Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder,
is defined as difficulty falling and staying asleep
every night or most nights, despite an
adequate opportunity to sleep. Other symptoms
of insomnia include waking up too early in the
morning and being unable to fall back to sleep,
and experiencing an unrefreshing night's sleep.
As a result of a poor night's sleep, one usually
feels tired and irritable the next day and has
trouble concentrating on everyday tasks. Insomnia also can be a symptom of other physical and mental conditions, such as depression, or even of another sleep disorder, such sleep apnea.
Insomnia can last one night or up to several weeks. In some patients, it can be a chronic condition and last for years. Transient insomnia lasts for short periods of time and is described as "intermittent" when it occasionally re-occurs. Chronic insomnia is when episodes occur on most nights and last one month or more. According to the National Sleep Foundation's 2002 Sleep in America poll, 58 percent of adults surveyed reported experiencing one or more symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week in the past year, a number that represented 63 percent of adult women and 54 percent of adult men. More than three in ten (35 percent) say they have experienced insomnia every night or almost every night.
1. Adequate restful sleep, like diet and exercise, is critical to good health. Insufficient sleep can result in mental and physical health problems and possibly premature death.
2. Research has shown that sleep loss accumulates over time, causing sleep debt. Most people don't get the ideal amount of sleep they need and become chronically sleep deprived.
3. The majority of respondents to the National Sleep Foundation's 2002 Sleep in America poll, which looked at the relationship between Americans' lifestyles, sleep habits and sleep problems, rated the quality of their sleep as being good or better. In fact, 40 percent rate their sleep as either excellent or very good. Conversely, more than one-fourth (27%) categorize their sleep quality as fair or poor.
4. There is a difference between sleepiness and fatigue. Sleepiness is defined as the inability to stay awake even in situations when wakefulness is required, such as at work or while driving. Fatigue is a general sense of discomfort, irritability and malaise, accompanied by the inability to focus on specific tasks, even after a full night's sleep. Both sleepiness and fatigue can greatly affect quality of life, performance, productivity and safety.
5. People complaining of fatigue may have a medical, neurological or psychiatric disorder. Neurological disorders in which fatigue is present include multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Fatigue and changes in sleeping patterns are symptoms of depression as well.
6. Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling and staying asleep every night or most nights despite an adequate opportunity to sleep. Insomnia lasting from a single night to a few weeks is referred to as transient or short-term. If it lasts longer, it's referred to as chronic insomnia. Insomnia has many different causes, including physical and mental conditions and stress.
7. As many as 40 percent of women over 40 experience insomnia. Women are more likely to suffer from insomnia than men. Hormonal influences and changes in core body temperature may contribute to shifting sleep patterns. Researchers also have found that dieting can lower a woman's body temperature, altering her sleeping pattern.
8. Sleep apnea occurs when a person temporarily experiences blocked airflow while sleeping. As many as 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Four percent of middle-aged men and two percent of middle-aged women suffer from this potentially life-threatening disorder. Sleep apnea may lead to hypertension, heart attack and stroke. However, it can be treated.
