Insomnia Essay, Research Paper
Insomnia
Almost everyone experiences insomnia now and then. When
one believes he must be in bed by a certain time every night
or that he needs a certain number of hours of sleep, it may
be the very thing that is preventing him from going to sleep
(Munson 21). It is unfortunately true that many people still
suffer from poor sleep but do not know that there are
numerous programs that can help them. Insomnia, which
is due to various causes and includes a vaiety of symptoms,
can be reduced or eliminated in a number of ways.
Stress is one of the main causes in determining
insomnia. It is a fact of every day life and can be defined
as any event which causes a significant emotional response.
Happy occasions such as getting married, promoted, or going
on a vacation can cause stress reaction, not only because
because participation in the event is occurring but also in
the preparation. More obvious events that occur throughout
one’s life are the loss of a job, a loved one, or the need
for surgery. In such major life changes, the sources of the
emotional response is much more easily identified (Shapiro
MacFarlane Hussain 49).
There are two types of stress: bad stress or negative
stress which destroys your ability to operate at capacity,
mentally and physically and good stress which improves your
performance (Shapiro 49-50).
There are different ways to reduce stress. One should
try to find
a job he really enjoys. It is not the stress of work that
wears one out but the stress of frustration and failure. Two
big causes of stress on the job are not knowing what is
expected and not having adequate facts or tools.
Escaping for a while is another method to help eliminate
stress. One can visit a friend, go to a movie, or
shop. When he returns, he can attempt to cope with the
problem. However, it does not help to keep escaping, the
individual should try to cope with problems as promptly as
they arise (Hauri 111).
Even though it is often difficult to make changes in
lifestyle, the effort is worth it. Exchanging stress for a
sense of control can lift a heavy weight from one’s
shoulders.
The more control one has over his life during the day, the
more likely it is that his night time sleep will become
satisfying again (Hauri 113).
One factor that may affect one’s sleeping pattern is
age.
As people grow older, the quality of sleep usually
deteriorates and the sleep becomes less efficient, lighter,
and less restful.
In addition, irregular times of going to sleep and
waking up make sleeping more difficult because one’s body
gets used to sleep at a certain time (Willis 3).
There are some measures which can be taken to help
prevent insomnia.
Reducing one’s caffeine intake is one. Often
insomniacs are very sensitive to this stimulant and thus may
be unable to sleep after only one cup of soda or coffee in
the afternoon. Therefore if one has a persistent problem
falling
asleep, he might try to do without caffeine completely
(Hauri 52).
A second prevention is by limiting alcohol. Many people
use alcohol as a sleeping aid to induce sleep which can be a
stimulant. In addition, some alcoholics report that their
problem began with bedtime drinking (Shapiro 79).
A third prevention is getting rid of cigarettes.
Nicotine, a drug contained in cigarette smoke can affect ones
ability to sleep.
Studies show cigarettes raise blood pressure, speed up
the heart rate, and stimulates brainwave activity. Sleep
often improves dramatically in smokers who quit (Sweeney 49).
For these reasons remedies are often successful.
For example sleeping in a well ventilated room, avoiding
heavy meals before bedtime, reading a relaxing book, or
drinking warm milk before retiring. If these steps fail, a
physician may prescribe sleeping pills to help restore normal
sleeping habits while the cause of the insomnia is still
being researched, severe insomnia may require treatment by
psychiatrist (”Insomnia” 127).
As a result insomnia has a variety of symptoms and
includes various causes in which there is no one program for
everyone with this disorder. In fact, when it comes to
recommendations, what is good for one kind of insomnia may
very well be bad for another. The more we learn about
insomnia, the more we realize just how important sleep is to
our health and the quality of our entire lives. Therefore
the importance of studying it is unimaginable.
Hauri, Peter, and Shirley Linde. New York: Wiley, 1990.
“Insomnia.” 9th ed. 1991.
Munson, Marty. “Doze Without Drugs” July 1994:
21-23.
Shapiro, Colin M., James G. MacFarlane, and Mohamed R.G.
Hussain.. Hamilton: Empowering Press, 1994.
Sweeney, Donald R. New York:
Putnam’s, 1989.
Willis, Judith. “On Making It Through The Night.” Sept. 1979: 3.