What Is Insomnia?: Sleep and Insomnia Symptoms

What is insomnia? Popular culture defines insomnia as an inability to sleep. Insomnia symptoms are, in reality, more complicated that a mere lack of sleep. For example, a person who sleeps through the night but wakes up tired may be suffering from insomnia.
In many cases, insomnia is a symptom of an underlying medical condition rather than a separate disorder. Treating the underlying cause will, in most cases, reduce symptoms of insomnia. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea often cause insomnia symptoms, as do medication side effects, physical pain and even aging.

Symptoms of Insomnia

An occasional period of sleep disruption doesn't necessarily indicate chronic insomnia. Most people experience difficulty falling asleep at some point in their lives.
Difficulty falling asleep at night is one of the most common symptoms of insomnia. An inability to get enough sleep also indicates the possibility of insomnia.
A person with insomnia often wakes up feeling tired after sleep. Insomnia symptoms also include walking up early and being unable to get back to sleep, or frequent awakening throughout the night.

Daytime Insomnia Symptoms

Most people experience symptoms of insomnia periodically. When insomnia becomes severe, the condition causes additional symptoms that affect people during their waking hours.
Waking symptoms of insomnia include daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Mental abilities are impaired. A person suffering from insomnia symptoms may be irritable or develop symptoms of depression.
Lack of sleep negatively affects mental alertness and impairs concentration. People suffering from insomnia symptoms often find their performance at school or work suffers.
Insomnia symptoms can include physical effects that appear unrelated to sleep. Insomnia may trigger gastrointestinal problems, muscle aches and headaches.

Accidents and Symptoms of Insomnia

People suffering from symptoms of insomnia may find themselves falling asleep at work, while watching television or while driving. One study conducted by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (1999) found that sleeping less than six hours per night was strongly associated with a risk of being involved in a drowsy driving crash.

Quality, Quantity and Insomnia Symptoms

Some people are surprised to find they have symptoms of insomnia when they have no trouble falling asleep. Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity of sleep. Sometimes, insomnia disrupts deep sleep, or causes people to wake up frequently during the night, leaving people tired even though they have no difficulty falling asleep.

Sleep Stress and Insomnia Symptoms

Insomnia symptoms can cause a vicious cycle of stress and disrupted sleep. Learned insomnia describes insomnia caused by worrying about being able to get to sleep. In such circumstances, symptoms of insomnia become the stressor that causes the inability to sleep.

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