Introduction: What is insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects the ability to fall asleep, stay asleep or enjoy sleep.

Insomnia can range from short-term and occasional insomnia to chronic insomnia that can last for months.

The four types of insomnia are:

• difficulty falling asleep
• difficulty staying asleep
• waking up much earlier than planned
• restless sleep

Each type of insomnia usually presents with different symptoms, which is why many people don’t even know they have insomnia.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is the condition of not being able to sleep or sleep well. There are many causes of insomnia, but the most common cause is stress. Other causes of insomnia include substance abuse, psychological problems, medical conditions and poor sleep habits.

If you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep at night, there could be a few different reasons for this. The reasons could be your mental state (stress), physical factors (depression) or even environmental factors (noise). There’s also always the chance that it’s just due to poor sleep habits.

The word insomnia comes from the Latin words “in” (not) and “somniare” (to dream). It means that the patient has difficulty either falling asleep or staying asleep because of physical or psychological difficulties.

Insomnia is often linked to other conditions such as depression, anxiety, asthma, heart disease, arthritis and chronic pain.

Those who work in demanding fields often experience insomnia because of their inability to disconnect enough to get quality sleep during the week. Lack of exercise and excessive time spent at a desk in a chair also contribute to the problem.

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can lead to decreased productivity and cognitive impairment.

Insomnia is classified into four different types: one type of insomnia is transient, which includes short periods of sleep disturbance lasting no more than three days; another type is chronic, where the disturbance lasts for three months or more. The third type is secondary insomnia, which includes any other cause of insomnia, such as depression, and the last type is idiopathic or primary insomnia, where no other factors can be determined as to why the person cannot sleep.

Insomnia can be caused by medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic lung disease, asthma and obstructive sleep apnoea. An underlying mental health condition, such as depression, can also lead to insomnia. Other factors that can contribute to an individual’s inability to sleep are alcohol and/or drug use, stress, smoking, pain medication and shift work (night shift).

The brain produces up to 20,000 thoughts a day. The act of sleeping allows a reduction in the number of thoughts people think and also provides an opportunity to sort through the day’s events. Unlike sleep deprivation, there is a significant positive correlation between good sleep and the ability to learn new information.

Other possible secondary causes of insomnia include the following:

• taking medication for colds, allergies, asthma or blood pressure
• hyperthyroidism or other endocrine problems
• pregnancy
• pre-menstrual syndrome or menopause
• excessive use of caffeine, tobacco or alcohol
• drug use
• chronic pain
• Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia
• ADHD (attention deficit disorder)

Effects of insomnia on your health and happiness

It’s important to remember that everyone needs different amounts of sleep, depending on their individual needs. The effects of insomnia are not equal for all people. Some people may experience fatigue, difficulty concentrating or remembering things, and difficulty putting thoughts together coherently. On the other hand, some people may not notice any symptoms at all, even if they sleep less than they should.

Insomnia is a disorder that comes with a long list of side effects. Here’s how insomnia can affect your mental and physical health:

• more likely to have high stress levels.
• higher risk of developing depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder, diabetes or high blood pressure
• risk of accidents at work or at home
• may decrease productivity
• increased risk of obesity and diabetes
• because it affects mood, it can cause an eating disorder to develop
• insomnia is linked to lower levels of serotonin, which is the “happy hormone”

Sleep deprivation as a method of torture

To understand how serious the problem of insomnia is and why you should not treat it with indifference or superficiality, you need to know that sleep deprivation has historically been used as a form of torture.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the practice is in serious breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, being “known for its particular intensity and cruelty, a practice of inhuman and degrading treatment”.

Ways to prevent insomnia

There are various treatments available to treat insomnia, which include medication, lifestyle changes and psychotherapy.

It is important to consult a doctor before starting any medication treatment, as they will be able to recommend the best course of action for your specific situation.

As for lifestyle changes, here are 5 things you can do to improve insomnia:

First, you should try to identify the root of the problem that is causing your insomnia. If you find what’s causing it, you can then try to fix it and get rid of it. You may need the help of a psychologist to do this.

Try reading a few pages of a soothing book before bed. This can help calm your mind while reducing any negative thoughts you may have had during the day.

Keep your sleep schedule as consistent as possible, going to bed at about the same time each night and waking up at about the same time each morning.

Make sure the room is dark enough and the temperature is low enough for a restful sleep.

Limit ‘screen’ consumption 1-2 hours before bedtime. The term ‘screens’ includes all electronic devices with a screen: TV, monitor, mobile phone, tablet, laptop and so on. The reason is that all these devices emit so-called blue light, which interferes with the body’s natural rhythm and can delay falling asleep.

Psychotherapy helps the patient to understand the cause of insomnia and resolve the inner conflicts or situations that caused it. It can help you process thoughts and emotions about insomnia or other situations in your life that may cause you stress or anxiety.