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       2 Why can’t we sleep?

      Surveys show that 95 per cent of us will suffer from sleeping problems at some point in our lives, and insomnia is cited as one of the main reasons for visits to the doctor. But what is insomnia? And, more importantly, why do we get it? All too often the answer lies within. This chapter looks at the important roles that Nature, lifestyle and environment have to play.

      All about insomnia

       Studies show that 50 per cent of us have symptoms of insomnia at any given time. We often use the word ‘insomnia’ when we miss one night’s sleep. But what does insomnia really mean?

      What is insomnia?

      In normal usage ‘insomnia’ just means not being able to sleep. The inability to sleep can be caused by literally anything. Sometimes people talk about insomnia when they have not given themselves enough time to sleep, but when considered by a sleep disorder specialist, insomnia is often just regarded as a symptom and a cause is sought, e.g. depression (see page 156). Nowadays a sleep disorder specialist may regard insomnia as a disorder in its own right with very specific sleep-related causes (see pages 127-31). The changes in the usage of the word can cause confusion (particularly when surveys are conducted). An outdated classification simply described three types:

      did you know?

      • Insomnia is the most common mental health problem in the UK.

      • One in ten people will suffer from chronic insomnia at some point in their lives.

      • Transient insomnia – short-term sleeping problems (usually lasting only a few days). Often caused by one-off changes in your sleep cycle, such as long-distance travel and jet lag, or illness. This is by far the most common type, and accounts for about 75 per cent of all cases of insomnia.

      • Short-term insomnia – sleeping problems caused by a more prolonged period of stress, due to, say, financial problems or marital break-up. This can last for weeks.

      • Chronic insomnia – the often inevitable result of untreated short-term insomnia. It can last for months, and, in rare cases, years. It is a long-term problem that often recurs.

      Sleeplessness and insomnia

      It may be better to use two words: ‘sleeplessness’ for the times that sleep is impossible, but you know why; and ‘insomnia’ for the times that you do not know why you cannot sleep. Some reasons for sleeplessness include:

      • lifestyle (work, shifts, caring for an invalid, children)

      • poor sleeping environment (noise, uncomfortable mattress, etc.)

      • stress (bereavement, divorce, etc.)

      • a poor diet

      • stimulants, medicines and drugs

      must know

       Using sleeping pills

       Prescription of sleeping pills costs the UK about £22.4 million per year. About 15.5 million prescriptions are written. Taking sleeping pills has been shown to increase the risk of road accidents (last year there were 32,220 serious injuries and deaths on UK roads).

      As a general rule, a good way to find out if you have true insomnia is to ask yourself if there is any obvious reason for your sleeping problems. If not, and you have had the problem for a few weeks, then you are likely to be suffering from the condition.

      Diagnosing insomnia

      Insomnia can develop from sleeplessness, and often patients will know when their sleep problems started but cannot understand why they have not gone away. Psychiatrists rarely diagnose insomnia but when they do the following conditions must be met:

      • The time it takes to get to sleep must be more than 30 minutes. Total sleep time during the night is usually between three to six hours. The sleep may be unrefreshing.

      • The problem must occur three or more nights a week.

      • The insomnia causes major problems in daytime functioning (socially, at home, at work).

      • It must have lasted for three months or longer.

      • There are no environmental, lifestyle, medical or psychiatric causes for the problem.

      The role of Nature

       Understanding when our bodies are working against us can sometimes be half the battle when trying to understand why we can’t sleep. Here are some of the natural factors that can affect sleep.

      must know

       Women and sleeping

       Polls carried out in the USA by the National Sleep Foundation found the following:

       • Almost three out of four women get less than eight hours’ sleep a night.

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