What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both, even though they have the opportunity for enough sleep. The amount of sleep needed varies, but the average adult needs seven to eight hours per night. Insomnia can be either short term (acute) or long term (chronic).

Symptoms of insomnia can include:

Anxiety, depression and irritability;
Difficulty concentrating, remembering and focusing;
Feeling unrefreshed when waking;
Tension headaches;
Tiredness or sleepiness during the day;
Trouble falling asleep at night;
Waking up during the night;
Waking up several times during the night; and
Waking up too early.

Chronic insomnia, lasting a month or longer, is often secondary, meaning that it is a symptom or side effect of another problem. These problems could include medical conditions, medications and substances. Primary insomnia, which is not caused by another medical problem, could be brought on by numerous things, but its exact cause is not well understood. Causes of insomnia could include:

Aging;
Anxiety;
Change in work schedule or environment;
Depression;
Eating a large meal too close to bedtime;
Medical conditions, such as chronic pain, breathing problems or needing to urinate frequently;
Medications;
Poor sleep habits;
Stimulants, such as alcohol, nicotine and caffeine; and
Stress.

Just like diet and exercise, sleep is an important part of staying healthy, and the quality of sleep someone gets is just as important as how much they get. Lack of sleep can cause a lower quality of life and affect both physical and mental health. Additional complications can include:

Becoming overweight or obese;
Irritability;
Lower performance at work or school;
Psychiatric problems;
Slowed reaction times, potentially causing accidents when driving; and
Substance abuse.

Practicing good sleep habits, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, having a relaxed sleep setting and avoiding stimulating activities too close to bedtime, can generally help to improve a person’s ability to sleep. If there are underlying causes of insomnia, those should be resolved as well to improve sleep quality.

Other treatments for insomnia can include prescription and over-the-counter medications, but often behavior therapy is recommended as the first treatment option. These techniques can include relaxation techniques, stimulus control, sleep restriction, remaining passively awake, light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Additional information may be found at these websites:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/basics/definition/con-20024293

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/inso/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000805.htm