What is Insomnia?
What is Insomnia and what you need to know about it.
If you’ve ever stayed up late, not because you had something to do but because you wanted to make sure you were exhausted enough to fall asleep, and finally gone to bed, only to spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, you don’t have to ask, “What is insomnia?”
If you’ve gone to bed at a reasonable hour, only to wake up in the middle of the night wide awake and unable to stop your brain from racing, you don’t have to ask, “What is insomnia?”
Chronic insomnia affects approximately 30 million people in the United States, doctors tell us. But one out of every three people will suffer from secondary insomnia related to stress at some point during his or her lifetime.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is one of sleeping problems that manifests both as an objective sign and a subjective symptom, and that is characterized either by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or both. Insomnia falls into two categories: Primary insomnia is insomnia that is unrelated to any underlying health problem, while secondary insomnia is insomnia related to something else such as drinking too much coffee or suffering from depression.
What is Insomnia the Signs and Symptoms.
If you ever wonder, “What is insomnia?” then chances are you don’t suffer from it, even if you are having short-term difficulties with your sleep patterns.
People suffering from insomnia symptoms also demonstrate intense fatigue during the day, irritability and problems with focus and concentration.
What Are the Causes of Insomnia?
Acute insomnia has a variety of causes. A significant change in life circumstances, such as a new job or a new house, can cause insomnia even when that change is viewed as something positive. Your sleep can suffer if the place where you’re trying to sleep is too loud, too light, too hot or too cold. Jetlag can cause insomnia as can any change in your circadian rhythm. Alcohol or caffeine-containing drinks taken too close too bedtime can cause insomnia as can certain medications such as theophylline, an anti-asthmatic, and steroids, used to treat many chronic diseases.
Chronic insomnia is often related to pain, depression, anxiety or stress.
What is Insomnia - Effective Treatments.
Many people think they’ll never have to ask, “What is insomnia?” again if they find effective over the counter sleeping pills. The pills may mask the symptoms temporarily but they don’t get to the real cause of your sleeplessness. Natural sleep aids such as melatonin for sleep are better for you than medications containing diphenhydramine. Tolerance can also occur if you rely too heavily on over the counter medications to help you sleep.
Sleep experts say that the most reliable way of combating insomnia is through behavioral modifications. Don’t use your bed except for sleep or sex; that way you won’t associate lying in it while you read, watch television or talk on the phone. Try to wake up at the same time every morning and delay going to bed until you feel genuinely sleepy. If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, then get up, go to another part of the house and begin some activity. Sleep experts call this regimen “sleep hygiene,” and they promise that if you implement it within your own life, you’ll be the one asking, in a few short months.