The Secret of Great Health Care
Not being able to sleep – also known as insomnia – is a common problem where an individual has a difficult time falling or staying asleep. For insomnia to be present, difficulty sleeping is not the only factor that must be present.
The sleep disturbance needs to be associated with non-restorative sleep. If someone does not sleep like they feel they should have but do not have poor functioning, decreased concentration or irritability, they are not plagued with insomnia. BUY HERE Chronic insomnia is symptoms that last beyond four weeks. When insomnia is a chronic problem, the negative consequences of insomnia become "normal" for that person. It often requires the input of someone who knows this person well to determine if they are suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is more common in those who are anxious, chronically worried or depressed. These types of people are predisposed to sleep problems and when a major factor such as a sudden stress or change in medication affects these individuals they are at high risk for sleep disorders. When these precipitating factors persist, chronic insomnia may ensue. About 50% of primary care patients present to their doctor’s office with insomnia. Unfortunately, few discuss it with their doctor. Only 5% of those with chronic insomnia will make an appointment with their primary doctor to discuss insomnia. To make matters worse doctors often overlook this problem and neglect to ask about it. Sometimes insomnia is a perception. Some people need less sleep. Many need only seven hours and feel fine; but feel they have insomnia because they feel they need eight or nine hours of sleep.
Insomnia can be chronic or acute. Acute insomnia is insomnia that is short lived and lasts less than three to four weeks and usually less than one week. Most patients with acute insomnia have primary insomnia (insomnia with no other diagnosis), but the majority of those with chronic insomnia have another diagnosis.
Sleep can be broken down into two states: nonrapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Most sleep is made up of NREM sleep. NREM sleep is made up of four stages - stage I-IV. Each stage is a little deeper. Stage one is drowsiness – eyes are closed but the person is easily arousable. Stage two is light sleep and sets the body up for the deeper stages of three and four.
REM is made up of one stage and follows NREM sleep. REM sleep is when there is an increase in respirations, eye movement and brain activity. This is the stage when most dreams occur - it occurs 5-6 times a night.
