Healthy Sleep Research

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It can have a devastating impact on one’s emotion, physical, occupation and social life. While it occasionally can be seen in the clinical setting as a primary diagnosis, it most often presents as a comorbidity to a medical or psychiatric issue;

“Why do we sleep?” is a very popular questions that many humans ask today. Sleep is very sufficient to the human body. If it was not important, then God would not have designed for a third of our life to be occupied by sleep. During this time period, many people are interested to know what is a good amount of sleep and what are the harmful effects to not getting enough sleep.

Martha is a 65 year old lady who suffers from insomnia based on the preliminary symptoms of sleeplessness. She is also under severe stress from her mum’s dependence condition which makes her unhappy with her retirement. Martha’s mum’s condition is of great influence to her insomnia disorder for she only thinks of her through out the day, caring for her leaving Martha with little time to check on her health. Insomnia is a disorder that mostly affects the elderly though it may affect people from all ages. It is the lack of sleep even when one feels to have some sleep. It is not a stand alone disease but a symptom which is defined by the duration one lacks quality sleep. Transient insomnia is not having sleep for a week, short term insomnia is lack of adequate sleep for 2-3 weeks, while sleeplessness for a month is termed as chronic insomnia. Various studies have shown that insomnia affects women more often than men and that 30%-50% of elderly Americans experience difficulty in initiating and maintaining adequate sleep. Diagnosing insomnia in a patient the health practitioner would evaluate the patient medical record and other factors that may contribute to insomnia. For example, snoring, psychological factors such as stress levels and drug use. Martha’s physician would check on her medical

Sleep is a beautiful thing, but people do not get enough of it. It is a time for the body to rejuvenate and process the events of the day. Sleeping is something that we seek out. Getting the recommended amount of sleep allows our body to function properly the next day. Without it, there could be detrimental consequences. The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that without sleep, neurons could be “polluted with byproducts”. In severe cases, people who get very little sleep often experience mood swings, hallucinations and cells do not continue to reproduce.

Insomnia can be defined as a purpose or apparent complexity in falling and staying asleep. Dissimilarities in variables used for measurement sleep-onset time, time asleep, and time awake by some, sleepiness, irritability, or other impairment of daytime function by others, make difficult comparisons between studies. The insomnia treatments for which there is confirmation of efficacy include sleep restriction, in which the patient is instructed to remain in bed only as long as he is actually sleeping, stimulus control no activities in the bedroom except sleep and sex, and a variety of relaxation methods, particularly in the circumstance of multimodal sleep clinics (Rowe, 1995).

The sleep assessment conducted on the patient had an interesting dynamic in how we think we sleep opposed to how our partner says we sleep. The patient wakes up every morning at 6 a.m. and takes a nap right after lunchtime approximately at 1 p.m. The daily naps, according to the patient, last about forty-five minutes to an hour. When asked about restlessness when waking up the patient with a stern voice and pointed finger says, "When I'm up I'm up and ready to go." The patient also explained that they have no trouble staying asleep; however going to sleep can be challenging depending on if anything troubling is on her mind.

Everyone needs sleep and it will make a day go smoothly or completely ruin someone’s rest of the day. Every human, animal, and most insects require a sufficient amount of sleep to function normally thought-out their day and night. On average humans need about seven to ten hours of sleep, as a normal requirement for the brain to recover conventionally. However, 40-50 percent of Americans do not get enough sleep every night (Information on Insomnia, n.d.). Lack of time or stressful living schedule may hinder there sleeping time. Others may have a disorder that causes them to have horrible sleep experiences and not being able to sleep.

This essay focuses on evaluating three functions of sleep. These functions include mental health (Jackowska et al, 2011), cardiovascular disease (Kronholm et al, 2011) and memory (Hu et al, 2006). The key aspects are explained in detail with regards to studies. The findings from the studies will help justify the function and it’s involvement with sleep. Sleep is important for an individual’s well being, survival, brain development, emotional regulation, cognitive function, memory, and in order to protect mental and cardiovascular health. An individual should sleep for 6-8 hours. A recent suggestion by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommended that an individual should sleep for minimum 7 hours. The quality of sleep is significant to maintain healthy brain functions. Evidence, indicating that good sleep quality is essential for mood and health then duration (Chandola et al, 2010). The researches implied will enable the understanding of the functions of sleep and evaluate the evidence of each of the functions, including advantages and limitations. Furthermore ethical issues are discussed, and an overall summary of the essay is briefed.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 30 to 40 percent of adults report symptoms of insomnia while 10 to 15 percent say they have chronic insomnia (Rivas, Anthony). Many people suffer from acute to chronic insomnia, an illness which affects the body and mind and often stems from a larger problem. However, this illness can be cured through pharmaceutical measures, cognitive behavioral therapy, and/or complementary and alternative medicines. Treatment may vary for each person, so it is important for one to talk with a doctor about what may work best for them. Insomnia comes in two types, onset and maintenance. Onset insomnia is where an individual has difficulty falling asleep and maintenance insomnia is the trouble of remaining asleep

Schutte-Rodin S, Broch L, Buysse D, Dorsey C, Sateia M. Clinical guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic insomnia in adults. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008 Oct 15. 4(5):487-504.

Sleep is undoubtedly one of the most essential requirements for the human body to function properly. It plays a very important role in ensuring the wellness of the human body both physically as well as mentally. In fact, the importance of sleep is clear from the fact that it helps you in maintaining a good lifestyle throughout our entire lifetime. Not only does it help maintain our physical and mental health; rather it also helps in maintaining a decent and healthy lifestyle along with ensuring safety from a number of fatal diseases. It is usually said that the mood in which you wake up is largely dependent on the type of sleep you have been in. This in itself is a big proof of the importance of sleep in our lives. While sleeping, our body finally gets its share of rest and it also gets ample time in rejuvenating from all the wear and tear that it went through during the entire day. Not only this, the body is in its own working condition when we are sleeping as this is the time when it supports the healthy functioning of the brain as well as physical attributes of our body.

     “Insomnia is the inability to obtain adequate amount or quality of sleep. The difficulty can be with falling asleep, remaining asleep, or both” (“Insomnia Encyclopedia“). Sleeping is a major point in physically and mentally restoring yourself for the tasks ahead. Most people say that about eight hours of sleep is an adequate amount, however it differs from person to person depending on their sex, age, and health conditions. An estimated one-third of the population suffers from some form of insomnia. “In recent studies, a survey reported that 30% of American women and 20% of American men took medication to help them sleep during the course of a year” (“Insomnia”). The medications these people took are called

Continuing development of technological advances has shifted our society towards a post-industrialised age. This is the 24-hour world where globalisation and information technology marked significance. The value of time has changed in respond to society by its social effects. This is an era where ‘’time is money’’ (Granger et al., 1961), aiming to do more things in a shorter time. This motive is in conflict with the principle of sleep. ‘’Sleep, indeed is a standing affront to capitalism (Crary, 2013).’’ I would like to use my diary on Sleeping Routine to show how sleep, is exploited and further consumed in capitalist society.

The consequences of chronic insomnia, in terms of morbidity and mortality, could explain some of the symptomatic developments seen in FFI and SFI. Perhaps the prion disease itself merely functions to disrupt the sleep wave cycle by damaging the thalamus and all of the other pathophysiology seen in fatal insomnia develops secondary to the insomnia. However, as will be show in the discussion section, there brain regions affected in FFI and SFI are linked to multiple functions!

Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life. Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among Americans it can be either acute, lasting one to several nights, or chronic, even lasting months to years. According to the Insomnia “ JAMA; The Journal of the American Medical Association, about thirty to forty percent of adults say they have some symptoms of insomnia within a given year and about ten to fifty percent of adults say they have chronic insomnia. (Insomnia “ JAMA; The Journal of the American Medical Association) Insomnia is higher among older people and woman, the reason woman suffer loss of sleep is in connection with menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Insomnia sometimes may occur when you are stress whether it is short-term or long-term for some people for instance, problems in a marriage or relationship, loss of a love one, a job. But as well in preparing or anticipating for an event like arrival of a newborn baby, weddings, vacations or holidays makes it even harder to fall asleep. My friends Rosa and Ruby are having symptoms of insomnia disorder because they recently had their newborn baby daughter’s. But I hope they are able to maintain a sleeping schedule for their daughters at certain hours in order for them to get their sleep back. Preventing insomnia it is important to remember to maintain a consistent sleeping schedule and also should avoid too much caffeinate drinks during the eight hours before sleeping. Treatment for insomnia, you can go to a psychiatrist they can prescribe antidepressants or another medications to help your sleeping problems and any mood or anxiety disorder you might have. (The literary Insomniac: stories and essays for sleepless