Insomnia

Michaela Whelan

11/19/15

Insomnia Article

The article, Can't Sleep?, is an article about the sleep disorder insomnia. This article defines insomnia as the inability to get a proper amount of sleep. It is determined by the quality of your sleep rather than how many hours you sleep because each person needs a different amount of sleep. For example, you could sleep for the recommended number of hours but still feel exhausted the next day. Chronic insomnia can cause daily complications in everyday life.

There are a few symptoms of insomnia were mentioned in this article. On symptom mentioned in this article is not being able to fall and stay asleep even when one is tired. Another symptom is the inability to go back to sleep after waking up. Another symptom is waking up before one is ready to wake up in the morning. The dependence on sleep medication to get to sleep is another symptom of insomnia. Not feeling like one has got enough sleep even after sleeping for 8-10 hours. The last symptom listed in this article is fatigue and being drowsy throughout the day.

Insomnia can be caused by many things. One possible cause of insomnia is psychological disorders like anxiety and depression which are two of the most common causes of this sleep disorder. Another possible cause of insomnia is medication. Stimulants used for ADHD can interfere with sleep. Other sleep disorders like sleep apnea can also influence insomnia, increasing the difficulty to fall and stay asleep. Medical problems and other physical illness can also cause insomnia.

Similarly to other sleep disorders, insomnia has treatments to cope with it. Something as simple as using a sleep diary to identify habits that may be inducing insomnia. One way to treat in insomnia is sticking to a fairly regular sleep schedule. Avoiding naps and late meals is also a very effective treatment for insomnia. Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine use helps as well. And of course, medicine is another treatment for...