by Amanda Labumbard

Created on: August 16, 2010   Last Updated: August 17, 2010

I am sure everyone has gone through this situation before. You’re lying in bed, two hours after you turned off your light. You are tired, yet cannot keep your eyes closed for some reason. Or you fall asleep, and every hour you are waking up, making it impossible to get a good nights sleep. This is fairly common if you are going through a stressful time, but what if it is happening every night, all the time? Insomnia. The word comes from the Latin words “in” (not) and somnus (sleep). Insomnia can be one of two things. A symptom of a much more serious mental disease, or a problem all in its own. Insomnia is a problem because your body is not getting the sleep it needs, therefore causing sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can cause things such as hallucinations, delusions, lack of concentration and micro sleep, where your body essentially falls asleep for anywhere between a second and ten seconds, which can be bad if you drive. How can you tell if you have insomnia?

Well, first things first. You cannot sleep. The medical definition of insomnia states that you have insomnia if you have difficulty getting to sleep, or wake up many times during the night for at least a one month period. Other symptoms include not waking up refreshed, feeling tired and falling asleep during the day, and waking up several times during sleep. And now the symptoms of sleep deprivation, which is tied with insomnia, and just as important.
    For one, the ability of your brain to function quickly evaporates with each night of lost sleep, making it harder and harder to do simple tasks that once came easily to you. You brain works harder but works less efficiently. Loss of memory and lack of concentration are included. More symptoms include depression, heart disease, hypertension, irritability, slow reaction times, slurred speech and tremors. When you see the signs of sleep deprivation, make sure to consult your doctor, because this could also be a sign of Insomnia.
    How to they treat Insomnia? Well, there are a few different methods that are used by doctors. What is used to treat it depends on several things, such as the severity of the disease. One thing doctors try is simply changing the schedule and routine of the patient, and a lot of times, this can help and treatment ends there. Other times, this proves not so helpful. So the doctors move on to sleep aides which are also called hypnotics. Usually taking these for a few weeks is enough to get a person back on a regular sleep schedule.
    In conclusion, Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it so you cannot sleep, and sets your body up for sleep deprivation. It can be treated with pills, or a simply change In daily routine. Remember, if you have any of the symptoms seen above, contact your doctor and schedule an appointment, and keep yourself healthy.

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