Insomnia is a disorder in which victims lack sleep or rather are unable to sleep for as long as they can. The disorder may also be referred to as sleeplessness. This disorder can be characterized as a symptom or sign that occurs due to sleep, medical and psychiatric disorders brought about by poor quality of sleep. The insomnia disorder may occur at any stage of life or rather at any age but it is mostly found in elderly people. There are several types of insomnia which can be classified as: transient insomnia, acute insomnia and chronic insomnia (Morin and Colin, 43). Transient insomnia is a disorder brought about by another disorder or even changes in the sleep environment. It may also be brought about by timing of sleep or severe depression and stress. The consequences associated with this disorder are that the victims suffer from sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance. The other type of insomnia is acute insomnia which is the inability to consequently sleep well for a period of less than a month (Leavy, P.269). This is where the victim encounters difficulty to obtain sleep or maintain it. This problem may persist even after the victims are exposed to circumstances for sleep which may result in problems during their daytime activities.
The other type of insomnia is referred to as the chronic insomnia which is present for a period longer than a month. It occurs due to other disorders which make it a primary disorder.
These conditions can be characterized to insomnia due to various symptoms observed in the victims. These symptoms include: exhausting sleep, waking up too early in the morning, drowsiness and fatigue during the day, difficulty in concentration during the day, trouble getting back to sleep when awakened, trouble sleeping even when tired and waking up too many times during the night. These symptoms are characterized to people suffering from insomnia which may end up even affecting their activities especially those who deal with heavy machinery or even driving (Summers-Bremner, 23). There are also various causes of insomnia that may occur mentally and physically. When insomnia lasts for a few days due to temporary causes such as stress, it may bring about a painful break up also known as jet lag.
The psychological problems that cause insomnia include: depression, anxiety, post- traumatic disorders, chronic stress just to mention but a few. The medication problems that can bring about insomnia are cold and flu medications that contain alcohol in them, pain relievers which have caffeine, high blood pressure medications, thyroid hormones and so on and so forth. In addition to these causes, there are also medical related problems that cause insomnia such as; kidney diseases, asthma, cancer, allergies, chronic pain and many more (Leavy, 263). Some sleep disorders are also known to bring about insomnia such as restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea and narcolepsy. However, the two most common causes of chronic insomnia are anxiety and depression.
Insomnia affects the brain in that it brings about mental disruptions such as lack of concentration for long periods which may affect the victim’s normal functionality. It also affects the memory leading to confusion and victims failing to understand or know some of the obvious things in life. This may lead to depression when they try very hard to remember or understand something they feel they should be aware of. The lack of sleep affects the mood and brings about tiredness which would in the long run bring about problems in medical conditions preventing the brain as well as the body to fight other illnesses since the level of immunity is lowered (Leavy, 265-268).
The physical or rather body effects brought about by insomnia can be experienced through weight gain which can lead to obesity, fatigue of the muscles throughout the body system and even headaches. The body might also suffer stress. The change in body shape may also be an effect brought about by insomnia.
Work cited
Summers-Bremner, Eluned. Insomnia: A Cultural History. London: Reaktion, 2007. Print.
Morin, Charles M, and Colin A. Espie. Insomnia: A Clinical Guide to Assessment and Treatment. New York [u.a.: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publ, 2003. Print.
Leavy, Patricia; Gnong, Andrea; Ross, Lauren Sardi. "Femininity, Masculinity, and Body Image Issues among College-Age Women: An In-Depth and Written Interview Study of the Mind-Body Dichotomy." Females; Males; Self Concept; Sexual Identity; Masculinity; Feminism; Socialization; Family Influence; Peer Influence; Mass Media Effects; Eating Disorders; Sex Role; Interviews; College Students 14.2 (2009): 261-292. Web.
