Behaviors leading to insomnia - Essay Example

Behaviors Leading to Insomnia Insomnia is a medical condition that is belittled by almost everyone. Many presume that it is a normal condition and is treatable by sleeping conditions. These misconceptions of insomnia are incorrect and often lead its sufferers being neglected by medical practitioners. Furthermore, this has led to people abusing sleeping pills in attempt to cure this sleep disorder (Morin et. al., 2011).Insomnia, also referred to as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder that deprives people off sleep and ultimately destroys their sleep patterns (Buysse, 2013).

This disorder is characterized by difficulty in falling asleep, waking up frequently at night and afterwards lacking sleep. Other symptoms that manifest because of this condition are waking up too early and suffering from fatigue upon waking up (Morin et. al., 2011). Insomnia often manifests itself as either primary insomnia or secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia refers to sleeplessness that is not caused by any underlying condition while secondary insomnia is caused by an underlying medical condition (Buysse, 2013).

The various medical conditions that can cause insomnia include asthma, arthritis, cancer, pain or medication being ingested by a person (Jarin, Chen, Ivers & Morin, 2013). This condition also manifests in self, depending on its duration, as either acute or chronic. Acute insomnia lasts a shorter time, a few weeks, while chronic insomnia lasts longer. There are varied effects that arise because of insomnia. Most of the effects of insomnia affect the quality of life and performance of daily tasks (Sasa et. al., 2010).

In rare cases, insomnia results in death and this type of insomnia is referred to as fatal familial insomnia. First, insomnia decreases the quality of life in the form of lack of alertness and poor memory during the day (Sasa et. al., 2010). People who suffer from insomnia are more irritable, make more mistakes and develop poor relationships with their colleagues and spouses (Calhoun et. al., 2014). Insomnia further affects the concentration and performance of the brain. Those who suffer from this condition often suffer from mental health conditions such as nervousness, irritability and fatigue (Watts, Coyle & East, 2011).

The lack of sleep affects the concentration span and focus. The brain requires several hours of sleep for it to achieve optimum concentration to perform tasks. Insomnia compromises the brain’s ability to process information. The effects of insomnia are numerous and influence the lives of people significantly (Morin et. al., 2011). Other than the aforementioned effects of insomnia, there are many physical effects of this condition. Insomnia poses risk on the heart, weight and growth of its sufferers.

The risk factors of insomnia include advanced age, chronic diseases, pain, medication, psychological factors, prolonged air travel, night shift work and lifestyle behaviors (Jarin, Chen, Ivers & Morin, 2013). Elderly people are more likely to suffer from insomnia than younger people. This is caused by the bodily changes elderly people undergo. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heartburn, lung disease, arthritis among other increase the chances of suffering from this condition. Medications such as steroids, diet pills, stimulants, decongestants and others increase the chances of suffering from insomnia (Buysse, 2013).

From a gender perspective, women chances of suffering from insomnia are higher than that of men due to their various hormonal changes throughout lives (Savard et. al., 2011). The onset of Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause often cause insomnia as their bodies change with age (Savard et. al., 2011). Environmental factors such as the changing time zones can also result in insomnia. The insomnia in such cases is acute and short-lived (Calhoun et. al., 2014). Other causes include exposure to different cultures, changing of jobs, night shifts at work, a newborn baby in the home and the change of seasons.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that should not be overlooked and assumed. People who suffer from this condition ought to perform simple daily exercises such as avoiding caffeine and other stimulants before bedtime, maintaining a proper sleep schedule, doing vigorous exercises just before bedtime among others. By undertaking the aforementioned activities, insomnia can be reduced and managed. ReferencesBuysse, D. J. (2013). Insomnia. Europe PubMed Central, 309(7), 706-716. Calhoun, S. L., Fernandez-Mendoza, J.

, Vgontzas, A. N., Liao, D., & Bixler, E. O. (2014). Prevalence of insomnia symptoms in a general population sample of young children and preadolescents: gender effects. Sleep Medicine, 15(1), 91-95. Jarrin, D., Chen, I., Ivers, H., & Morin, C. (2013). Does vulnerability to stress-related insomnia predict future incident and persistent insomnia among good sleepers? Sleep Medicine, 14(1), 159-160. Morin, C. M., LeBlanc, M., Bélanger, L., Ivers, H., Mérette, C., & Savard, J. (2011). Prevalence of insomnia and its treatment in Canada.

 Europe PubMed Central, 56(9), 540-548.Sasa, T., Inoue, Y., Komada, Y., Nomura, T., Matsuura, M., & Matsushima, E. (2010). Effects of insomnia and sleep medication on health-related quality of life. Sleep Medicine, 11(5), 452–457. Savard, M., PhD, Savard, J., PhD, Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., BA, Ivers, H., PhD, & Quesnel, C., PhD. (2011). Changes in self-reported hot flashes and their association with concurrent changes in insomnia symptoms among women with breast cancer. The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, 18(9), 985-993. Watts, F. N.

, Coyle, K., & East, M. P. (2011). The contribution of worry to insomnia. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33(2), 211-220.