Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that is characterized by a person ‘s inability to fall asleep or remain asleep; or it can be a combination of both. Many insomniacs report that they are not able to “turn off their mind” or close their eyes and get a decent night ‘s sleep. They may report falling asleep for brief periods then waking or they may report waking at unusually early hours. Insomnia has been shown to increase as the person ages and of the 60 million people who are affected, more women than men are afflicted with it.

In fact, women are twice as likely as men to have insomnia.

There are several different types of insomnia. Transient or short term insomnia only lasts a few weeks or even just a single night. Intermittent insomnia is short term with on and off episodes of sleeplessness and does not occur often. Chronic insomnia is ongoing and occurs at least three nights a week, spanning over a month or even more. Each of these types of insomnia can be ether primary, meaning that it is not related to another health issue or secondary which means that it may be caused by a medical condition or some type of external factors.

A diagnosis of insomnia is not always straightforward and simple. Because it can occur as a secondary issue, it may be overshadowed by other health problems. However, a doctor may assess a person and make a diagnosis based on several factors.

* Daytime tiredness
* Inability to fall asleep
* Inability to stay asleep for a reasonable time
* Poor focus and concentration
* Poor memory
* Impaired motor skills and coordination
* Irritability
* Impaired social interaction
* Depression or weepiness

These symptoms are may be accompanied by other conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain and medications. A physician can assess these issues and determine if the insomnia is primary or secondary and from there can determine a course of action for treatment. The doctor may ask the patient to keep a sleep diary for a few weeks to see a pattern of sleep activity as well as waking activities that may contribute to the problem.

There are many ways of treating insomnia but they are dependent upon the cause and type. For instance, if the insomnia is the result of a health problem, then often treating the health condition will clear up the insomnia. Behavior modifications may also be in order such as cutting out drinking alcohol at night. There are prescription medications that may be used, but these are generally a last resort.

Some things that the insomniac may try include taking melatonin (a natural remedy for promoting sleep), chamomile tea before bed, relaxation therapy, sleep restriction and reconditioning. There are ways to overcome a sleep problem and it is important to get a handle on it early so that it does not cause greater health problems later.

About the Author

Alex Olson wrote a number of highly popular articles which concern health problems. In them she pays much attention to different diseases, their signs, symptoms and treatment. If you are interested in sleep disorders such as insomnia, its symptoms and treatment, you’ll find all this information in her articles.

Common sleeping disorders often begin unnoticed. We might just be having signs of some minor problems but we don’t think too much of it. Then we may begin to have difficulty falling or staying asleep but think this is only a passing phase. Little do we know, we are already experiencing, what doctors would diagnose as insomnia, a sleep disorder that results to sleepiness at other times of the day. Insomnia is the most well-known sleep disorder but it is still undiagnosed in thousands of people. It causes slow reactions in our nervous system and poor mental concentration. These factors might just lead to accidents and lesser productivity throughout the day. Stress is also considered one of the major reasons why one out of three adults experiences some degree of insomnia at one time or another.

A less common but quite alarming case of insomnia is the chronic insomnia. This is known as a severe case of insomnia which is caused by too much stress and by our body’s chemistry and medical condition. This second case of insomnia is less common than the first but still quite common overall. It also tends to go undiagnosed in many people.

Sleepy people who experience a gradual loss of muscle tone (called cataplexy) may be experiencing another type of sleep disorder known as Narcolepsy. This is a sleep related disease that affects the NREM or Non Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Narcoleptic patients experience sudden muscle weakening which sometimes causes them to fall. They may fall into a NREM sleep phase almost instantly and this can be extremely dangerous. A simple act of happiness or laughter may trigger what is called a cataplectic attack where the person just falls asleep and tips over! A related disease called sleep paralysis is also alarming and can occur in narcoleptics where they lose control of their muscles especially when lying down before they go to bed.

Children commonly experience a sleep disorder familiarly known as bedwetting which is actually called Nocturnal Enursis. This ordinarily happens during NREM sleep as does talking in your sleep and sleep walking. These disorders are also common amongst children.

Sleep Apnea is a breathing disorder which is not understood by many people and which is therefore undiagnosed in many people. It is still quite common however and is caused by the muscle and tongue relaxation on the soft palate at the throat’s base. This is the part of the throat which allows an individuals air passage to collapse especially those with narrow airways. It creates a sleeping disorder somewhat similar to snoring but it is actually a lot more serious than just snoring. Sleep apnea causes a person to lose the much needed REM phase of their sleep and thereby depletes their energy and dangerously affects their brain chemistry. A person with sleep apnea is more prone to accidents and poor health as well as poor performance at work or school.

Sleeping disorders can be avoided if we raise our awareness about them and take preventive measures to stop them. We must make sleeping a daily habit and try to get a better night’s sleep all the time. If we make sure and do this, we will surely reap the benefits soon!

About the Author

Over 70 Million people in the USA suffer from some kind of Sleep Disorder! There are actually hundreds of ways to improve your sleep but the first thing that is needed is to raise more awareness! If you want to sleep better tonight , you can visit this information Sleep Aid Web Site that is packed with FREE information: http://www.Sleep-Aid-Solutions.com