Insomnia Essay, Research Paper

Insomnia

Almost everyone experiences insomnia now and then. When

one believes he must be in bed by a certain time every night

or that he needs a certain number of hours of sleep, it may

be the very thing that is preventing him from going to sleep

(Munson 21). It is unfortunately true that many people still

suffer from poor sleep but do not know that there are

numerous programs that can help them. Insomnia, which

is due to various causes and includes a vaiety of symptoms,

can be reduced or eliminated in a number of ways.

Stress is one of the main causes in determining

insomnia. It is a fact of every day life and can be defined

as any event which causes a significant emotional response.

Happy occasions such as getting married, promoted, or going

on a vacation can cause stress reaction, not only because

because participation in the event is occurring but also in

the preparation. More obvious events that occur throughout

one’s life are the loss of a job, a loved one, or the need

for surgery. In such major life changes, the sources of the

emotional response is much more easily identified (Shapiro

MacFarlane Hussain 49).

There are two types of stress: bad stress or negative

stress which destroys your ability to operate at capacity,

mentally and physically and good stress which improves your

performance (Shapiro 49-50).

There are different ways to reduce stress. One should

try to find

a job he really enjoys. It is not the stress of work that

wears one out but the stress of frustration and failure. Two

big causes of stress on the job are not knowing what is

expected and not having adequate facts or tools.

Escaping for a while is another method to help eliminate

stress. One can visit a friend, go to a movie, or

shop. When he returns, he can attempt to cope with the

problem. However, it does not help to keep escaping, the

individual should try to cope with problems as promptly as

they arise (Hauri 111).

Even though it is often difficult to make changes in

lifestyle, the effort is worth it. Exchanging stress for a

sense of control can lift a heavy weight from one’s

shoulders.

The more control one has over his life during the day, the

more likely it is that his night time sleep will become

satisfying again (Hauri 113).

One factor that may affect one’s sleeping pattern is

age.

As people grow older, the quality of sleep usually

deteriorates and the sleep becomes less efficient, lighter,

and less restful.

In addition, irregular times of going to sleep and

waking up make sleeping more difficult because one’s body

gets used to sleep at a certain time (Willis 3).

There are some measures which can be taken to help

prevent insomnia.

Reducing one’s caffeine intake is one. Often

insomniacs are very sensitive to this stimulant and thus may

be unable to sleep after only one cup of soda or coffee in

the afternoon. Therefore if one has a persistent problem

falling

asleep, he might try to do without caffeine completely

(Hauri 52).

A second prevention is by limiting alcohol. Many people

use alcohol as a sleeping aid to induce sleep which can be a

stimulant. In addition, some alcoholics report that their

problem began with bedtime drinking (Shapiro 79).

A third prevention is getting rid of cigarettes.

Nicotine, a drug contained in cigarette smoke can affect ones

ability to sleep.

Studies show cigarettes raise blood pressure, speed up

the heart rate, and stimulates brainwave activity. Sleep

often improves dramatically in smokers who quit (Sweeney 49).

For these reasons remedies are often successful.

For example sleeping in a well ventilated room, avoiding

heavy meals before bedtime, reading a relaxing book, or

drinking warm milk before retiring. If these steps fail, a

physician may prescribe sleeping pills to help restore normal

sleeping habits while the cause of the insomnia is still

being researched, severe insomnia may require treatment by

psychiatrist (”Insomnia” 127).

As a result insomnia has a variety of symptoms and

includes various causes in which there is no one program for

everyone with this disorder. In fact, when it comes to

recommendations, what is good for one kind of insomnia may

very well be bad for another. The more we learn about

insomnia, the more we realize just how important sleep is to

our health and the quality of our entire lives. Therefore

the importance of studying it is unimaginable.

Hauri, Peter, and Shirley Linde. New York: Wiley, 1990.

“Insomnia.” 9th ed. 1991.

Munson, Marty. “Doze Without Drugs” July 1994:

21-23.

Shapiro, Colin M., James G. MacFarlane, and Mohamed R.G.

Hussain.. Hamilton: Empowering Press, 1994.

Sweeney, Donald R. New York:

Putnam’s, 1989.

Willis, Judith. “On Making It Through The Night.” Sept. 1979: 3.