Insomnia

Do you have insomnia?

Do you find it hard to fall asleep at night? do you wake frequently during the night? Do you wake too early in the morning and struggle getting back to sleep? Do you feel tired during the day, particularly during monotonous situations? If you have answered yes to one or more of these question you might have insomnia.

Often insomnia comes and goes periodically, but often the cause is unknown to the sufferer. When periods of difficulty sleeping last between one night and a few weeks it is referred to as acute insomnia, and is often (but not always) caused by emotional or physical discomfort, jet lag can also add to the affects of acute insomnia. When difficulty is had at least three nights per week for longer than one month it is referred to as chronic insomnia.

Do you ever lay in bed getting more anxious the longer it takes you to fall asleep. Then when you realize you have to be up in a few hours you worry about how little sleep you will get, and then you find it even harder to get to sleep!

Approximately thirty to forty percent of adults suffer from some kind of insomnia, around one third of these suffering from chronic or severe insomnia. The occurence of insomnia increases with age, and is more common in women.

What causes insomnia?

There are many factors which could contribute to insomnia, eliminating these from your lifestyle is a good idea before seeking further help. Drinking alcohol or caffeine in the afternoon or evening, exercising close to bedtime, following an irregular sleeping schedule and doing mentally intense activities just before going to bed can all increase the chance of a bad nights sleep.

The primary cause of short term sleeping difficulties is considered to be stress. Usually a sleeping problem would disappear when the stressful situation has passed, however, if short term insomnia is not treated properly form the beginning it ould persist once the original stress has gone.

How can insomnia affect you?

Both the amount and the quality of the sleep we have are important to leave our bodies and minds rejuvenated for the next day. Without adequate sleep our bodies do not have the chance to complete all the sleep phases required for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of growth and appetite regulating hormones. We are likely to wake up less able to concentrate and make decisions. Sleeping well helps to contribute to a healthy immune system, and can also balance our appetite by regulating the balance of hormones. Weight gain can be a side effect of sleeping difficulties.

Other possible affects from sleeping problems include risk of road accidents, increased risk of diabetes and heart problems, increased risk of depression and substance abuse, impaired memory and slower reaction to signals, feeling physically weaker, feeling physically cold and more likely to be emotional.