Insomnia

Acupuncture for Restful Sleep

Insomnia refers to difficulty sleeping or sleeping satisfactorily. This difficulty includes not being able to sleep at all, trouble getting to sleep, waking up in the night with difficulty returning to sleep, unrefreshing sleep and/or waking up too early in the morning.

The problem might last a short while and be the result of some situational factor such as anxiety over a big test. Or, insomnia can be long-lasting and more serious. If insomnia persists and the loss of sleep begins to interfere with a person’s ability to function during the day, the condition could require professional treatment. People with insomnia can experience fatigue, lack of energy, morning headaches, poor concentration, loss of productivity and irritability.

Woman awake, cannot sleep
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Related Article: The Benefits of Sleep

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia can be brought on in a number of ways, including:

  • Stress
  • Life changes
  • Irregular work schedules
  • Medications
  • Drug or alcohol abuse
  • Mental illness such as depression or generalized anxiety disorder
  • Medical conditions such as arthritis, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, chronic pain
  • Over-the-counter drugs that contain stimulants

Approach

In many cases insomnia is a result of disruption of our body’s circadian rhythm, the cyclic variation of physiological rhythm which occurs in an approximately 24 hour period. One or a combination of the following approaches may be used to reset the biological clock: