What Is Insomnia?

In spite of all the over-dramatization cinema and literature have given to the idea of insomnia, many people simply want to know, "Do I have insomnia myself?" Because art has a heavy-handed influence on the perceptions of society, many believe that insomnia is a horrible sickness or disease. Actually, insomnia is merely a symptom, or a sign, of disease, and is not a sickness or disease itself.

The simplest way to describe insomnia is as follows: insomnia is when you have difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep. The severity of insomnia can vary from case to case; for some, it might simply make sleep more difficult, while for others it may prevent sleep altogether; this should be considered when deciding whether to seek medical attention. For instance, it might not be worth the time and effort of seeking medical treatment if you toss and turn a bit before falling asleep, but then sleep soundly throughout the rest of the night without any troubles. This delay of sleep - or "light insomnia" - might be brought on by something as simple as stress or uptightness. The insomnia will go away once you solve the stress itself.

On the other hand, you might be dealing with a severe case of insomnia, where you have a hard time sleeping through the night (or are completely unable to sleep) even when your body is tired and totally sleep-deprived. If this is the case for you, where you cannot sleep through the night, or cannot fall asleep at all, even when you are sleep-deprived, consider seeking medical assistance.

Insomnia can be a symptom of any number of disorders, many of them dealing with mind- or muscle-related issues. Also, medication can be a cause of insomnia.

You can keep insomnia at bay with any number of prescribed drugs, but you can also remove insomnia entirely by curing the root of the problem - the disorder that is causing your insomnia. If you are suffering from a severe case of insomnia, visit a medical doctor - they can help you find out the disease causing this insomnia, and in this way they can help you solve the problem.