Almost everyone, especially those over 60 years of age, has experienced sleeplessness or has had a hard time going to sleep at least once in their lifetime.  Statistics even show that two million American children also suffer from the sleep disorder known as insomnia.  People with insomnia experience one or all of the following symptoms:

• Have trouble getting sleep or falling asleep
• Wake frequently during the night and fail to fall back to sleep
• Wake up very early in the morning
• Feeling of fatigue upon waking

Types

There are two types of insomnia - primary and secondary insomnia.  The type of insomnia not directly related to any other disorder, problem or health condition is primary insomnia while secondary insomnia is associated with certain health conditions as asthma and depression.  Secondary insomnia is also associated with pain, medication, and caffeine as well as alcohol intake.

Insomnia can occur in short or long durations.  Acute insomnia only lasts from one night to two weeks.  Acute forms also come and go, especially when the temporary events such as jet lag or when the effect of alcohol wears off.  Chronic insomnia is associated with medical conditions like hyperthyroidism and Parkinson's disease and usually lasts three weeks or longer.

Consequences of Insomnia

Insomnia should not be underestimated for its effects usually include the following:

• Data reveals that chronic insomnia may put a person at risk of heart disease due to increased heart and nervous system activity.
• Statistics shows that 1.5% or 1,500 per 100,000 accidents are due to sleepiness caused by insomnia.
• Insomnia can cause decreased productivity and increase medical/hospitalization costs.  The US spends approximately $100 billion dollars per year to arrest the growing problem on insomnia.
• People who have insomnia relate that it affects their work efficiency.   These people strongly indicated that insomnia affects their concentration and makes it difficult to remember certain things.
• Experts point out that insomnia usually manifests itself as anxiety or depression.  People affected are usually moody and revealed that they have different sleeping patterns.
• Insomnia also causes headaches, which usually appear at night or early morning.

Insomnia is not only a personal problem but also a growing economic problem.  Treatment of the condition costs the country billions of dollars per day and affects the work efficiency of most members of the work force.  Experts also indicate that the problem is associated with the malfunctioning of the biological clock known as the circadian rhythm.  These malfunctions may be due to abrupt changes in sleep patterns because of work or because of exposure to a different time zone such as when people travel by plane to another country or state.  Whatever the cause is, experts agree that preventing its occurrence is easier than finding an appropriate treatment.

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