Insomnia Facts And Statistics

Insomnia or simply, the inability to sleep, is a difficult condition affecting thirty to fifty percent of the general population. If you have insomnia, you cannot actually declare it as a disease because most often, the condition is just a symptom or a reflection of the state of the overall health of an afflicted person.

Because sleeping patterns and habits of every individual are varied, there is no required number of hours used to gauge if a person has insomnia. For some people, four to six hours of sleep may be enough while some need to have a complete 8 hour sleep or more to perform the tasks needed efficiently.  

Multitudes of factors are behind the condition. It can be caused by common sleep problems or by deeper and more complicated physiological and medical conditions which should be diagnosed immediately.

Common sleep problems that hinder quality sleep are reasons for insomnia that is only short-term. This may include:

• Sleeping in an unfamiliar place
• Jet lag or the effects of long time travel
• Discomfort with the room conditions
• Temperature changes
• Anxiety over work, family-problems or death of a loved one
• Work shifts

Aside from common sleep problems, there are numerous physiological conditions that are reflected by your inability to sleep. When the reasons for insomnia involve medical conditions, inability to sleep is most often chronic or long term. Here are some examples:

• chronic depression
• bipolar disorder
• other psychological problems
• chronic pain and chronic fatigue
• heart ailments
• digestion problems
• asthma
• neurodegenerative diseases

The conditions or situations aforementioned which can be directly or indirectly related to insomnia are just some of the reasons for insomnia which many medical practitioners when a patient is diagnosed with the condition.

You are the first one to know when you need medical advice. It is normal to have sleeping difficulties after a stressful week, or when you are doing a presentation the following day. When your lack of sleep hinders with your job, relationship with your loved ones, and is causing much burden to you, it will be better to seek the help of an expert. Moreover, your insomnia can be a symptom of an underlying disease.

 Are There Any Insomnia Statistics?

According to insomnia statistics, majority of reported cases are women. Although insomnia affects all age groups, the risk for the condition increases with age. Middle-income groups, alcoholics, smokers, and people with psychological disorders have higher risks of developing short-term insomnia, which can progress to chronic type if left untreated.

Are There Any Insomnia Facts Which Can Help Me Prevent The Condition?

According to some studies, insomnia facts, and experts, there are some ways by which you can prevent short-term insomnia.

To avoid insomnia caused by jet lag, you can gradually change your sleeping hours to match with the time of the place you are visiting. Also, you can use medications such as tranquilizers which you can obtain from a physician.

Also, you can set a specific time of sleep which you can try to follow strictly as much as possible. If you are a shift worker, you can opt for behavioral therapy from experts.

Avoid heavy meals before sleeping. Drinking too much can cause a person to urinate frequently thus, disturb sleep. You should also avoid smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, and caffeine intake before sleeping.