Insomnia Sleep Disorder – A Common Problem

Close to 40 million people in the United States have some sort of chronic and long-term sleep disorder. Another 20 million have problems with a sleep disorder from time to time. It is important to get enough sleep if you are going to be healthy but medical experts and scientists do not really know what the connection between sleep and health is. Sleep disorders come in many forms, including an insomnia sleep disorder.

People who suffer from insomnia have a difficult time falling asleep, something most of us have had experience with from time to time. However, the insomnia disorder is so severe that it disrupts your life and causes constant fatigue, as well as anxiety about the fact that you are not sleeping. The causes of insomnia can include drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, stress and anxiety, or emotional issues. Sometimes, an underlying medical condition is the cause. Not sleeping is not enough to be called a disorder but the constant lack of sleep can affect your entire body including your immune system.

There are three types of insomnia and they are predisposition, precipitation, and perpetual. Predisposition insomnia is related to genetic factors that a person has that make him likely to have insomnia sleep disorder. Precipitation insomnia has to do with specific situations a person is going through that are causing him to have trouble sleeping. That could include a dramatic change in a person's schedule at his job or jet lag from taking a long flight for vacation or for business.

Perpetual insomnia is related to types of behaviors that reinforce the insomnia and cause people to sleep poorly and rely on drugs or alcohol to cope. Things like abusing alcohol, smoking excessively, and other unhealthy behaviors can cause perpetual insomnia and people often turn to sleeping pills to cope. That will only work for a little while, though. It will not cure chronic insomnia sleep disorder.

The way insomnia is treated varies and involves psychological treatments and medical treatments. The best thing someone with an insomnia sleep disorder can do is try to develop healthy sleep habits including going to bed when he is tired, only falling asleep in bed and other things that can be done to improve sleep. Other things that help people with insomnia sleep disorder include going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, staying away from caffeine and nicotine, avoiding alcohol, working out regularly, and using relaxation techniques to calm themselves before going to bed.

Insomnia Sleep Disorder – A Common Problem by Terje Brooks