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Essay on Insomnia: His/her Sleep Problem

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"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 hypnotics. The causes of …show more content…

To get started you have to keep a log and set realistic goals for oneself. Next, change poor sleep habits that a patient might have such as maintain a consistent sleep-wake rhythm and reduce the time spent in bed. Third, is to think your way out of sleeplessness. Another is managing daytime stress in everyday life. Fifth is the basics of sleep hygiene. Do not over consume food or beverages that contain caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Next is if a patient has already been on sleeping pills is to get rid of the habit of taking those pills. And last is to maintain progress over time to prevent from relapses and to deal with setbacks (Morin 62).
According to Charles M. Morin, PH.D., there are also eight effective strategies for beating insomnia. Another name for theses strategies is called sleep hygiene measures. The first step is to allow one hour before bedtime to unwind. Second is to develop a pre-sleep ritual. Third is to go to bed only when you are sleepy. Fourth, if you can not sleep, leave the bedroom. Fifth is to maintain a regular awakening time in the morning. Sixth, reserve the bed for sleep and sexual intercourse only. Seventh is to not nap during the day. And eighth, restrict the amount of time you spend in bed to the estimated sleep time (Morin 69). The next treatment is drug therapy. Sleeping medications are generally prescribed for transient and short-term insomnia. The three

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