Bed bugs have made a comeback over the past decades as a common household pest, with infestations rising more than 57 percent since 2000. But these bed bugs do not just induce itchy welts; they have a wildly disruptive impact on sleep that can become chronic insomnia. The psychological discomfort of being aware that your bed is occupied by bloodsucking bugs, coupled with the physical irritation of bites, makes for ideal conditions for wrecked sleep. This association of bed bugs with sleep issues is a serious public health issue, given that poor sleep quality contributes to a range of problems, including poor immune function, mental health decline, and inability to perform daily activities. This relationship is critical to address both the infestation and the sleep issues that result from it.
All this indicates the importance to keep your home pest free in Salt Lake City.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small reddish-brown insects about 5-7mm long with a blood-only diet. These nighttime bloodsuckers possess flattened, oval bodies that distend and darken after a feeding.
Bed bugs are not a sign of poor hygiene or a reflection of socioeconomic status, despite popular belief. They plague homes regardless of income or cleanliness. They are skilled hitchhikers who travel on luggage, furniture, and clothing — which is why they are so common in hotels, apartments, and heavily trafficked spaces.
Bed bugs usually come out of their hiding places in mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, and surrounding furniture during the night hours (between 2am-5am on average) when humans are in the deepest cycle of sleep. They also leave no pain from their bites at first because of anesthetic compounds in their saliva, making it difficult to detect their feeding while it happens.
How Bed Bugs Affect Sleep?
Sleep due to bed bugs can be affected in multiple ways, such as:
- Physical Discomfort: Bed bug bites usually result in itchy welts, which may interfere with sleep due to physical discomfort.
- Psychological Impacts: The awareness of an infestation causes enough anxiety to impede sleep initiation.
- Sleep Environment Disruption: When bugs are in bed, half the population sleeps on sofas and floors.
- Circadian Rhythm Disturbance: Bed bugs are most active during the early morning hours when human sleep is generally at its deepest. This pattern of activity directly disrupts important periods of slow-wave sleep.
Why Bed Bugs Are Fostering Insomnia?
The acute sleep disturbances from bed bugs become conditioned responses that result in chronic insomnia. In fact, 45% have clinical insomnia that remains after the extermination of bed bugs is successful, as per the studies.
This occurs through conditioning or conditioned arousal — the bed becomes associated with stress instead of rest. The brain wires a connection between the environment in the bedroom and the threat of being bitten, activating a fight-or-flight response that blocks sleep. And this psychological response can linger for months after the infestation is over.
Then, there is the uncertainty of when bed bugs will feed, creating anticipatory anxiety that prevents relaxation. Such a combination of factors often needs the involvement of a professional beyond pest control to resolve.
Take Action Now!
Bed bug infestations can be treated with professional pest control services. What we discovered was that DIY approaches solved only 60% of infestations, while professional treatments exceeded 95%. A trained pest control professional will locate all harborage points and treat visible bugs as well as eggs properly.
And early intervention greatly minimizes not only the spread of infestation but also the psychological toll on sleep. If you suspect bed bugs, especially if you have already noticed sleep disturbances, contact a licensed pest management professional for an extensive inspection. They will provide a proper solution and strategy to ensure your bed bugs are permanently removed and your sleep quality does not get hampered or affected.