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| sleep has been biologically impaired due to changes in brain functions that are beyond their direct control. Reports of insomnia tend to increase with age and are more prevalent among women, even though laboratory studies show that older men have more disrupted sleep. People who are divorced, widowed, or separated report having insomnia more often than married people; lower socioeconomic status is also a correlate of insomnia. |
| What is Insomnia? |
| Insomnia is insufficient, disturbed, nonrestorative sleep. This means not getting enough sleep to meet the needs of your body or to allow you to feel refreshed and energetic upon awakening and throughout the day. The National Institutes of Health define insomnia as "a disturbance or perceived disturbance of the usual sleep pattern of the individual that has troublesome consequences." These consequences may include daytime fatigue and drowsiness, irritability, anxiety, depression and somatic complaints. |
| It is normal to wake up several times each night. Although most people don't recall these brief awakening episodes, insomniacs typically have trouble getting to sleep in the first place or falling back to sleep once they have awakened. |
| Insomnia as a concept does not apply to problems that primarily result in excessive daytime drowsiness, such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy. These disorders usually have biologic causes, and while disordered nighttime sleep patterns are sometimes involved, true insomnia is an infrequent complaint. |
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