March 7, 2018 |
danielle
Insomnia refers to problems either falling asleep or staying asleep. It generally involves an unhappiness with the quality of sleep (e.g., still feeling tired, not refreshed) and fatigue throughout the day. Insomnia is not a disease or illness. Rather, it is a symptom. It can be a short-term result of some events such as jet lag, medical illnesses or stress, and for most, normal sleeping patterns resume with time.
For others, it can be persistent and last months to years. There are two types of insomnia:
Oftentimes, the stress and frustration that a person might feel about their inability to sleep works against them and contributes to difficulties falling asleep.
There are many things you can do to improve sleep quality and help remedy short-term insomnia. These focus on reducing your anxiety and worry, as well as establishing a routine. See our free eBook “7 Steps to a Better Sleep” for some useful tips on improving your quality of sleep.
For long-term insomnia, obtaining professional support is beneficial. You may wish to visit a sleep clinic for a sleep study, use a sleep diary to track the pattern of your sleeping, or engage in behavioural therapy. If your insomnia results from some other psychological condition, seeing a psychologist can help you to identify the main stressors or underlying issue and find a solution.
When you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep, and you’re never really awake. With insomnia, nothing’s real. Everything is far away. Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy. – Chuck Palahniuk