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Time for bed, finally! Can’t wait to fall asleep. Wait, did I lock the door? I don’t want to get up and check, I’m not wearing socks and the floor is cold. I probably locked it. Definitely. I’m too hot with two blankets but too cold with one. Maybe if I put on socks and just use one blanket, it’ll be a happy medium. And then I can also check the door. Nah, too lazy. Okay, sleep! I could count sheep? That feels silly though, I don’t even like sheep. Seriously though, out of all the animals in the world, why do people count sheep? I’m tired… Eyes are closed… Lights are off… Pillow is comfortably fluffed beneath my head… All set for a good night’s sleep. Yup. Where am I going in life? No, can’t get into that, I need to sleep. Ugh, I have to be up in 6 hours…
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep, five sheep, six sheep, seven sheep…
Insomnia is one of those medical terms that gets tossed around a lot. It’s not uncommon for someone to have a horrible night’s sleep and blame insomnia. As someone who has struggled with sleep at many different times in her life, I can definitely admit that I have cursed insomnia for keeping me awake. Sometimes I’ll go through weeks of getting into bed, only to struggle to fall asleep for hours. And as anyone who has experienced similar bouts of sleeplessness can atone to, it sucks.
However, anytime I’ve complained about insomnia, I’ve done so as an exaggeration. After all, when I think of insomnia I picture Edward Norton in Fight Club, lying on the couch with his jaw slack and his eyes blood-shot, saying “When you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep… and you’re never really awake.” But is that what insomnia’s really like? Do you actually walk around for 6 months, in a perpetual state of being caught between sleep and awake?
I’m here to figure that out: What is insomnia? How do you know if you have it?
First of all, there are three types of insomnia.
Transient insomnia is lasts for less than a week and is usually the result of a shift in a person’s life – for example experiencing some sort of physical or psychological trauma, illness, depression, jet lag, and most commonly, stress. The symptoms are short term and generally resemble sleep deprivation. The best cure for this type of insomnia is to relax and let your body do its thing. Though being unable to sleep is incredibly frustrating, often times people’s anxiety just makes the condition worse. In other words, it’s the worry of trying to fall asleep that gets in the way of falling asleep. So stick to your routine, and even if sleep isn’t come, try to use bed-time as a time to relax.
Acute insomnia is much like transient insomnia except that it lasts for more than a week, but less than a month. This form of insomnia is characterized by not only a difficulty of falling asleep, but a difficult in staying asleep, or waking up and feeling completely unrefreshed. Furthermore, acute insomnia leads to issues in day-time functions, and occurs despite plenty of opportunities to rest. Generally, acute insomnia is considered to naturally resolve over time as well. They key here is to not allow your sleeping problems to turn into a negative association with your sleeping environment. This will only prolong the insomnia, because your bedroom becomes a place of struggle instead of relaxation.
Chronic insomnia is long-term and can last from months to years. There are several causes for insomnia this severe: conditioned or learned insomnia, anxiety and stress, poor sleep hyegience, mis-timing sleep, illnesses or sleep disorders, poor sleep environment. Symptoms of chronic insomnia can vary from muscular/mental fatigue to hallucinations.
There are a number of recommended, at-home tips for curing your insomnia, though these tips generally are more effective at combating the first two types. First of all, it’s important to take note of your sleeping habits, and to develop ones that will contribute to an environment conducive to sleep. This can include making sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool, sticking to a regular sleep schedule, getting out of bed if you’re unable to sleep (instead of tossing and turning), avoiding naps, and limiting caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine intake. Another sleep habit that is important to avoid, and that I stress because it is something I am totally guilty of, is avoiding stimulating activity before bed – including TV, computer, or video game use. There are also dietary and herbal supplements, and prescription sleeping pills that can be prescribed by a doctor to help alleviate insomnia – though these of course come with potential side-effects.
As mentioned earlier, one of the most difficult things to remember is that insomnia can work as a cycle. Something in your life might occur that stresses you out, causing your to lose sleep, and that loss of sleep stresses you out, resulting in you losing even less sleep. Therefore, though it sounds impossible, it’s important to not let the perusal of sleep cause you too much anxiety. This does not mean you should ignore your symptoms, especially if they are severe. But if you have noticed a pattern of restless nights, try to keep frustration at bay, and most importantly, do not blame your body. Severe insomnia is not something you bring upon yourself, nor is it a condition to be ashamed of. Don’t let your lack of sleep control your life.
Wishing you all a blissful night, full of Z’s.
If you think you may be suffering from insomnia, or for more information, contact a doctor or the Ontario TeleHealth line at: 1-866-797-0007
Photo Credits:
Photo 1 – http://aquai.tumblr.com/page/2
Photo 2 – http://www.kylaroma.com/page/34/
Sources:
http://www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment.htm
http://sleepforall.com/types-of-insomnia.htm
http://blog.myzeo.com/13-surprising-facts-about-insomnia/\