The Harmful Effects Of Insomnia And Delaying Sleep

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The dangerous affects of losing sleep is equivalent to having a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.08 percent. The body becomes psychically impaired and it will delay response time when one does not achieve adequate sleep patterns. Being overly tired is the same as being inebriated. The body needs at least seven to nine hours of restful sleep to maintain superior mental performance. It is a dreadful feeling to watch the clock and calculate the hours of sleep that cannot take place before the alarm goes off. Night after night tossing and turning continues to be a problem for those struggling to fall asleep. Perhaps falling asleep is not the only issue, and it may be a matter of staying asleep. Either way, the problem with sleepless nights may be a more serious condition referred to as insomnia. Insomnia is a circumstance affecting the ability to get sufficient sleep. …show more content…
Roughly, a third of Americans have suffered from insomnia at some stage of their life. Individuals have reported various symptoms such as difficulties with falling asleep, and trouble with staying asleep, or the feeling as if adequate sleep is not achievable due to different forms of complicated restiveness. Sleepless nights can arrive in sporadic or chronic forms that can develop for more than a few reasons. They can vary from subtle life changes to more extreme aspects that require professional attention. In less severe cases, insomnia is self-treatable depending on the each individual’s symptoms or the reason the condition exists. The condition is not bias and can affect anyone even though it is more common in the female gender. Although insomnia is a treatable condition, the cause and regimen for insomnia will depend on the type and symptoms of the condition that are present. Insomnia has three major categories that help identify the course of action that needs to take place in order to treat the condition. The least severe case of a sleeplessness condition is acute insomnia. Acute insomnia is limited to a short time period where a restful sleep is not attainable. The cause is evident and identified by a short-term event that has interrupted sound and peaceful sleep. This can include a lifestyle change due to a new job, a stressful event, or an environmental change that is temporary. Once the stressor is no longer a factor, restful sleep can again take place (Yang, et al). Losing sleep over temporary issue in a short time frame is easy to overcome without seeking professional help. A more rigorous cause of the inability to fall or stay asleep is chronic insomnia. The chronic form of restlessness may require professional treatment, or extreme measure, to cure the cause of the situation. The unremitting range of insomnia can result in forms varying from metal or physical disorders. The chronic form can last for more than four weeks and results in the long-term cause of sleep deprivation that requires medical attention (Yang, et al). The more severe cases of insomnia can cause multiple problems to a person’s well being. The effects can cause dangerous, life threatening illness that will need a proper analysis. Lastly, comorbid insomnia is the most critical of the types identified in the ranges of insomnia listed. Comorbid insomnia is a heightened form of chronic insomnia. It can be a combination of two or more mental or physical conditions contributing to the affects of insomnia. Although it is a chronic form, and has more than one contributing factor, it can be difficult to identify and treat the condition to overcome sleepless nights (Junfeng, et al). Given that comorbid insomnia contains more than one disorder, the condition can be life threatening if not treated correctly. With the types of restlessness brought to light, it is important to classify the basis of the short-term and long-term causes of insomnia. Initially, the behavioral aspects that contribute to insomnia are the most modifiable issues to control in order to return to normal sleep patterns. The lack of exercising, smoking cigarettes and drinking caffeine or alcohol can disrupt restful sleep. A daily morning workout will improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia. Giving up or reducing large amounts of nicotine and caffeine will reduce the intake of stimulants that contribute to insomnia. In

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