Insomnia is a medical condition involving difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or poor quality of sleep. It is not the same as sleep deprivation, which is simply a loss of sleep for any reason. A person may develop sleep deprivation from a lack of opportunity to sleep, even if they do not have insomnia.

 Doctors make a distinction between primary insomnia, which is a sleep difficulty not related to another health issue, and co-morbid insomnia, where the difficulty is associated with some other medical condition. This condition may be chemically induced by alcohol, caffeine or tobacco, or it may be associated with an illness such as heartburn or arthritis. Some medications, either prescription or over-the-counter, may be responsible. Co-morbid insomnia may also be caused by an emotional disorder such as depression or anxiety.

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Insomnia is classified according to its duration. Transient insomnia involves a sleep disturbance lasting less than a month, and is generally only a minor problem. Short term insomnia is the inability to sleep for a period ranging from one to six months, while chronic insomnia occurs every night or most nights for more than six months.

Symptoms of insomnia

Symptoms of insomnia involve the actual sleep difficulty itself, and the secondary symptoms caused the next day. The first group of symptoms includes the inability to fall asleep, sleep that is interrupted by frequent waking, difficulty going back to sleep, waking up too early and unrefreshing sleep. The secondary group includes low mood and irritability, fatigue and sleepiness during the day, trouble with memory and concentration, and stomach problems. Not surprisingly, sufferers tend to make mistakes and have accidents at work or while driving, sometimes resulting in danger to themselves and others.

 People have different sleep needs, and an amount of sleep that might be inadequate for one person could be fine for someone else. The difference between a person who is naturally a short sleeper and an insomniac is the quality of their performance the next day. Some people are naturally short sleepers, but they wake up refreshed and able to do the things they need to do during the day. An insomniac, on the other hand, is a person whose sleep problem results in poor mood and performance the next day. Some people worry about their sleep because they think they are supposed to get a certain number of hours each night, but they should only worry if their lack of sleep is causing them to feel bad or perform poorly in their daily life.

Older people and insomnia

Older people sometimes find that they are sleeping less than they did when they were younger. This change is normal, and does not mean these people are getting inadequate sleep. However, it should be acknowledged that this age group often have health problems that can adversely effect their sleep, and are sometimes taking medications that can aggravate the difficulty. There is also the problem of chronic depression, a problem many older people have which can disturb their sleep. Unfortunately, few seniors recognize their problem and seek help for it.

 Surveys indicate that more than half of the populace suffers from some sleep disorder sometime in their lives. Despite this, many fail to recognize the condition or admit that they have it. This is unfortunate, as insomnia is a real, treatable disease.