Definition of Insomnia.

Definition of insomnia can vary from different sources but it affects its victims just the same. This page deals with insomnia symptoms, effects, remedies and treatment. Insomnia is simply the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep.  

Insomnia most times can be a symptom of a deeper health problem. Insomnia is not really considered a sleeping disorder. Different health problems can induce insomnia such as mental problems, side effects of drugs, Jet lag and other psychological issues that can induce stress. Research has shown that insomnia is more prevalent with some group of people than others.

It occurs more in older women and the elderly.  In the United States alone, about one third of the adult population has experienced it and about ten percent have recurring insomnia episodes. The need for sleep varies from person to person; insomnia cannot be defined by how much sleep a person gets or how long it takes for the individual to fall asleep.

Types of Insomnia.

Insomnia comes in 3 categories. They are;

  • Transient
  • Intermittent and
  • Chronic

Transient insomnia occurs from a single night to a few weeks. This could occur due to tragic events, such as death in the family, the loss of a job or divorce. But if transient insomnia occurs more frequently then it can be said to be intermittent.

Intermittent Insomnia as stated above occurs frequently.

Chronic insomnia occurs almost every other night and one can hardly get sleep and can last months or even years. Certain illnesses can induce chronic insomnia such as asthma, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, kidney disease, Parkinson disease, heart failure hyperthyroidism and arthritis.

Insomnia can be caused by a variety of factors. Here’s my page for more information on insomnia causes.

The effects of insomnia vary but the common ones are general weakness and lack of coordination during the day time.

Most people look to sleeping pills as the solution but a doctor’s advice should be sort before taking such drugs especially over the counter sleep aids such as,

Ambien
Estazalam (ProSom)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Flurazepam (Dalmane)
Quazepam (Doral)
Triazolam (Halcion).

Insomnia drugs should only be recommended by a doctor or sleep expert.

There also are home remedies for insomnia out there. Insomniacs claim that they are more effective than drugs.

Treatment for insomnia depends on the type of insomnia you have and your doctor’s decision.

I hope that from this page you can fully understand the definition of insomnia.

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