Insomnia Essay Example

disorder, then the physiological symptoms decrease as mental health is improved.

Understanding the difference between the psychological and physiological events that lead to insomnia will determine the cure. Insomnia is defined as "a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, by waking too early, or by sleep that is light, restless, or of poor quality"(Wood,Wood, Boyd, 68). It is not defined by the number of hours of sleep that one gets or doesn't get. 10 Deign to Nonentity Insomnia one snout a De aware AT ten patterns of insomnia known as, onset insomnia, middle of the night insomnia, middle insomnia, and terminal insomnia.

Onset insomnia is the most common and in essence is characterized as the "inability to sleep at the beginning of the night" and is often associated with anxiety and/or depression. The principle is that the mind is so intent on focusing on the issues that cause anxiety or depression that one cannot relax enough to sleep. Middle of the night insomnia, also referred to as "nocturnal awakenings", is distinguished by "difficulty returning to sleep after awakening in the middle of the night or too early in the mornings".

The name really speaks for itself with this type of sleep pattern, although many people think that they can manage on less sleep than necessary but this is not the case. People who suffer from middle of the night insomnia are more likely to fall asleep during the day when they should not r simply leaves them feeling lethargic. Middle insomnia is really a combination of waking in the middle of the night and finding it difficult to maintain sleep and in

some cases one is able to get back to sleep but with a lot of difficulty.

This is usually linked with some type of pain disorder or medical illness. Terminal insomnia is characterized as waking in the early morning. There is no difficulty falling asleep but the problem lies in waking too early and finding it near impossible to go back to sleep. This is particularly true if you are suffering from some type of clinical disorder such as anxiety or depression. As mentioned before, insomnia is not defined by the number of hours you sleep but is usually classified based on the duration of the problem.

The types of insomnia are known as transient, acute, and chronic insomnia. People who suffer from transient insomnia are unable to sleep and show symptoms lasting less than four weeks. This is connected with the interruption of one's body clock and everyday situations like Jet lag, temporary stress, excitement, illness, or one's sleep schedule. Acute insomnia can last from four weeks to six months. This often is a result of angering stress and worries, financial troubles, death of a loved one, new Job, or divorce. If this is not controlled it may go from acute into chronic insomnia.

Chronic insomnia is as bad as it sounds. It can happen every night or several nights of each month and lasts from 6 months on. This is little different from the other types of insomnia due to the fact that it is longer lasting but is usually found in people with overwhelming health conditions. It is a common misconception that the older you get the less sleep you require. Your

body's circadian rhythm is coordinated with your bodily functions and what actually happens is that when most people age they tend to sleep earlier.

Since they sleep at an earlier time they wake at an earlier time and are still getting a full night's rest. However, the older you get the more physical and psychiatric illnesses are likely to be a cause of insomnia. Because the elderly are prone to have a physical illness they will be given medication that gives them symptoms of insomnia without their knowledge. Insomnia affects more women than men. According to The National Sleep Foundation 1998 Women and Sleep Poll found that "women from ages 30-60 leap only 6 hours and 41 minutes during the workweek".

Women suffer from insomnia mostly due to biological conditions specific to women, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. The changing level of hormones have a great Impact on sleep. Although, women are more likely to nave Insomnia In tenet Tie the amount of women who report it versus the amount of men who report it double in digits.