3. “Wide awake without sleep…”: LIVED EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC INSOMNIA, A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION

BACKGROUND: Being highly subjective in its nature, understanding the experience of 'suffering from insomnia' can be vital in planning interventions for them. This study explored the lived experiences and unmet needs of individuals suffering from chronic insomnia. METHODS: The study used qualitative design with purposive sampling. 30 participants were selected from a tertiary care health center who were diagnosed to have chronic insomnia through both clinical and objective (PSG) measures. Data was collected using one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews, audio recorded with consent and then thematic analysis done based on CGT approach. RESULTS: 30 individuals (15 men;15 women) were interviewed. Nearly 50% of them had associated physical symptoms along with chronic insomnia. Apprehensive anxiety, cognitive hyperarousal, lifestyle disruption and stereotypes/myths related to sleep quantity/quality were the overarching categories. Preoccupation with the distress, medicalization of the concern, depressed mood, and poor coping leading to vicious treatment-seeking behavior were the predominant themes. These factors led to chronic stress, which compounded by preoccupation with sleep and misinformation perpetuated the experiences of sleeplessness. CONCLUSION: In routine clinical practice, these complaints are often ignored, or which creates barriers for treatment. Subjective models of distress are valuable for designing Cognitive Behavioral interventions (CBT-I) tailored to this population.