What Is Insomnia?

In its simplest terms Insomnia is the inability to sleep, or at least having problems with sleeping properly. It is also described as sleeplessness.

Most people will have some kind of problem sleeping at some point in their lives.

The problem may come on suddenly, remain for a few days and then disappear just as suddenly.

Or, the problem may build over a period of time, with the amount of sleeplessness increasing gradually.

Sometimes there is an obvious cause for the problem, stress or nervousness, illness, or environmental factors.

Sometimes there is no clue as to the cause.

Insomnia is sometimes a symptom of a problem, and sometimes a sign of a completely different problem.

If the problem is short lived then it probably won’t have much of an impact.

But, if the problem goes on for long periods, or if the loss of sleep is bad enough, then it can have a significant impact on the sufferers life.

If you are having problems sleeping, perhaps finding it hard to get to sleep when you go to bed, or finding that you wake up early, or that you have periods of wakefulness during the night, then you may find this having a knock on effect on the rest of your life.

Prolonged or severe insomnia can leave you feeling extremely tired. You may find it difficult to concentrate, even the most basic of tasks can be a challenge.

Judgement and reaction times can be impaired and this can make activities like driving, or operating machinery, very dangerous.

Normal skills, such as mathematical capability, can be significantly reduced. This can lead to mistakes at work that can be costly to your career.

You may find it difficult to remember things, forgetting your partners birthday, or an anniversary, can be harmful to your relationships.

In some cases even your personality can change. Being constantly tired can lead to a short temper and a lack of patience with the people around you.

And their can be physical consequences as well.

The lack of proper sleep can change your metabolism, lower your resistance to colds and infections. Increase your stress levels, with effects on your blood pressure, heart health and more.

The good news is that most people who suffer from insomnia don’t have to contend with the worst of these consequences.

Sometimes making some simple changes can help you to return to normal sleeping patterns.

These could be as straightforward as changing some of your eating or drinking habits, or even the time that you go to bed.

If you suffer from Insomnia then you may feel that no one understands or cares what you are going through.

But the thruth is that you are not alone, and there are ways to beat sleeplessness, whatever the cause.

I would like to recommend a book that has changed my life, and the lives of others suffering from insomnia, and that is Sleep Well and Tight by Andrew Stevens