The Life Threatening Effects of Long-Term Insomnia.
Insomnia is defined as, " The inability to fall asleep or the inability to sleep restfully" (Bayer 21). There are many contributing factors to this sleeplessness. Some of these factors include stress, depression, underlying medical problems, environmental factors, and poor sleep hygiene. Environmental factors include the room temperature, the lighting, the noise level, and the scent of the room. Poor sleep hygiene refers to a person's inability to sleep at night, particularly in his or her own bed. An accurate diagnosis of insomnia requires a polysomnogram, otherwise known as a sleep test. The sleep test measures body functions such as airflow and respiratory efforts, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, heart rate, electrical activity in the brain, eye movement, and muscle movement during sleep. Up to thirty percent of the general public of the United States suffers from insomnia, and for half of this group, it is a serious problem. Chronic insomnia has drastic effects upon individuals who are victims of weeks of sleepless nights. This type of insomnia leads to depression and high blood pressure related problems. .
The three different types of insomnia include: transient, short-term, and chronic. Transient insomnia usually lasts only a few nights. Short-term insomnia can occur when a person is exposed to periods of ongoing stress. Chronic insomnia lasts for at least three .
Weeks. The deprivation of rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep may cause anxiety, overeating, and hypersexuality ("Sleep Deprivation" 304). Chronic insomniacs complain of several problems which include depression, reduced performance of mental and physical activities, irritable, fatigue, hypertension, unable to concentrate, and disorientation ("An Introduction to Insomnia" 1). Some may experience auditory, visual, and tactile illusions or hallucinations.