INSOMNIA: THE SLEEP PROBLEM

Insomnia can be defined as the disturbance of a normal sleep pattern. Sleep is a state of consciousness which gives the body time to rest and build up strength. While at sleep, the body goes through various stages at approximately 90 minute cycles. These include high sleep, Deep sleep and dreaming.

Every human being is different; this makes it hard to define what normal sleep is. New born babies can sleep for 16 hours a day. School age children can sleep an average of 10 hours a day while adults usually sleep for 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.

Difficulties with sleep can appear in a variety of ways:

 Difficulty getting to sleep. (more common among young people)

 Waking up often in the night (Mostly common in older people)

 Waking early in the morning and being unable to get back to sleep. (More common in older people and anyone worrying about something in particular.



TYPES OF INSOMNIA


 Transient Insomnia lasts for 2-3 days

 Short term Insomnia Lasts for more than a few
days but less than 3 weeks.

 Chronic Insomnia Lasts most nights for 3
weeks or longer.




Most a times, Chronic Insomnia can lead to mental health problem such as depression or misuse of alcohol or other medicines in order to gain sleep.


COMMON SYMPTOMS OF INSOMNIA

• Lying awake for a long time at night before getting to sleep

• Waking up several times in the middle of the night.

• Waking up far too early and unable to get back to sleep

• Only get to sleep with the aid of sleeping pills or alcohol

• Take longer than 30-40 minutes to fall sleep.



Cause of insomnia

Physical Underlying physical condition causing involuntary
Movement, pain or discomfort e.g. coughing, arthritis,
Headaches, head injury, gastrointestinal disorders, Pruritus.


Physiological Disruptions within the sleeping environment or bedtime
Routines can cause insomnia e.g. noise, light, snoring,
Jet lag, etc.


Psychological Loss or worry can make sleeping difficult.