Sleep Disorders - Insomnia

Insomnia can be defined as a sleeping disorder in which a person has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. One out of three American adults suffer from Insomnia. This sleeping disorder disturbs a person's sleeping and waking hours, leading to daytime sleepiness and an inability to focus on daily tasks.

Insomnia can occur in people of all ages, but it is most common among women and older adults. While it usually just lasts for a night or two, it can sometimes last for weeks, months, or even years.

There are three main types of Insomnia:

• Transient Insomnia : This is the inability to sleep well over a period of a few nights, but it lasts less than four weeks. This type of Insomnia is most often caused by excitement or stress. Some examples include children who toss and turn before school starts or adults who sleep poorly before an important meeting. People are also more likely to have trouble sleeping when they are away from home. Finally, exercising too close to bedtime or being sick can cause Transient Insomnia.
• Short-term Insomnia : This is the inability to sleep well over a period of four weeks to six months. It is most often caused by periods of ongoing stress at work or at home. When the stressful situation eases up (or when the person adjusts to the stress), sleep usually returns to normal.
• Chronic Insomnia : This is the inability to sleep well for more than six months. More than 20 million Americans complain of Chronic Insomnia. The Association of Sleep Disorders Centers performed a study in which physical ailments are often mistaken for insomnia and may account for a large number of people who complain of insomnia.

There are many different causes of Insomnia:

• Psychological Factors
  • Vulnerability to Insomnia (some people are more likely to experience poor sleep during stressful times than others)
  • Persistent stress
  • Learned Insomnia (or Primary Insomnia)
• Lifestyle
  • Use of stimulants
  • Use of alcohol
  • Erratic hours
  • Inactive behavior
  • Misuse or overuse of sleeping pills
• Environmental Factors
  • Noise
  • Light
• Physical/Psychiatric Illness
  • Psychiatric problems
  • Breathing disorders
  • Periodic leg movements
  • Waking brain activity that persists during sleep
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux