Taking A Look At Insomnia

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Sleep and Daytime Functioning in College Students. (Taylor, et al. 2014)

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;

Ebben, M. R., & Narizhnaya, M. (2012). Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment Options for Insomnia. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 79(4)

Insomnia can have a significant impact on men's health. A study has found men are more likely than women to die from insomnia related medical conditions. Men can lower their risk of dying an early death by getting at least six hours of sleep a night.

Sleep is often over looked as an intervention for ME, but through the improvement of environment, medication, life style changes and self-help strategies, sleep can be improved to help provide symptom relief and increase an individuals energy envelope. (ANZMES, n.d.c; Pemberton & Berry, 2009; Wright,

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is proved to be an effective therapy for treating insomnia. (Edinger & Means, 2015) (Pigeon, 2010)(Mitchell et.al, 2014)

It is unclear whether excessive thinking or stress mediates both insomnia symptoms and impairment, but therapy targeting dysfunctional beliefs about sleep has shown effectiveness for improvement. The main insomnia therapies targeting dysfunctional beliefs are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive therapy (CT), and behavioral therapy (BT). CBT includes CT, which focuses on identifying and altering beliefs, and behavioral therapy (BT), which focuses on sleep restriction and maintenance of consistent sleep.12 Both Morin et al. and Eidelman et al. found CBT to improve insomnia and functioning.12,13 CT and BT was also shown improvements in insomnia symptoms, daytime improvement, and dysfunctional beliefs.12 Dysfunctional beliefs may be

Many disorders and diseases can result from abnormal sleeping patterns that are triggered from sleep deprivation. The most common forms of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy (NINDS 10). All of these sleep disorders begin from sleep deprivation and can be managed once they are diagnosed correctly. According to Urban, “Nervousness, dizziness, and sleeplessness may occur”, as a result of sleep deprivation (1). This proves that the slightest health changes can occur if sleep deprivation becomes a problem. According to NINDS, “The disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities” (10). This shows that the effects of being sleep deprived can drastically change one’s everyday

Many people around the world experience sleep disorders at some point in their lives. Insomnia is one of the common sleep disorders that defined as an inability to fall or stay asleep a result there are five million patients per year in the US alone. Because having sleep problems can have serious consequences such as affecting the mood, weight, and memory, it is important to know how to treat it accurately. The non drug strategies are the best way to control insomnia (1). Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of non drug strategies that have many steps to treat insomnia, but the most common steps are a sleep restriction therapy, sleep hygiene education, and relaxation.

In my paper, I will tackle insomnia from various perspectives: definitions, types, causes, effects, and means of solutions.

Sleep disorders alter ones sleep pattern and often results in the inability to either sleep or sleep soundly. They often cause you to feel restless, tired, fatigued, and irritable. It is estimated that nearly 75 percent of adult Americans experience sleep disorder symptoms at least a few nights per week. At the same time, sleep disturbances in some form are seen in as many as 25 to 30 percent of infants and children (“Sleep Disorders” 2013). Clearly a huge conundrum in the world, sleep disorders affect an inordinate amount of people. Millions of people suffer or have suffered from a sleep disorder at one point in their lives and if mistreated can impact organ systems functioning negatively. Physical disturbances, medical issues,

In the poem, “Insomnia” by Elizabeth Bishop, the speaker discusses her feelings and experiences of restlessness and loneliness during the night, instigated by her lover’s unrequited love. The poem explores the parallel between the speaker and the moon through their shared dissatisfaction with themselves and the speaker’s aspiration to achieve the strength of the moon. In the poem, the speaker recognizes her paralysis in her feminine role and conveys her desire to escape from the realities of a patriarchal society toward an inverted fantastical reality.

Dalai Lama once said, “Sleep is the best meditation” (Sleep Quotes). Some people, however, are unable to acquire such meditation. I originally intended to write my research paper on insomnia but after reading several articles, one article on the formation of research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for insomnia garnered my attention. Sleep, in general, is interesting due to its complexities and the way it affects people. I was struggling with getting proper rest in high school, so I sought out information in order to improve the quality of my sleep. I ended up finding more than I intended. It took decades for people to see that RDC was needed for insomnia. Creating appropriate RDC for insomnia and ways to test for it proved to be a complex process that took much time and effort.

     “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

Insomnia affects almost half of adults living in America. (# 8, 2012) This is a shared sleeping disorder that many people across the universe are diagnosed with. Several causes of insomnia include exercising too much, stress, withdrawal from alcohol or a certain drug, physical circumstances, and diseases. People with insomnia usually have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, which causes people to have poor-quality sleep, which will affect their mood, energy, and productiveness for the next day. (MediLexicon, Intl., 2012) More symptoms of insomnia include waking up earlier than needed, having trouble falling back asleep, and being in a bad mood the following day. Insomnia can cause many more problems such as weight