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Symptoms And Treatment Of Insomnia

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Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up earlier than desired. Research shows that many factors-both behavioral and cognitive- are effective in treating this condition (Roth, 2007). Many of us, however, are not aware of how our behaviors contribute to sleep disruption. In order to understand insomnia, we must first become aware that many normal behaviors effect chemicals in the body, stress levels, and our quality of sleep.
At night, the pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin. This chemical controls the body’s sleep and wake cycle (Lieberman, et al, 1984). Research has shown that melatonin can correlate to many other functions (and problems) in the body besides regulating our sleeping patterns. A common use for melatonin is the treatment of sleep disorders (Jan, 1994). Melatonin supplements have been shown to be an effective treatment for jet-lag or working the night shift- basically any behavior that disrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake rhythm. When a person disrupts his sleep-wake cycle, he is prone to headaches, poor concentration, fatigue…many symptoms that are hallmark of insomnia.
The body has an internal clock, the circadian rhythm, that reacts to many factors in the environment and then tells the body that it is time to either be awake, or go to sleep. In the morning, exposure to sunlight cues our body’s “wake” response (Jan, 1994). Physiologically, the light of the sun travels

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