TRANSIENT INSOMNIA
There are three medically recorded types of insomnia. Transient insomnia lasts only a night or two, or, at most, a week. It is usually caused by some outside influence like excitement or worry.SHORT-TERM INSOMNIA
Short-term insomnia can last from a few days to a few weeks, and can be caused by stress or poor sleep habits. Worry over other health problems, business or relationships can bring on a bout of short term insomnia.CHRONIC INSOMNIA
Chronic insomnia can last for years, and the resultant loss of sleep can cause daytime sleepiness, loss of energy, poor concentration and irritability. Chronic insomnia is a serious problem. These three types may often overlap.Although anyone can become a victim of insomnia, some people are more susceptible than others. The elderly, for instance, are often afflicted, perhaps because of physical and mental problems or because some medications promote sleeplessness. Those who suffer from chronic depression also sometimes suffer from insomnia because of their poor state of mind brought on by depression and worry. Women are more often victims than men. Women tend to worry more than men. They also develop poor sleep habits during pregnancy and child raising years. A new study indicates that insomnia in women may be related to the menstrual cycles.
CAUSES
The causes are many and varied: stress, shift work, caffeine, alcohol abuse, disrupted sleep schedules. With chronic insomnia, usually sleeplessness is a symptom rather than the actual problem. Stress, physical ailments or depression disrupt sleep. The culprit is often another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea where the victim stops breathing for short periods while asleep, or restless leg syndrome, the urge to move the legs continually because of unpleasant and unaccountable sensations. Both of these syndromes disrupt sleep and cause worry and stress.Chronic stress is a common cause of insomnia, as is depression. The sufferer lies awake worrying instead of dropping off to sleep. This can lead to even deeper depression, to more stress and to physical ailments like stomach ulcers.
