MadSci Network: General Biology |
Dear Wenee, You may have hit upon the answer to your insomnia already: stress. Insomnia is often caused by stress and goes away after a few days or weeks. If your problem with insomnia lasts more than a couple of weeks, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. It often helps to have a long talk face to face with your doctor to find out just what is causing your problem sleeping. Insomnia describes a problem with falling asleep, waking up often from sleep during the night, and waking up too early in the morning. It can leave people feeling tired, groggy and unrefreshed during the day. The word is from the Latin "in" (not) and "somnus" (sleep). If you have insomnia, you are in good company. Most people have problems with insomnia at one time or another. It may be helpful to remember that insomnia is a symptom, not a disease. That is, it is a sign of an underlying problem and not the problem itself. (Just as a fever and cough are symptoms of the flu, and red spots are a symptom of measles.) What kind of problems can cause insomnia? Lots of things. The most common are: Stress and Worry Changing neighborhoods, schools or jobs, worry about schoolwork, tests or papers, problems with friends, and many, many others Drugs Caffeine (Found in coffee, chocolate, tea, soft drinks) Alcohol Nicotine Other prescription and nonprescription drugs Difficult area for sleeping Too much light, too noisy, too hot or cold How can you help prevent or get rid of insomnia? By trying to solve the underlying problem. Some things that often help are: Relaxation Do not do strenous exercise just before going to bed Try taking a warm bath (not a shower) just before bed Sometimes drinking a glass of warm milk helps Develop a routine of going to bed and getting up at the same time Keep the bedroom properly quiet and dark and warm Avoid alcohol and other drugs than can interfere with sleep If you can't get to sleep in a half hour or so, get up and do something peaceful and quiet -- read a book (no thrillers or scary stories) or listen to calming music You mentioned that you "dream vividly." Everyone dreams. Usually people do not remember their dreams unless they wake up in the midst of one. It may be that you wake up during the night while you are dreaming. If you sleep through the night better it may seem that your are dreaming less. Remember again, insomnia is very common and usually lasts only a short time. If it does not go away, talk to your doctor. For more information on insomnia and other problems try these sites: www.nhlbi.nih.gov (National Institutes of Health) www.vch.vh.org (Virtual Children's Hospital) www.drkoop.com www.mayo.edu (Mayo Clinic) www.britannica.com (Encyclopedia Britannica) www.encarta.com (Encarta) Medical books such as Harrison's Internal Medicine have a lot of detailed information -- more than most people would ever want to know. One of the world's experts (maybe THE expert) on sleep and sleep disorders is Dr. William Dement. Dr. Dement is a professor at Stanford University in California. He is a terrific teacher and written a number of books. If you have the time and interest you may want to look at one of them. Have a good sleep!
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