Sleep is vital to healthy functioning. It allows our brains to reset after working hard all day, wiping the slate clean and cementing any information you have learned and want to retain. When studying for exams, getting a good night's sleep is always incredibly helpful, as it allows all those memories to solidify themselves. But, what happens when we cannot sleep properly? How impactful is a lack of sleep on our everyday life? The symptoms and explanations of insomnia highlight the dangers of insufficient sleep.
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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenSleep is vital to healthy functioning. It allows our brains to reset after working hard all day, wiping the slate clean and cementing any information you have learned and want to retain. When studying for exams, getting a good night's sleep is always incredibly helpful, as it allows all those memories to solidify themselves. But, what happens when we cannot sleep properly? How impactful is a lack of sleep on our everyday life? The symptoms and explanations of insomnia highlight the dangers of insufficient sleep.
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterised by the inability to sleep. Specifically, we can define insomnia as:
Insomnia is difficulty falling and maintaining sleep, wherein you feel tired as a result. A diagnosis of insomnia depends on the severity and how long the disorder has affected you and impairs your ability to function throughout the day.
The causes of insomnia vary and can be psychological and physiological from a clinical perspective. Psychologists consider insomnia a primary disorder in that insomnia is the issue and is the cause of the lack of sleep.
As insomnia is diagnosed, it can be acute or chronic. These are two types of insomnia.
Acute insomnia lasts for a short period, usually a few days or weeks, whereas chronic insomnia lasts for months, possibly even years.
Insomnia can manifest itself in a number of ways. Sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia differ.
Sleep onset insomnia is characterised by an inability or struggle to fall asleep, whereas sleep maintenance insomnia is characterised by an inability or struggle to stay asleep.
Symptoms of insomnia tend to focus on a lack of sleep and an unstable night of sleep. Insomnia symptoms include:
Insomnia can impact your health in different ways beyond affecting your ability to sleep, feel refreshed and concentrate. Those with chronic insomnia have higher risks of developing heart issues, a higher risk of becoming overweight, and higher chances of having a stroke, having memory issues, and developing diabetes.
Those who have insomnia have reported issues with chronic pain, according to Vallières et al. (2014).
Jerry often goes to bed feeling rather tired. Once he is in bed, he struggles to fall asleep, which has been happening for a few months.
Jerry tosses and turns for hours until he finally falls asleep, but he wakes up frequently throughout the few hours of sleep he gets, and when Jerry wakes up in the morning, he feels fatigued.
Jerry goes through the rest of his day and struggles to focus on his tasks at work, often making mistakes. When Jerry gets home, despite feeling tired, he cannot nap.
Consider the above example. If Jerry were to see a professional about his issues, they would likely suggest he has insomnia. Would Jerry be suffering from acute or chronic insomnia?
As Jerry has been having these issues for a few months now; his condition is likely to be considered chronic insomnia.
The causes and explanations of insomnia vary. Many reasons link back to lifestyle choices, suggesting our daily habits and activities affect our ability to fall asleep.
The sleep-wake cycle is an example of a circadian rhythm and relies on specific cues to maintain the 24-hour cycle. If outside sources affect these cues, it can affect our ability to sleep. For example, using a phone in bed provides a source of light, which to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (brain structure within the hypothalamus) indicates it is not nighttime and not time for sleep.
It's helpful to link issues with sleep back to the sleep-wake cycle.
The nervous system is involved in sleep. When we are stressed and danger is present, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) responds and readies the body for action by releasing hormones and flooding your system, often reducing normal bodily functions to divert energy to more pressing concerns.
When we are relaxed or the danger has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system calms the body down and allows normal functions, such as digestion, to resume.
Issues can arise when the SNS is activated at inopportune times, for example, being anxious before you sleep.
It will be hard to sleep when the body is gearing up for a fight.
To combat issues with the nervous system when you are trying to sleep, relaxation techniques can be used to calm yourself down and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to do its job and bring you back to a state of equilibrium. These include:
Let's explore some of the other causes of insomnia:
Consumption of foods, drinks, and medication:There are various ways to treat insomnia, and the efficacy of each treatment depends on the individual. One medication may be effective in person A but not very effective in person B.
Treatment options include:
Insomnia is difficulty falling and maintaining sleep, wherein you feel tired as a result. A diagnosis of insomnia depends on the severity and how long the disorder has affected you and impairs your ability to function during the day.
It is possible to make a distinction between primary and secondary causes of insomnia:
Although it is difficult to cure, insomnia can be treated with the use of sleeping pills, and behavioural therapies that aim to remove the underlying issue that is causing insomnia. Meditation is often cited as a useful option of treatment.
Acute insomnia and chronic insomnia.
Research has demonstrated that insomnia runs in families. However, a person may develop insomnia due to stressful life events, traumas and health conditions; suggesting that both genetics and environment contribute to insomnia.
How is insomnia defined?
Insomnia is difficulty falling and maintaining sleep, wherein you feel tired as a result. A diagnosis of insomnia depends on the severity and how long the disorder has affected you and impairs your ability to function throughout the day.
How may insomnia impair an individual's ability?
Insomnia can impair cognitive abilities such as executive functioning, working memory, attention, decision-making, and emotional self-regulation.
Using your phone before bed is an example of sleep hygiene.
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What is acute insomnia?
Acute insomnia occurs for a short period of time, usually a few days or weeks.
What is chronic insomnia?
Chronic insomnia is long-term insomnia that lasts for a few months to years.
When may someone experience primary insomnia?
Primary insomnia: this type of insomnia is characterised by sleep problems unrelated to any other health condition.
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