severity of insomnia. Regular physical activity can help regulate sleep patterns by reducing stress and anxiety, which are common causes of insomnia. Exercise also promotes the production of sleep-inducing chemicals, such as serotonin, and can make it easier to fall and stay asleep. However, it’s important to time exercise properly, as intense physical activity close to bedtime may have the opposite effect, potentially interfering with sleep.
The diet also plays a crucial role in sleep quality. Consuming caffeine, nicotine, or heavy meals late in the day can disrupt sleep by stimulating the body or causing discomfort. On the other hand, a balanced diet rich in nutrients, such as magnesium and tryptophan, can promote better sleep. Managing stress through relaxation techniques and maintaining consistent sleep habits further enhances the chances of achieving restful sleep.
When patients present with irregular sleep patterns, our team at Helyx Health focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of their sleep disturbances. We recognize that a misaligned circadian rhythm can interfere with the production of hormones like melatonin, critical for sleep regulation. Our specialists work with patients to develop personalized strategies that may include lifestyle adjustments, such as optimizing exposure to natural light and establishing consistent sleep schedules, to help realign their internal clocks.
Understanding the psychological aspects of sleep disturbances is also a key component of our care at Helyx Health. We offer support for managing anxiety and stress related to sleep, providing cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and other evidence-based interventions to break the cycle of worry and hyperarousal at bedtime. By creating a positive association with the sleep environment, we help patients reestablish a sense of relaxation and restfulness.
Furthermore, our team at Helyx Health is dedicated to improving sleep architecture by addressing factors that may lead to the reduction of restorative deep sleep and REM sleep. Through a holistic approach, we target the underlying causes of sleep deprivation, aiming to enhance daytime alertness, mood, and cognitive function. We collaborate with patients to implement techniques that promote restorative sleep and mitigate the effects of fatigue and irritability.
At Helyx Health, we recognize that chronic insomnia is a complex condition that requires targeted interventions. Our multidisciplinary approach ensures that each patient receives individualized care to restore healthy sleep habits and break the persistent cycle of insomnia. By addressing both physiological and psychological factors, we strive to improve our patient’s quality of life and overall health. Contact us today for more information or schedule an appointment online. We have convenient locations near you. We serve patients from San Francisco CA, Orange CA, Palo Alto CA, Menlo Park CA, Stanford CA, Santa Ana CA, Tustin CA, Oakland CA, Emeryville CA, and surrounding areas.

Additional Services You May Need

Additional Services You May Need
▸ Psychiatry
▸ Stress
▸ Depression
▸ Sleep
▸ Psychotherapy
▸ ADHD
▸ Burnout
▸ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
▸ Couples Therapy
▸ Circadian Rhythm
▸ Insomnia
▸ Medication Management
▸ Mood Conditions
▸ Narcolepsy
▸ Parasomnia
▸ Relationship Counseling
▸ Sex Therapy
▸ Sleep Study
▸ Trauma
▸ Anxiety
▸ Family Counseling
▸ Telehealth
▸ Eating Disorders
▸ Neuropsychological Evaluations
▸ Autism Spectrum Condition
▸ Attention Treatment
▸ Psychological Evaluation
▸ Brain fog