Insomnia, Not All Created Equal

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. Generally speaking, Insomnia is the difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or both, despite the opportunity to do so. This deprivation of sleep or poor quality of sleep leaves the person feeling less than refreshed the next day.

The amount of sleep required to make one feel refreshed can vary from person to person. Four and a half hours of good sleep for some people is more than enough. Others need as many as nine hours or more per day to reach the same level as those who require much less. Regardless of where you fall on this scale, if the quality of sleep you experience is less than optimal, it doesn't matter how many hours are spent doing so. Your body will not rejuvenate itself. You will suffer and will continue to do so until you're able to take steps toward your recovery.

Regardless of how yours was created, all Insomnia is not equal. Those who have studied it have come to a general agreement that there are three main categories of Insomnia; Transient, Acute and Chronic. For the most part, it's the duration or persistence of the complications that identifies them from one another.

Transient Insomnia

Short bouts of Insomnia usually lasting less than a week are commonly classified to be Transient Insomnia. Transient Insomnia is the most forgiving of the three main types that one can suffer from.

Generally speaking, Transient Insomnia usually doesn't require treatment or the intervention of a medical specialist. Often, the reason behind one's sort term Insomnia can be self-evident. Some common causes are jet lag, changes in work shift, discomfort, excessive changes in one's environment, stress, the presence of a common medical illness as well as the withdrawal from drugs, alcohol or other stimulants.

Acute Insomnia

Acute Insomnia, which shares many of the same characteristics with Transient Insomnia, is normally identified as a condition that lasts longer. As different as we all are, there's not an exact number or a line that can be drawn in the sand as to say that you now have Acute Insomnia. The general consensus however is that periods of Insomnia lasting for several weeks are typically classified as Acute Insomnia.

Acute Insomnia is by far the most common form that we suffer from. Unlike some of the obvious causes of short term Insomnia such as jet lag or work shift change that tend to go away on their own, Acute Insomnia will take some working through in order to subside.

Often, as Acute Insomnia sets in, the reasons for our sleeplessness tend to shift away from those outside distractions that were originally keeping us awake. The fact that we've identified and are aware that we have a sleeping issue can become center stage. It's become more of an issue of mind rather than body. As time goes by you've began to associate your attempts to sleep with failed outcomes and sleepless nights. Dealing with and overcoming your thoughts have become the new battle so to speak.

Chronic Insomnia

Chronic Insomnia can be defined as periods of Insomnia lasting for more than a couple months. Although Chronic Insomnia can be overcome and successfully managed, the underlying problem may be one that stems much deeper than the scenarios we've described. It is suggested that anyone suffering from Insomnia for an extended period of time seek the advice of a medical physician. If a serious illness is the root cause of your battle with sleep, you will need first deal with that.

Are you suffering from Insomnia? Tens of millions of Americans struggle with Insomnia every day and unfortunately, there's not a single pill on the market that cures this disorder. The best defense against Insomnia is a good understanding of what causes it and how to manage it.