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Created May 5, 2009 17:38
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Title: Insomnia
What is the disorder?:
- Too little or poor quality sleep caused by:
- Significant life stress
- Illness
- Emotional or physical discomfort
- Environmental factors like: light, noise, extreme temperature
- Some medications
- Interferences in normal sleep: jet lag, switching from day to night shift
- Chronic insomnia is caused by:
- Depression or anxiety
- Chronic stress
- Pain or discomfort at night
What are the symptoms?:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Awakening during the night
- Awakening too early
- Not feeling well rested after a night of sleep
- Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
- Irritability, depression, or anxiety
- Difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks
- Increased errors or accidents
- Tension headaches
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Ongoing worries about sleep
How common?:
- Women are twice as likely to have it when compared to men
- Certain social factors, such as being unemployed or divorced, may contribute to poor sleep
- The time leading up to menopause (perimenopausal) causes trouble falling asleep; hot flashes and night sweats can disturb sleep as well
- Insomnia increases with age
- Affects millions of people in the United States
How serious?:
- Fragmented sleep causes health problems
- Can result in lower performance at your job or work
- Slowed reaction time while driving
- You can become overweight or obese
- Poor immune system function
- Increased risk and severity of long-term diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes
Sources:
- http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/Insomnia.cfm
- http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/insomnia
- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/insomnia/DS00187/DSECTION=complications
- http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-10/24/content_6203913.htm
- http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/types-of-sleep-disorder/lack-of-sleep/insomnia.php
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