Insomnia

Most everyone has experienced trouble sleeping, but insomnia (pronounced in-SOM-nee-a) is very different from the occasional sleepless night.  Sufferers frequently have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.  They often do not feel refreshed after sleep, leaving them feeling tired, depressed, sluggish, and irritable the next day.

Being unable to get a good night's sleep isn't simply frustrating; it can be dangerous.  Each day, millions of sufferers — often fatigued and unable to focus on a task because of their insomnia — drive, operate heavy machinery, and perform jobs that require a high-level of concentration.  This can lead to costly mistakes, life-threatening injuries, or death.  

Insomnia is often related to:

• Environmental conditions
• Stress
• Other sleep disorders
• Medical conditions
• Medications

Insomnia symptoms will often be alleviated when the above conditions are resolved.  So it is always important to have insomnia diagnosed by a qualified health care professional.

If you are diagnosed as having insomnia, you are not alone:

• Forty-eight percent of Americans report occasional insomnia, while 22 percent experience insomnia every night or almost every night.

• Women are 1.3 times, or 30 percent, more likely to report insomnia than men.

• People over age 65 are 1.5 times, or 50 percent, more likely to complain of insomnia than younger people.

• Divorced, widowed and separated people, on average, report more episodes of insomnia than married or single people.

Insomnia can be classified as:

Transient (short term)
Transient or temporary insomnia lasts only a few nights.

Intermittent (on and off)
If episodes of Transient insomnia occur from time to time, it is categorized as intermittent insomnia.

Transient and intermittent insomnia occurs in people experiencing one or more of the following:

• Stress (the most common cause of short-term sleeping difficulties)
• Environmental noise
• Extreme temperatures
• Change in surrounding environment
• Sleep/wake problems due to jet lag
• Side effects of medication
• Working conditions — shift work

Chronic (constant)
Chronic insomnia lasts for one month or more. Chronic insomnia is more complex and often is the result of a combination of factors including:

• Depression
• Misuse of caffeine or alcohol
• Disrupted sleep cycle due to shift work
• Chronic stress
• Arthritis
• Kidney disease
• Heart failure
• Asthma
• Other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy
• Restless legs syndrome
• Parkinson's disease
• Hyperthyroidism

Other factors that have been shown to cause insomnia in some individuals:

• Physiologic arousal
• Expecting to have difficulty sleeping and worrying about it
• Ingesting excessive amounts of caffeine
• Drinking alcohol before bedtime
• Smoking cigarettes before bedtime
• Excessive napping in the afternoon or evening

Some individuals are at greater risk of suffering from insomnia.  Females, adults aged 60 years or older, and those who have a history of depression are more likely to experience insomnia. Stress, side effects of medicine, and anxiety coupled with gender, age, or depression may increase the likelihood of insomnia.