Insomnia ICD 10 codes
Insomnia ICD 10 codes describe a sleep pattern that is so impaired, they are considered a medical disorder. But many people - therapists included - don’t always consider sleep an important factor in their mental health. Sleep and mental health are inexorably linked. It is almost impossible to be emotionally fit without proper amounts of sleep. As a result, the quality of someone’s slumber often goes unaddressed when a client comes to therapy.
Regrettably, that is a huge mistake. Here is why sleep needs to be part of your client’s treatment plan.
How sleep impacts mental health
While it is well established that many psychiatric problems affect sleep, it is now becoming accepted that sleep quality can directly impact our mental health. The following are prominent areas affected by sleep difficulties:
Mood regulation
We have all woken up after a night of tossing and turning and found ourselves in a grouchy mental state. However, research is now catching up with what we have thought: It is harder to cope with stress and regulate mood when tired. As such, a lack of sleep may be responsible for our irritability with a co-worker as well as being quick to anger with a loved one.
Psychiatric disorders
While it is a stretch to blame sleep for the cause of certain psychological disorders, sleep difficulties do contribute to their development and exacerbate the symptoms.
- Insomnia has been linked to both depression and anxiety.
- People who have sleep problems are more likely to develop PTSD in the future.
- Sleep disturbance often precedes the onset of schizophrenia and increases the severity of psychotic symptoms.
Productivity
Have you ever felt too tired to work or meet your daily responsibilities? You aren’t alone. Sleep is connected to our productivity at work, school, and home. Insomnia has been associated with decreased productivity, performance, and safety. And let’s face it, we feel better when we get things done and perform at a high level.
Cognitive abilities
A lack of sleep appears to have a direct negative impact on the brain’s cognitive processes. Memory, attention, problem-solving, creativity, and judgment are adversely affected by sleep difficulties. This can lead to numerous negative consequences, such as an increase in accidents, making more mistakes, and an escalation of risky decisions.
Physical consequences that affect mental outlook
A lack of sleep has many associated physical effects, including an increased chance of illness, high blood pressure, low sex drive, and weight gain, none of which help improve one’s mood or self-image. It is hard to be optimistic about your life when physical ailments are burdening you and your lifestyle.
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Insomnia ICD 10 codes and ICD 11 codes
The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision contains the following Insomnia ICD 10 codes. (The International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11) contains the following major categories of sleep disorders).
Condition | Description | Insomnia ICD 10 codes | Insomnia ICD 11 codes |
Insomnia | Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Difficulty falling asleep happens to everyone at times, but clinical insomnia is a long-term problem that can lead to sleep deprivation. | G47.0 | 7A0Z |
Hypersomnolence | Hypersomnolence, on the other hand, is when someone has difficulty staying awake and alert during the day. This may cause them to sleep excessively and feel drowsy even when they have slept sufficiently. | G47.1 | 7A2Z |
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders | This type of sleep disorder is due to disruptions in the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Some problems in this category are temporary and easily correctable, like jet lag. Others, such as Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder—where sleep and wake times are unpredictable—indicate a more severe problem. | G47.2 | 7A6Z |
Sleep Apnea | Sleep apnea is characterized by difficulty breathing during sleep. This can result in snoring, headaches, and fatigue. This can cause serious consequences over time and is often treated using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. | G47.3 | 7A41 |
Narcolepsy | Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that prevents the brain from effectively controlling sleep-wake cycles. As a result, you may fall asleep unexpectedly during the day. Needless to say, this presents difficulties in productivity and may lead to dangerous situations (e.g., car accidents). | G47.4 | 7A20 |
Parasomnia | Parasomnias are unusual behaviors that disrupt sleep. For example, sleepwalking, night terrors, and paralysis. Although they are frequently harmless, they can be dangerous and disrupt the quality of sleep. | G47.5 | 7B0Z |
Sleep-Related Movement Disorders | These disorders cause movements during sleep that can disrupt sleep quality and cause fatigue for individuals and their sleep partners. Think restless leg syndrome and teeth grinding. | G47.6 | 7A8Z |
Ensuring accurate documentation for Insomnia ICD 10 codes is essential for proper billing and reimbursement.
Some pitfalls to avoid with Insomnia ICD 10 code documentation include:
- Clerical errors such as typos
- Missing information
- Utilizing incorrect codes
- Incorrect billing information
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Therapeutic interventions for sleep problems
Anyone can improve the quality of their slumber by instituting basic sleep hygiene. More serious problems, however, require professional interventions. Here are some options you can present to your clients.
Improve sleep hygiene
Performing these relatively simple steps is what is referred to as sleep hygiene:
- Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule
- Stimulus control (i.e., using the bed only for sleep and sex during bedtime)
- Relax before bedtime (e.g. meditation, relaxation exercises, reading)
- Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine near bedtime
- Lower lights and put away electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime
- Exercise during the day, not at night
- Possess a comfortable mattress, pillows, and bedding
- Block out excess light and sound (e.g., use white noise and blackout curtains)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the premier talk therapy for insomnia. It takes the cognitive components of CBT and adds specialized sleep interventions, such as stimulus control, relaxation, and sleep education. People with insomnia may have faulty thoughts regarding sleep that disrupt their slumber and CBT-I attempts to replace these distorted thoughts with more realistic thinking. For example, a person with insomnia may believe that they will never be able to fall asleep again. The therapist will help the client challenge that belief and replace it with more adaptive thinking.
Light therapy
Light boxes are used primarily for problems with circadian rhythm sleep disorders and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). They provide simulated daylight during the day for those people who may not be getting enough, as commonly happens during the winter. Additionally, they can be used to shift wake-sleep cycles to more accommodating times.
Medication
- Selective gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists, such as Ambien and Lunesta, are often prescribed for sleep difficulties. However, they can have serious side effects (e.g. sleepwalking, memory problems) and become habit-forming. As a result, they are not frequently prescribed long-term.
- Ramelteon is a promising new sleep medication with fewer side effects and addictive properties. It works by regulating a person’s circadian rhythm. Regrettably, as with all medication, it is not a long-term cure.
- Melatonin, an over-the-counter hormone supplement, is also frequently recommended as a more natural option for sleep issues, with mixed success.
Sleep has a tremendous impact on mental health. It affects our mood, judgment, and cognitive ability. Therapists need to strongly consider making sleep a part of the treatment plan for those clients who have significant sleep issues. Correct diagnosis and use of Insomnia ICD 10 and ICD 11 codes can help.
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How EHR and practice management software can save you time with insurance billing for therapists
EHRs with integrated billing software and clearing houses, such as TheraPlatform, offer therapists significant advantages in creating an efficient insurance billing process. The key is minimizing the amount of time dedicated to developing, sending, and tracking medical claims through features such as automation and batching.
What are automation and batching?
- Automation refers to setting up software to perform tasks with limited human interaction.
- Batching or performing administrative tasks in blocks of time at once allows you to perform a task from a single entry point with less clicking.
Which billing and medical claim tasks can be automated and batched through billing software?
- Invoices: Create multiple invoices for multiple clients with a click or two of a button or set up auto-invoice creation, and the software will automatically create invoices for you at the preferred time. You can even have the system automatically send invoices to your clients.
- Credit card processing: Charge multiple clients with a click of a button or set up auto credit card billing, and the billing software will automatically charge the card (easier than swiping!)
- Email payment reminders: Never manually send another reminder email for payment again, or skip this altogether by enabling auto credit card charges.
- Automated claim creation and submission: Batch multiple claims with one button click or turn auto claim creation and submission on.
- Live claim validation: The system reviews each claim to catch any human errors before submission, saving you time and reducing rejected claims.
- Automated payment posting: Streamline posting procedures for paid medical claims with ERA. When insurance offers ERA, all their payments will post automatically on TheraPlatform's EHR.
- Tracking: Track payment and profits, including aging invoices, overdue invoices, transactions, billed services, service providers.
.Utilizing billing software integrated with an EHR and practice management software can make storing and sharing billing and insurance easy and save providers time when it comes to insurance billing for therapists.
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References
Freeman, D., Sheaves, B., Waite, F., Harvey, A. G., & Harrison, P. J. (2020). Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders. The lancet. Psychiatry, 7(7), 628–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30136-X
Gunther, A. (2023, April 25). Yale New Haven Health. Does lack of sleep cause weight gain? xhttps://www.ynhhs.org/articles/does-lack-of-sleep-cause-weight-gain#:~:text=That%20same%20study%20shows%20those,by%20stress%20can%20increase%20appetite
Kaskie, R. E., Graziano, B., & Ferrarelli, F. (2017). Schizophrenia and sleep disorders: links, risks, and management challenges. Nature and science of sleep, 9, 227–239. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S121076
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Melatonin: what you need to know. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20studies%20showed%20that,ways%20to%20measure%20these%20outcomes
Pelham, V. (2022, June 15). Cedars-Sinai Blog. The six types of sleep disorders. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/understanding-treating-sleep-disturbances.html
Rosekind, M. R., Gregory, K. B., Mallis, M. M., Brandt, S. L., Seal, B., & Lerner, D. (2010). The cost of poor sleep: workplace productivity loss and associated costs. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 52(1), 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181c78c30
Suni, E. (2023, July 18). Sleep Foundation. How lack of sleep impacts cognitive performance and focus. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/lack-of-sleep-and-cognitive-impairment
Taylor, D. J., Lichstein, K. L., Durrence, H. H., Reidel, B. W., & Bush, A. J. (2005). Epidemiology of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Sleep, 28(11), 1457–1464. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/28.11.1457
Vandekerckhove, M., & Wang, Y. L. (2017). Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship. AIMS neuroscience, 5(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3934/Neuroscience.2018.1.1
Walker, J., Muench, A., Perlis, M. L., & Vargas, I. (2022). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): A Primer. Clinical psychology and special education, 11(2), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2022110208
Watson, S. (2024, August 23). Healthline. The effects of sleep deprivation on your body. https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body
