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Insomnia
Overview
Insomnia is
recurrent difficulty falling or staying asleep. It's very
common, but it can cause major health consequences. Even
one night of poor sleep can weaken your immune system and
increase your susceptibility to infections. There's a wide
variance in tolerance to sleep deprivation. Some people
are just light sleepers and have to work hard at getting enough
sleep. Others tolerate chronic insomnia for relatively
long periods of time with few problems.
Occasional
insomnia is normal. But those who suffer from chronic
insomnia eventually will experience increased physical illnesses
and/or a decrease in mental functioning that can lead to poor
academic performance, diminished quality of life, and even
physical injuries. The following advice pertains only to
insomnia that isn't associated with a significant medical or
psychiatric illness. For "uncomplicated" insomnia,
self-care measures should be sufficient to help you sleep.
Signs and Symptoms
- Inability to
go to sleep within 30 minutes of lying down.
- Waking up
before your normal rising time and inability to go back to
sleep.
- Daytime
fatigue and/or sleepiness and/or falling asleep at
inappropriate times.
- Poor
concentration.
- Irritability,
emotional instability, depression, anxiety or feeling
stressed, inability to enjoy things, and/or lack of
motivation.
- Frequent
viral infections (cold,
cold sores, etc.)
- Chronis
tension headaches
- Sub-optimal
academic, professional, social, sexual, and/or athletic
performance
Self-Care Measures
- Go to bed
around the same time most nights and get up at the same time
most mornings (regardless of when you go to bed)
- Keep daytime
naps to less than 45 minutes - even if you haven't slept
much (or any) the night before. Set your alarm to wake
you up, if necessary
- Sleep while
the sun is down. Sleeping 11pm to 7am provides better
quality sleep than sleeping 3am to 11am.
- Make your
bedroom a quiet, comfortable place that is conducive to
sleep.
- Limit the use
of your bed/bedroom to sleeping. Eating, studying,
watching TV, etc., in the bed or bedroom may keep you from
falling asleep easily or sleeping well.
- Eat a healthy
diet and exercise regularly.
- Avoid
stimulants (caffeine, decongestants, etc.) and alcohol close
to bedtime. Alcohol initially relaxes you but later
causes a stimulant-like rebound that can interrupt sleep.
- Avoid
stimulating activities like exercise or intense studying
right before bedtime. Do something relaxing instead.
- Don't watch
the clock if you can't sleep. Get out of bed, go tot
he chair or another room, and do something calming until you
get sleepy.
- If you feel
you must use them, occasional use of OTC sleep aids is
acceptable.
Red Flags
Check in with the
nurse if there is...
- Excessive
daytime sleepiness, especially if you're falling asleep
during activities that could be dangerous to yourself or
others.
- Concern that
you might have an underlying physical, emotional, or
psychiatric condition that's keeping you from sleeping well.
- Excessive use
of alcohol or recreational or OTC drugs to help you sleep
- You're told
that you snore and sometimes stop breathing for short
periods
- Insomnia that
doesn't improve with self-care
Go to Health Center Information
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