What is insomnia?
If you experience difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or enjoying a restful night's sleep, you may be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is defined as the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following:
- difficulty falling asleep
- waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep
- waking up too early in the morning
- non-refreshing sleep
Insomnia is a common symptom in the US. Nearly 60 percent of US adults surveyed in a recent National Sleep Foundation "Sleep in America" poll experience sleep problems.
Insomnia is classified as:
- transient (short term) - lasting from a single night to a few weeks
- intermittent (on and off) - episodes occur from time to time
- chronic (constant) - occurs on most nights and lasts a month or more
What causes insomnia?
Insomnia may be caused by many factors, including the following:
- stress
- depression
- anxiety
- physical illness
- caffeine intake
- irregular schedules
- circadian rhythm disorders
- drugs (including alcohol and nicotine)
- occasional or chronic pain
Guidelines that may help sleep problems:
- Get up about the same time every day.
- Go to bed only when you are sleepy.
- Establish relaxing pre-sleep rituals, such as a warm bath, a light bedtime snack, or 10 minutes of reading.
- Exercise regularly. If you exercise vigorously, do this at least six hours before bedtime. Mild exercise - such as simple stretching or walking - should not be done closer to bedtime than four hours.
- Maintain a regular schedule. Regular times for meals, taking medications, doing chores, and other activities help keep your "inner clock" running smoothly.
- Do not eat or drink anything containing caffeine within six hours of bedtime.
- Do not drink alcohol within several hours of bedtime, or when you are sleepy.
- Tiredness can intensify the effects of alcohol.
- Avoid smoking close to bedtime.
- If you take naps, try to do so at the same time every day. For most people, a mid-afternoon nap is most helpful.
- Avoid sleeping pills, or use them conservatively. Most physicians avoid prescribing sleeping pills for a period of longer than three weeks. Never drink alcohol while taking sleeping pills.
People who suffer from insomnia that lasts for more than a few days, should consult a physician so that the underlying cause can be identified, if possible, then treated.