subject: What is Insomnia? [print this page] What is Insomnia? What is Insomnia?
Possibly you have heard of insomnia or even know someone who has it. If so, then we hope you find this article of interest.
Insomnia is the term often used for a condition of someone not sleeping well or having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. It is the latter of these that most people associate with Insomnia and people who suffer from the condition called Insomniacs.
Insomnia is often categorized into three types. These are transient, acute and chronic insomnia and each of these types of insomnia is explained in more detail below.
Transient Insomnia normally last for less than 7 days and the effects of it are likened to those of sleep deprivation which are sleeplessness and trouble with day time performance.
Acute Insomnia is when someone struggles to consistently sleep well for a period no greater than around 30 days.
Chronic Insomnia as the name suggests is the more sever of the three types and normally lasts for longer than a month. It can be the main disorder or it could be caused by another disorder. Some of the effects of chronic insomnia are hallucinations and muscle & mental fatigue.
Insomnia is normally diagnosed by a specialist in sleep medicine who are qualified to say if a person is suffering from insomnia or another kind of sleep disorder. Studies suggest that almost half of all sufferers who are diagnosed with insomnia have the condition as a result of another psychiatric condition.
There is more information about Sleep Disorders and Insomnia available on the Sleep and Insomnia Guide
