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Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep and plagues one in three American adults. The inability to get enough restful sleep at night causes daytime fatigue and difficulty focusing on tasks. Transient periods of insomnia occur in most people for a night or two related to excitement or stress. However, a chronic form of insomnia may develop and last for months or even years in response to persistent stress. Insomnia can also be related to overuse of stimulants or alcohol, shift work, environmental factors or medical illness.
Insomnia may best be assessed by a consultation with a sleep specialist. The sleep specialist may use simple tests to rule out underlying causes for insomnia or to record a patient’s wake/sleep patterns over several weeks. Group training workshops on understanding and self-treatment countermeasures for insomnia may also be helpful. |
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