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Insomnia: what is it?

By Darien Simon, M.S.

Do you have trouble falling asleep? Staying asleep? Waking up too early? A combination of any or all of these problems? If so, you may have insomnia like approximately 60% of American adults do some nights, and 30% many nights, making insomnia the most common sleep disorder. At least ten percent of adults have chronic insomnia, which means they have trouble sleeping 3 or more nights a week, and have had the trouble consistently for more than a month. Insomnia affects more women than men, and more older people than younger people, but it can happen to anyone, even children. There are two types of insomnia defined by how the root cause of the problem: primary and secondary. Secondary insomnia is more common (about 80% according to the National Institutes of Health), and is usually easier to treat because it is a side or secondary effect of another problem such as daily stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, pain, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma, some heart and lung diseases, over-active thyroid, and stroke. But secondary insomnia can also be caused by medications used to treat asthma, allergies/colds, and some heart problems. In addition, sometimes our habits cause insomnia, such as when we drink too many caffeinated drinks, especially late in the day, or if we try to sleep in uncomfortable surroundings (too light, too warm, too cold, too noisy, uncomfortable bed or pillow) or on a schedule that contradicts our natural circadian rhythm. If you suffer from secondary insomnia, the cure is often as simple as eliminating the problem habit or behavior, or finding a better treatment for a medical issue with the aid of your health care provider. Primary insomnia has the same symptoms as secondary insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep), but without that sleep disruption being caused by habits, medications, health problems, or other common factors that disrupt our normal sleep routines as side effects. Primary insomnia can be triggered by significant long term life stresses or emotional upsets, travel, or other factors that directly impact our ability to get to sleep and stay asleep. Unfortunately, even if the cause disappears, sometimes the primary insomnia does not, because of the very methods employed to stop or minimize the effects of insomnia, in particular, napping, persistent anxiety about losing sleep, or trying to force ourselves to sleep on an unnatural schedule by going to bed at a time that is out of sync with our natural circadian rhythm. Both primary and secondary insomnia may be helped by establishing better sleep habits and by trying Dream Boost or other treatments.