Insomnia Articles

Do You Have Insomnia or Just Temporary Sleep Problems?

Very few people can claim to never have difficulty sleeping. But for those who do, it may be a case of wondering do you have insomnia, or just temporary sleep problems?

Insomnia is usually a chronic, long term condition, during which a person may have any or all of the following: difficulty getting to sleep, waking up and unable to go back to sleep, early waking patterns, restless leg syndrome. It is classified into two categories: secondary insomnia, which is unrelated to any physical or environmental causes such as illness, pain, medications, etc. and primary insomnia, the repetitive sleep difficulties that seem to have no real cause or identifiable origins.

Temporary sleep problems happen to almost everyone, and can be the result of heartburn, a bad day at work, hot weather, jet lag, and other relatively minor disruptions of your daily life or sleep patterns. Insomnia on the other hand, can impact a person's ability to function, resulting in sleepiness during the day, excessive irritability, and even depression.

Insomnia can occur for a few days, or even weeks, and on a sporadic basis where the sufferer sleeps well for months and it recurs again without obvious reasons.

It's unlikely that temporary sleep problems will cause any significant disruption in a person's life. However, some circumstances such as pain due to injury, accident or surgery, may require medication to allow you to get the sleep you need to recover both mentally and physically.

If you are suffering prolonged and repeated bouts of sleep disruptions, are unable to get to sleep, and finding yourself unable to concentrate during the day, it would be wise to consult your physician. They will ask about any changes in your personal life, diet, and other factors that could have an effect on your ability to sleep. Treatment will depend on their assessment of your condition.

For a better nights sleep, visit http://www.sleepmorenow.com for more sleep tips.

Related Links:

Do You Have Insomnia or Just Temporary Sleep Problems?

How To Give Up Insomnia

Overcoming Insomnia: The Right Relaxation Techniques Can Help You

Latest Insomnia News

About.com Alternative Medicine
Get the latest headlines from the About.com Alternative Medicine GuideSite.

• What is DHEA and What Should I Know About It?
  4 Aug 2008 at 12:48pm
  DHEA, short for dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone that's produced in the body and is converted into male and female hormones. Our natural DHEA levels typically peak in our 20s and...
  
• Can Saw Palmetto Stop Baldness and Hair Loss?
  29 Jul 2008 at 6:00am
  A reader asks, What can you tell me about saw palmetto? I read that it's a good herbal remedy for hair loss and baldness. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens or Sabal...
  
• A Remedy for Scars?
  23 Jul 2008 at 3:13am
  A reader asks, Is there a remedy to prevent scars? A neighbor swears by honey, but I'd never heard of using it for scars. There are a number of home...
  
• Mood and Food
  13 Jul 2008 at 3:23pm
  Eating certain foods may improve your mood, research suggests. The Food and Mood Project surveyed 200 people and found that 88% reported that changing their diet had a significant effect...
  
• How to Create a Natural Baby Nursery
  8 Jul 2008 at 5:20am
  If you're expecting a baby or know someone who is, you may be looking for ideas on how to decorate the nursery. While we tend to focus on finding just...
  
• Tea Tree Oil for Acne
  30 Jun 2008 at 6:11pm
  One of the more popular home remedies for acne is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native...