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Insomnia is defined as having
problems with falling asleep, staying asleep, experiencing intermittent
wakefulness during the night or just waking up too early in the morning.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can be transient or chronic. It can
be defined as transient if it lasts no longer than 3 or 4 weeks and
chronic if it lasts any longer.
In general, sleep disorders
encompass a large list of symptoms. These may include sleep apnea, insomnia,
snoring, restless legs syndrome, or just a simple deprivation of sleep.
When it comes to sleep disorders, it is important to understand why
sleep is necessary for optimal health and how much sleep is actually
needed.
How much sleep is need for
optimal health is generally dependent on age. From the time that we
are born, our sleep requirements steadily decrease as we age. Infants
can sleep as much as 14 to 16 hours a day while the elderly may only
be getting 5 or 6 hours of sleep each night. Also, sleep disorders tend
to increase as we age. Almost one half of all people over the age of
65 have some type of sleep disorder.
It is fairly easy to understand
why sleep disorders increase as we age. When we reach adulthood, we
tend to take on more responsibilities and therefore we inherit more
anxieties. This can lead to sleep deprivation and other common sleep
disorders. Also, melatonin, the naturally occurring brain chemical that
helps us get to sleep and stay asleep, is produced less and less as
we age.
In order to combat problems
with sleeping, it is a good idea to consult a sleep specialist or to
at least bring the subject up with your doctor. In the meantime, there
are plenty of over the counter sleep aids that you can buy online.