What Is Insomnia? – Part 1

Insomnia is an inability to get to sleep and/or stay asleep during the night hours, and it’s sometimes mistakenly called a sleeping disorder when in fact, it’s a symptom of a sleeping disorder. Women and older adults are the typical victims of insomnia although millions of people across the country suffer from it for various reasons. As a result, each case is different and there are thus different kinds of insomnia brought on by individual sleep disorders, stresses, illnesses, or environmental problems. Insomnia can be long-term, short-term, minor or severe, occasional or constant. Yet more than 1/3 of the American population is affected by some sort of insomnia and 10% suffer from a chronic form.

What qualifies short term insomnia as a temporary problem is that it lasts for a few days rather than weeks as in chronic insomnia. But neither form of insomnia is less important than the other – even if it only lasts for a day or two. The problem is always the same: not enough sleep.

Types OF INSOMNIA

Alcohol-Dependent Insomnia – a sleeping disorder induced by the over-consumption of alcohol.

Altitude Insomnia – an inability to sleep because of problems experienced in high altitudes. Examples include fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, etc.

Childhood Insomnia (Limit-Setting Sleep Disorder) – a problem with falling asleep in accordance with discipline problems

Environmental Insomnia – the difficulty to sleep based on environmental factors (noise, smells, air flow, etc.)

Food Allergy Insomnia – the result of an allergic reaction

Idiopathic Insomnia – a physiological problem that prevents full sleep; usually a lifelong problem.

Periodic Insomnia – an inability to sleep that occurs in 1-2 hour intervals

Psychophysiological Insomnia – a sleeping disorder that’s brought on by stress or other psychological problems.

Sleep Onset Insomnia (Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome) – a problem that delays the occurrence of the major phase of sleep.

Toxin-Induced Sleep Disorder – a sleeping problem brought on by poising

Transient Insomnia (Adjustment Sleep Disorder) – a temporary problem initiated by stress and emotional troubles

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

Sleep is often taken for granted by those who get enough of it. But it’s also one of the most important contributors to body health, function, and sound mind. People need to sleep because it gives the body the opportunity to repair itself without having to be bothered with the stresses of performing daily activities. Eight hours of sleep is sufficient for the adult, but any less than that puts the body into stress – stress that over a short period of time can weaken the immunity system and thus bring about more serious health problems.

One major problem with insomnia is that many people suffer from it, yet do not know or acknowledge that they have it. The pace at which today’s society runs is faster and more stressful than ever and can cause a multitude of health problems. Yet insomnia – a tell-tale sign that something is wrong – is one the last things that people suspect or care to admit.