What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is the inability to get enough sleep even though you have the opportunity to sleep. People with insomnia are unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. When a sleepless night turns into weeks or even months, it can seriously impact a person’s quality of life. Unfortunately, it’s our most common sleep problem: 48 percent of us suffer from insomnia periodically.

Symptoms of insomnia include:

Cannot sleep
Difficulty staying asleep (easy waking)
Always tired during the day
Inattention
Irritable and unable to communicate normally with other people

Sleep is necessary for your physical and mental health. There are no shortcuts – you have to sleep. Before you diagnose incurable insomnia, you should know the difference between the two main types of insomnia: primary and secondary.

Types of insomnia

What is primary insomnia?

Those with primary insomnia have sleep problems unrelated to other health problems. Medical, psychiatric, or environmental causes do not cause it. The root cause of primary insomnia is sometimes difficult to discover and treat.

What is secondary insomnia?

Secondary insomnia is sleep problems due to pain, medications, medical conditions, or substance abuse. Secondary insomnia is a lack of sleep due to external restrictions. If you work late or smoke cocaine all day and don’t get the sleep you need, you have secondary insomnia.

Primary Insomnia Treatment: Stimulus Control

The accepted treatment for primary insomnia is stimulus control. It is also very effective in treating secondary insomnia. The purpose of stimulus control is to let yourself know that your bed is only for sleeping.

Stimulus control? How it works:

Only go to bed when you’re ready for bed or (if you’re lucky) for sex.
If you can’t fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, get up and do something else to occupy your mind.
Regardless of how much time you sleep, maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Avoid naps.

Treatment of Secondary Insomnia: Finding the Root Cause

Consider external controllable factors that may be contributing to your insomnia. Find out the cause and take appropriate remedial action. The most common cause is also easy to overlook: you aren’t giving yourself enough time to rest. People are very good at writing off the need for adequate sleep. It’s easy to think of life’s general responsibilities as inevitable, necessary time sponges.

Think about your day. What different quests and rituals do you have? You could use these more effectively or even eliminate one or more. Find time to rest!

Insomnia: Continuous insomnia can become a problem

Insomnia always starts somewhere, but there’s no bottom line. Generally speaking, the symptoms gradually worsen. If you can’t get through the day because you’re exhausted, you have a problem with your hands. We should wake up refreshed and well-rested. Don’t fool yourself into believing that tiredness is “what it is.” Take control of your sleep and live a more fulfilling life!