Insomnio version en Ingles.

Carolina Ramirez

2011-0589

ILE-302

Insomnia

      Almost everyone experiences insomnia now and then as most of the people cannot sleep for several reasons, which leads to the sleeping disorder called insomnia; it is when a person experiences difficulties in sleeping and staying asleep. Many people ignore insomnia and they forget about the importance of this illness, but it can cause many difficulties for people. If people cannot sleep, they may be aggressive or pessimistic; in addition, they cannot focus on their work. Being a psychological problem, it can cause difficulties in concentrating, mood swings, and lack of energy. Insomnia can be classified as a psychological problem; therefore, it has psychological causes, being the three main ones anxiety, depression, and stress.

       Anxiety is one cause of insomnia. It creates a feeling of fear and worry which can disturb a person’s mind, causing that person to constantly think about an important or critical event which leads to difficulties in sleeping. Traumatic events like the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss often cause long-lasting worries and anxiety. 7 out of 10 adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily. About one-third report persistent excessive anxiety daily or that they have had an anxiety or panic attack; in consequence, 7 out of 10 of those adults say they have trouble sleeping. These are among the findings of the 2007 Stress & Anxiety Disorders Survey, a report examining the effects of stress and anxiety on sleep. The survey was commissioned by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA). [1]

       Depression, a feeling of great sadness, is also a psychological problem that causes insomnia because difficulties in sleeping are brought about by the negative feelings inside a person.  It is easy to understand how insomnia might be linked to depression.  “Chronic sleep loss can lead to a loss of pleasure in life, one of the hallmarks of depression,” explains Stanford University research psychologist, Tracy Kuo, PhD.[2] Feeling sad every now and then is a fundamental part of the human experience, especially during difficult times.  In contrast, persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and disinterest in actions that were once enjoyed are symptoms of depression, an illness that affects at least 20 million Americans. In a study of 18,980 people in Europe conducted by Stanford researcher Maurice Ohayon, MD, PhD, people with depression were found to be five times more likely to suffer from sleep disorder. [3]

       Stress makes it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Researchers who study stress say that people react to any event which causes a significant emotional response, like happy occasions such as getting married, getting a promotion, or going on vacation. These events can cause a stress reaction, not only because participation in the event is occurring but also because of the preparation of the event. As a result, any stressful event can lead to a bad night of sleep. [4] The stress causes insomnia because puts the mind on alert, in a hypervigilance status; therefore, the mechanisms for sleep are still there, but are overwhelmed by a too strong awaking impulse.

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