Inform Yourself — Know The Facts About Insomnia

Insomnia affects approximately 30 per cent of all adults, to different degrees. That’s an overwhelming amount of people who are having trouble sleeping at night! Some suffer from severe insomnia, while others are affected to a much milder extent. Yet, not much is known about this common medical condition.

Being more informed and knowing the facts about insomnia—the definition, the different types, who it affects most—can make all the difference in managing and possibly getting rid of the condition for good.

A Misconception about Insomnia

Those who don’t know the facts about insomnia might be under the misconception that the condition is only used to describe people who can’t sleep at all. However, this is not the correct definition of the disorder.

Insomnia is defined as a condition wherein a person has difficulties with regards to his or her sleep patterns. This means that the term could be used to describe difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or restlessness during sleep.

Who Gets Insomnia?

Though it is possible for anyone to get insomnia, the medical disorder is more common in certain groups than in others. Insomnia has been found to be more common in females than in males, especially after menopause. Additionally, one little known fact about insomnia is that the ability to sleep, not the need for sleep, decreases with age. Thus, insomnia is also more common in the elderly.

Two Types of Insomnia

Another fact about insomnia is that there are two main types, which is one reason why it affects people to various degrees. The two different categories of insomnia are primary and secondary.

The type of insomnia that is most common is secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia is caused by other factors, such as pain, disease, environmental changes, depression, or schedule changes. Treating secondary insomnia simply involves removing the cause. For example, if the patient drinks a lot of coffee, ending this habit would be a way to end the insomnia.

When insomnia occurs and a cause cannot be determined, it is called primary insomnia. Usually, primary insomnia can be traced back to an emotional disturbance or long term illness. One of the facts about primary insomnia is that it is usually more difficult to treat than secondary insomnia. Usually, some type of therapy is involved in the treatment.

Knowledge Is Power

Knowing the facts about insomnia and more about the disorder will help you to master the condition once and for all. Going to the source of the problem might be the solution you were looking for. http://www.about-sleep-disorder.com

What Is Sleepwalking – Part 1

SLEEPWALKING DEFINED

Sleepwalking is a sleeping disorder characterized by behavior usually performed in a wakeful state. Examples of wakeful behavior are sitting up, walking, and sometimes even talking to others. Also known as noctambulism or somnambulism, sleepwalking is listed in the DSM-IV-TR and identified as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Although incidents of sleepwalking are used by professionals to determine a mental disorder, it is not classified or identified as an emotional problem. It is instead defined as a brain disorder.

During an episode, the sleepwalker behaves according to whatever he or she is dreaming about. Eyes may be open, but they do not acknowledge events, people, or objects around them. This phenomenon typically begins as a sleepwalker experiences stage four sleep (slow-wave sleep). Yet upon waking, they may remember a little of the event, or none at all with the entire episode lasting for only a few minutes or more. Despite myths and warnings, there is no harm in waking a sleepwalker. Awakened sleepwalkers will appear a little disoriented and confused about where they are, how they got there, and why – but they can return to bed easily with little to no fuss.

SLEEPWALKING STATISTICS

Sleepwalking rarely occurs in individuals who don’t already suffer from some other psychiatric disorder or problem. But when it does occur, it occurs in more males than females, and only in 1 – 5% of children. By the time sleepwalking children reach the teen years, sleepwalking usually stops on it own without medication, diet change, or behavior modification. Chances are that there is a history of sleepwalking somewhere in the family of frequent and persistent sleepwalkers, and the number of sleepwalking adults is less than the number of sleepwalking children.

WHAT CAUSES SLEEPWALKING

Anything that affects the nervous system can be blamed for sleepwalking, and that includes consumption anti-depressants or sleeping pills, a severe illness, and the experience of extreme emotional stress such as a death or a frightening event. Hormones may contribute to sleepwalking episodes as well so events that cause drastic hormonal changes (adolescence, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, etc.) could play a role in triggering sleepwalking episodes too. There are no known foods that trigger sleepwalking.

HOW TO CURE SLEEPWAKING

Unless sleepwalking is a regular occurrence and it places its victims in danger, there’s no need to seek medical attention. When sleepwalking happens repeatedly or puts the sleepwalker in harm, a physician may prescribe benzodiazepines to keep the patient in bed. Benzodiazepines are lipophilic amines and they’re used as tranquilizers, sedatives, hypnotics, or musclerelaxants. Some well known brands are Ativan, Halcion, Libritabs, Librium, ProSom, Restoril, Valium, Versed, or Xanax,

SLEEPWALKING DANGERS

The physical dangers of sleepwalking are pretty obvious, however besides risking bodily harm or even death, sleepwalking individuals actually lose a lot of sleep since a portion of their sleeping time is spent in activity. As a result, they may experience fatigue during the daytime and will more than likely experience insomnia during the nights that they slept during the day.