Are you tired throughout the day, but for whatever reason, just can't seem to wind down at night and get enough sleep? You may be suffering from a sleeping disorder! Insomnia is one of the most common sleeping disorders that plague people today and if you're an adult in America, there's a 30% chance you have struggled with it before or that you're a current night owl.
Sleep is one of the more underrated biological necessities – a good night's rest is required for your body to function normally. Without sleep, your immune system fails and your reasoning abilities and motor skills gradually decline. And yet, people often take it for granted and go without it for long periods of time.
There are five stages of sleep, and you should experience stage one through five over and over, throughout the night. It takes about an hour and a half for the average person to go from stage one to stage five. This is why it's not just important how many hours of sleep you get, but whether or not those hours are consecutive! Unfortunately, millions and millions of Americans can't get enough sleep. The majority of “insomniacs” are women and the elderly, but males and females of every age, race, and socioeconomic status suffer from insomnia.
Insomnia, or trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, is a prevalent sleep disorder in the United States because it is typically not a result of an obscure, underlying medical condition, but of one's environment and behavior. For instance, if you drink lots of coffee during the day, that caffeine intake is liable to keep you wired at night. Other diet choices can affect your sleep patterns too – abusing substances like drugs and alcohol disrupt your sleep cycle and deprive you of quality rest. Medications also may have profound effects on your ability to sleep well, and when this occurs, it is called secondary insomnia.
As long as you've had trouble getting to bed or staying in bed for a straight month, then you have a case of primary insomnia. And if your condition lasts for more than six months, then you have chronic insomnia, or psycho-physiological insomnia. Those with chronic insomnia will see notable changes in their day-to-day lifestyle, as they won't be able to function normally.
There are over 50 other sleep disorders out there – sleep apnea and narcolepsy are well-known ones. They are not to be confused with insomnia, as insomnia specifically refers to the inability to get enough sleep. Still, if you feel you're sleeping plenty, but still exhausted during the day, it's possible you have respiratory problems that keep your brain semi-awake throughout the night. This is called sleep apnea and it is distinctly different than insomnia. Contrarily, if you're not only not having trouble falling asleep, but having trouble staying awake, then you may be narcoleptic. Narcoleptics fall into a deep, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep involuntarily, without warning, and without ever going through the first stages of sleep. Narcolepsy cannot be cured, but there are medications available that can treat it.
Most people can manage a few sleepless nights, but if you are suffering from prolonged insomnia that makes you feel fatigued and anxious in the daytime, then you may need to seek treatment. Especially if your daily routine is impaired, you should ask a doctor for help. It may be that you can make small changes in your life that will kiss that pesky insomnia goodnight. For example, cut back on caffeine and/or alcohol. Invest in a comfier bed. Don't exercise right before bedtime; instead, relax with a good book or a bubble bath or both. Try to create a set bedtime and wake-up time; having a clear sleep schedule will help to cure your insomnia. In fact, if you keep the curtains or blinds open in your room and let the sunshine wake you up each morning, your body will naturally tune into the planet's 24-hour cycle and establishing a sleep schedule will be easier.
However, if you're having a more complicated bout with insomnia and you're tired of counting sheep, your doctor can prescribe you sleeping pills. However, be wary of these! They produce a tolerance and can be dangerously addictive. However, they are very successful at curing short-term insomnia; just don't rely on them for the long term. Make sure you don't mistake other sleep disorders for insomnia, however, if you want medical treatment, as a wrong diagnosis can be deadly. Those with sleep apnea must not take sleeping pills, as their brains will not correct their respiratory problems if they are in too deep a sleep at night.