Stress and Its Relation to Insomnia

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Sleep is essential in our lives. While we are sleeping our bodies heal and rejuvenate and prepare for the next day. However, even though sleep is so vital, 40% of Americans struggle in some way or another with a sleeping disorder. Insomnia is a sleeping disorder in which a person cannot fall asleep or cannot sleep for long periods of time, making it impossible to get a full night’s rest. Insomnia can be generic, chronic, or be caused occasionally by stress. Mental, physical and emotional stresses all contribute to a person’s susceptibility of insomnia.

“Most insomnia is what doctors call transient, typically occurring before or after a major life event—such as a wedding or the start of a new job—and lasting for three or four nights” (Hales). Transient insomnia is caused by mental stress. Many things can cause mental stress. It can be related to work, school, or home life. You may be mentally stressed even if you don’t realize it. A study was done in 2002 that dealt with people diagnosed with insomnia. Within two months of retirement, 65% of the diagnosed people slept better then they had in years (Beck). This was because they no longer had work-related mental stress. Teenagers will often struggle with insomnia during their high school years. Too much homework combined with procrastination and limited time can cause lots of undesired stress. If teens are staying up late at night to get homework done they can suffer from learned, or habitual, insomnia (Hales). Their bodies become used to staying up late and ignoring signs of weariness. When they have the opportunity to actually get a good night’s rest, their body will try and stay awake because it has fallen into that habit. It can take several months to retrain your body to succu...

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...ng stressed. If you are feeling overwhelmed, slow down a little and take things one day at a time. There is always time to accomplish everything you need. So catch your breath, don’t get stressed, and get some rest.

Works Cited

Beck, Melinda. Wall Street Journal (Online). New York, N.Y.: February 20, 2010

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=1966620971&SrchMode=1&sid=11&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1283435375&clientId=3579

Hales, Dianne. Getting a Good Night's Sleep. WorldBookOnline.com: Recovered September 8, 2010

http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/media?id=sr195025&st=insomnia

Schwartz, David. Family Health. Edmonton: Winter 2009. Vol. 25, Iss. 4; Pg. 15, 2 pgs.

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=1920685591&SrchMode=1&sid=12&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1283435523&clientId=3579

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