Insomnia Essay, Research Paper
Sleep! Sleep! Sleep! What exactly is sleep and why do we need it? Sleep is the state of partial or full unconsciousness by which the body restores itself. Without sleep, it would be impossible to survive. The body needs time to rejuvenate its system functions, and to temporarily shut down and rest. An appropriate amount of sleep for a young-adult is around 8 or 9 hours. The inability to fall asleep or to sleep long enough to feel rested is insomnia, which affects about 30 million people in the U.S. annually. (Encarta, 1998)
Sleeplessness is second only to colds, as our most reported medical complaint in the United States. (Tizon, 1991) It can be brought on by physical problems such as pain from an injury, or mental problems such as depression. Anxiety over important affairs such as a job interview, a wedding, or an exam can also cause insomnia. If it usually takes more than thirty minutes to fall asleep or you are up in the middle of the night for at least thirty minutes, you may have insomnia.
There are a lot of accomplished people who claim not to get a lot of sleep. Tonight Show host, Jay Leno, only gets four hours of sleep a night. The same goes for Martha Stewart. Leonard da Vinci only got 90 minutes of sleep a day. (Hunter, 2000) It is presumed that he took a fifteen-minute nap every four hours. This shows how being productive when you can t sleep, is a good decision. Insomniacs need to realize that their problem isn t rare and that they aren t alone.
Causes of the Condition
Medication side affects (amphetamines, decongestants, and antihistamines)
Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol
Drug abuse
Depression, stress, anxiety
Poor sleep surroundings
Chronic pain, chronic illness
Daytime napping, poor sleep habits (Reyes, 2000)
Time Pressure
Environmental Noise
Jet lag
Kidney disease, heart failure,
Asthma
Sleep apnea (Sleepnet, 2000)
Narcolepsy
Nocturnal Myoclonus (Weck, 1989)
Lack of exercise
Shift work
Being too hot or cold (Pritchet, 1997)
Three basic types of insomnia
Transient insomnia – lasts for a few nights.
Short-term insomnia – about three weeks of poor sleep.
Chronic insomnia – consistent unsatisfying sleep that lasts for over a month.
Transient and short-term insomniacs are usually having problems due to stress, unfamiliar noises, irregular sleep patterns, or medication side effects. Sometimes, transient insomniacs don t even need treatment. The biological clock will usually get back to normal on its own. If the area they are trying to sleep in is unusual, and there are disrupting noises or smells, then the person needs to either find a new place to sleep or fix the problem. If their problem is due to a certain medication they are taking, then it must be replaced or given in lower doses. Stress can be treated with drugs and/or counseling. Counseling can help, but stress sometimes just needs to run its course. (Weck, 1989) Chronic insomnia is much more serious! About 60% of all cases of chronic insomnia stem from mental or physical ailments. These include depression, sleep apnea, and periodic limb movements. (Lamberg, 1990) If the insomniac doesn t have any ailments then it could be caused by persistent fretting. The more they worry, the more they toss and turn. The worse they sleep, the more they worry.
Chronic insomnia can actually be fatal. It is also hereditary. In Bologna, Italy, 14 members of a family have died as a result of chronic insomnia since 1922. The last victim of the family died in 1986, a 53-year-old man who went without sleep for nine months. Insomnia can also cause fatalities indirectly. In two studies of insomnia victims, one group was found to have a higher rate of traffic accidents and another performed much below average on driving tests. (Weck, 1989)
Symptoms of Insomnia
Sleepiness
Anxiety
Impaired concentration
Impaired memory
Irritability
Lack of energy (Sleepnet, 2000)
Insomnia is not always detectable by others, and is often ignored by victims. Insomniacs can sometimes be a danger to society. Automobile drivers with insomnia have a higher rate of traffic accidents. It is also hard for them to keep a job. Their reflexes are slower, they may miss red lights and present other driving dangers. Inattentive, they may make frequent mistakes and appear lazy and indifferent, causing employers to fire them. (Weck, 1989)
How to treat insomnia
Treatment for insomnia consists of good sleeping habits, counseling, relaxation techniques, sleep restriction, and sleeping pills. If the victim is not able to reestablish a sleeping pattern naturally, then a medical evaluation is needed. The evaluation should help figure out the cause of insomnia.
Since many people with insomnia suffer from stress, anxiety, or depression, counseling is often the best treatment. The counselor can often find the problem and advise you on how to cope with it. (Pritchet, 1997)
Relaxation techniques help relax your muscles and free your mind of worries, thus allowing you to get a good night of sleep. They help you to get rid of anxiety and body tension.
Attempting to get sleep by spending more time in bed is not advisable. If sleep does not occur after about 30 minutes, then you should get up and do something. Then get up at your regular hour. (Hunter, 1993) It is also a good idea to have the clock out of the sleeper s sight, like under the bed or turned against the wall. Insomniacs are often clock-watchers, and it s a bad idea to look at the clock if you wake up during the night. People sleep better without time pressure. (Lamberg, 1990) The room in which you sleep should be free of all distractions. I know people who have a fax machine at the foot of their bed with a little bleeper so they can get up in the middle of the night to read their faxes, the pressure to lead a 24-hour life is getting worse. (Hunter, 2000) With distractions like that, it is very difficult to get adequate sleep.
Doctors are skeptical on the use of sleeping pills. Sleeping pills not only lose their effectiveness after 4 to 6 months but also may disturb your sleeping pattern and thus contribute to insomnia. (Larson, 1996) There are many new products on the market that should be given a try, before getting prescription sleeping pills though. Such as: Tylenol P.M., Alluna, and Sleepinol.
Long-term affects of insomnia
Less work productivity
More accidents
Low concentration
Short and long-term memory problems
Irritability
Insomnia makes it really hard to keep family relationships. Many people do not understand what the victim is going through.
Conclusion
There are many diseases and problems that face our society. Insomnia is one of the most common, and is generally possible to treat. Insomnia is often a symptom of another disorder too. Whether it be through mental or physical treatment, it can be overridden. The problem simply cannot be avoided and should be treated for. Even if insomnia is short-term, treatment is essential. Short-term insomnia leads to chronic insomnia. The earlier you treat the problem, the more curable it is.
Sleep needs to be an enjoyment and a remedy! Especially since we spend a third of our life doing it.
Другие работы по теме:
Sleep An Essay For Macbeth Essay Research
Paper Shakespeare uses sleep as a reward and a consequence in his plays. If a character is innocent and pure, he is allowed restful, fulfilling sleep. If the character is not, he is condemned to a lifetime of insomnia and other problems. In Macbeth, the reader can see this idea manifest itself in many different ways.
Macbeth Motiff Essay On Sleep Essay Research
Paper Sleep is a time when everything (thoughts, images, fears, and even people) can be put to rest, its like semi-death, but there in the morning there is a rebirth, a reawakening. Sleep is the asylum and refuge for what is done during the day. The pre-murder of Duncan, the aftermaths of the murder and the realization of what Macbeth has done are all parts of the motif sleep.
Blasted Wabbitt Essay Research Paper Insomnia is
Blasted Wabbitt Essay, Research Paper Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: 1.difficulty falling asleep 2) waking up frequently during the nighttime with difficulty returning to sleep 3) waking up to early in the morning 4) unrefreshing sleep.
Serfs Essay Research Paper They are the
Serfs Essay, Research Paper They are the ones who supply the lord with food. They are the ones who do the lords work. they are the ones bound to the land, never to leave it. They are the ones who do all these things without reward. They are the serfs. In return for all of their work the lord protects them. It was said by nobles and lords, that without protection they would surely be looted and killed.
The Validity Of Hippocrates
’ Aphorisms Essay, Research Paper Hippocrates was a Greek philosopher who lived about twenty-four hundred years ago. He is considered the founder of medical science. Many of Hippocrates philosophies, aphoristically written, have a common theme. Some of these aphorisms still hold true today, however others have been proven false.
The Tempest Vs Brave New Worl Essay
, Research Paper Although these two English works exist many centuries apart and use two different forms, William Shakespeare in The Tempest and Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, use style to explore the theme of the nature of men and sleep . What is sleep? The dictionary definition states sleep as the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored.
SLEEP Essay Research Paper Are Allnighters Really
SLEEP Essay, Research Paper Are All-nighters Really Worth It? This article basically talks about the importance of sleep, specifically REM sleep, to transfer short-term memory to long-term memory. Researchers at Harvard University suggest that getting good sleep is necessary to convert short-term memory into long term memory.
Insomnia In Wordsworth
’s “To Sleep” Essay, Research Paper In his poem, “To Sleep,” Wordsworth talks about how he can’t seem to fall asleep. He never tells us why, but maybe it’s because he doesn’t know. There probably was a significant event that he experienced that has either affected him psychologically that he doesn’t know would affect him, or he has opted to not tell us about it.
Soliloquoy From Henry IV Essay Research Paper
William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part II, contains a soliloquy in which King Henry grieves over his difficulty sleeping. Shakespeare illustrates the King’s musings through exquisite diction, imagery, and syntax. These literary elements effectively demonstrate the King’s state of mind.
Psycology Essay Research Paper Sleep and BeyondThis
Psycology Essay, Research Paper Sleep and Beyond This is going to be my essay about sleep. When you are asleep many things take place . It is not just the rest of the day but also the recovery of the body so that it can get the energy it might need for the following day .There are 3 major types of sleep that take place in the average night .
Sleep Stages Essay Research Paper Sleep Occurs
Sleep Stages Essay, Research Paper Sleep Occurs in Four Stages During the sleep, homeostasis will fluctuate because sleep occurs on four stages (Davidmann 1998). The individual goes from awake to Stage 1, then to 2, 3 and finally 4. After spending about twenty minutes in Stage 4, individuals return to Stage 1 and progress back to Stage 4.
Insomnia Essay Research Paper Insomnia is caused
Insomnia Essay, Research Paper Insomnia is caused by everyday situations involving emotional extremes of happiness or anxiety. Although the term insomnia literally translates into ?no sleep?, it is used by most people to describe trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. The consequence of this is being unable to function as well as usual the following day.
Insomnia Essay Research Paper Insomnia
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
Insomnia Essay Research Paper InsomniaInsomnia is the
Insomnia Essay, Research Paper Insomnia Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up many times a night with troubles of falling back asleep, waking up too early, or unrefreshing sleep.
Insomnia Essay Research Paper InsomniaInsomnia comes in
Insomnia Essay, Research Paper Insomnia Insomnia comes in many forms and worries people of all ages, most commonly for just a night or two, but sometimes for weeks, months, and even years. Insomnia has many causes. Insomnia is a symptom, much like fever or stomachache. There three symptoms commonly shown by people who have insomnia: difficulty falling asleep, no problem falling asleep but difficulty staying asleep with many awakenings, and waking up too early.
Fairy Tale Of A Princess Who Would
Not.. Essay, Research Paper Fairy Tale Of A Princess Who Would Not Sleep Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a princess who could not go to sleep. Her parents, the King and Queen spent the whole day from morning until night coaxing, pleading with begging and crying for her to take a nap or just lie down, but she refused.
Aliens Essay Research Paper Aliens Are They
Aliens Essay, Research Paper Aliens, Are They Really Out There Aliens, are they really out there? One may ask that question. There are no proofs of any interaction with aliens. So many people report being abducted by aliens is that true? So many questions and no little answers. Aliens can be fragments of our imagination, moreover human imagination is very wild.
Poem Do You Know Mom
…? Essay, Research Paper Do you know mom…? Every night before I go to sleep, I think about you, As I lay in bed, alone in my own little world of thoughts, You are there with me “my mother.”
Macbeth Essay Research Paper 2
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper “Murdered Sleep” In the tragedy Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare during the English Renaissance, the tragic hero, Macbeth, constantly declines his level of morality until his fatality at the end of the play. Throughout the play, Macbeth is influenced by Lady Macbeth in addition to his tragic flaw, his ambition, leads him to his downfall.
Insomnia Essay Research Paper English bookreportTitle
Insomnia Essay, Research Paper English bookreport Title : Insomnia Writer: Stephen King Ralph Roberts is an old man who lives in Derry, Maine (USA). He has a problem : he can’t sleep. Every morning he keeps waking up earlier; 3:15…3:02…2:45, and he can’t go back
Rem Sleep Essay Research Paper The Neural
Rem Sleep Essay, Research Paper The Neural Control of Slow-Wave and REM Sleep Although sleep involves most of the brain, the basal forebrain region is particularly important to slow-wave and REM sleep. Sterman and Clemente found that electrical stimulation of this area produced drowsiness and the subjects of the study readily fell asleep.
Night Terrors Essay Research Paper Night TerrorsNight
Night Terrors Essay, Research Paper Night Terrors Night terrors are relatively common occurrence that appears mostly in young children typically between the ages of three and five year olds. A night terror usually occurs after the child goes to bed. Night terrors can be hereditary. If you or your spouse had them as a young child, most likely your child will get them too.
Whats Happiness Essay Research Paper What s
Whats Happiness Essay, Research Paper What s it going to take? David Myers says in the article Don t Worry You Can Be Happy by John B. Thomas. Happiness relies largely on things unrelated to money, such as meaningful activities and enriching relationships. With that the article states that with the following ten steps you can improve your happiness.
Sleep Essay Research Paper Still it cried
Sleep Essay, Research Paper Still it cried, “Sleep no more!” to all the house. “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.”
After Apple Picking Essay Research Paper The
After Apple Picking Essay, Research Paper The speaker uses the word “sleep” six times in the poem. This repetition, along with additional words that connote sleeping or resting, comes to suggest the presence of death. The speaker has endured a long hard life, and his routine activity, no matter how fulfilling it must have been at first and throughout, has agonized him and brought exhaustion to his soul.
Sleep Deprivation Essay Research Paper Sleep DeprivationIn
Sleep Deprivation Essay, Research Paper Sleep Deprivation In today s busy lifestyle, the days are just not long enough to get everything done. Getting the correct amount of sleep is important to not only be healthy, but also to live safely, as may Americans may not know the severity of sleep deprivation. The human body requires sleep to regenerate, and a lack their of causes it to function abnormally.
Sleep Disorders Essay Research Paper Sleep and
Sleep Disorders Essay, Research Paper Sleep and Sleeping Disorders Sleep, normal, regular state of rest of an organism. In contrast to the waking stated, sleep is characterized by relative Quiescence of physiological functions(blood pressure, breathing, heartbeat). And a relatively low response to external stimuli.
Sleep Essay Research Paper SleepPeaceful sleep is
Sleep Essay, Research Paper Sleep Peaceful sleep is something that people have longed for since the beginning of time. Animals sleep in order to rest there bodies and minds, so that they do not die of exhaustion. On the other hand, people use sleep as an escape from the stresses of life. Philip Sidney s Sonnet XXXIX is a excellent example of the extreme need humans have for sleep.
An Analysis On Adam Purcell
’s Sleep Adam Sleep Essay, Research Paper An Analysis of Purcell’s’ Sleep, Adam, Sleep Out of all of the composers of the Baroque era, Henry Purcell seems to have extraordinary consideration for Italian operas, court odes, and religious anthems. He is best known for the epic Dido and Aenas, which was one of his famous operas.
Early To Bed Essay Research Paper Early
Early To Bed Essay, Research Paper Early to Bed ?Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise,? is one of the most widely quoted proverbs from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s