Insomnia is a common sleep disorder experienced by over 30 to 40 percent of the population, the majority of them older people and women. Symptoms of insomia include difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, waking too early and having trouble getting back to sleep, and waking unrefreshed.

Insomnia can either be acute, lasting several nights to several weeks, or chronic, lasting months to even years. It is generally divided into two main categories; sleep onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia. Sleep onset insomnia is the inability to fall asleep naturally. Sleep maintenance insomnia is the inability to remain asleep or to resume sleeping after waking in the middle of a sleep cycle. Insomnia can be further classified as either acute or chronic. Acute insomnia usually goes away after a few weeks or months. Chronic insomnia lasts three months or longer.

Insomnia can be caused by a multitude of factors: stress, a disturbing occurrence such as the loss of a loved one, chronic pain, depression or anxiety, digestive issues or sleep problems such as Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) or periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). Some medications can also lead to insomnia.

There are a number of approaches to treating insomnia. Behavioral therapy is often a part of treatment and can include:

• Stimulus Control Therapy – creating a healthy sleep environment that promotes sleep.
• Cognitive Therapy – learning to develop positive thoughts and beliefs about sleep.
• Sleep Restriction – following a program that limits time in bed in order to get sleep and stay asleep throughout the night.

If behavioral therapies alone are not enough, medications called hypnotics may be used. Hypnotics induce sleep and may help to maintain it by working on the areas of the brain believed to be involved with sleep promotion.

Other Resources

National Sleep Foundation
www.sleepfoundation.org

American Academy of Sleep Medicine
www.aasmnet.org