Salem Press

Magill's Medical Guide covers diseases, disorders, treatments, procedures, specialties, anatomy, biology, and issues in an A-Z format, with sidebars addressing recent developments in medicine and concise information boxes for all diseases and disorders. Below is an excerpt from the Guide's essay on insomnia.

Information on Sleep Disorders
Causes: May include sleep apnea, obesity, restless leg syndrome, stress, anxiety, caffeine use, aging process, jet lag, shift work, medications,psychiatric or medical problems

Symptoms: Varies widely; may include irregular snoring, daytime sleepiness, sudden muscle weakness, sleepwalking, night terrors

Duration: Acute to chronic

Treatments: Sleep clinic monitoring, drugs, technical aids, behavior modification

Over an eight-hour period, depth of sleep fluctuates, punctuated by periods of "rapid eye movement" (RME), which appear necessary for restful sleep.

Treatment and Therapy for Insomnia
Since Insomnia is often caused by poor habits that condition the sleeper to remain awake, the problem can sometimes be solved by a simple commitment to avoid naps, reduce caffeine and alcohol intake, eat light meals in the evening, reduce noise in the sleep environment, and establish a regular bedtime.

Many insomniacs are so preoccupied with the fear that they will not sleep well that they become tense as bedtime approaches. These fears may sometimes be put to rest by the knowledge that sleep needs vary greatly from individual to individual. In some cases, people may not physiologically require a "normal" amount of sleep but have been convinced that they have a sleep disorder by spouses who do.

Another commonly held misperception that contributes to tension is the notion that, once sleep is lost, it can never be recovered. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived humans are able to return quickly to normal sleep patterns, and therefore a few nights sleep is no cause for alarm.