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What is Insomnia?

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The core component of Insomnia Disorder is either sleep that is not restful or not enough sleep. These people suffer with difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early in the morning. Lack of energy and midday sleepiness are the most common results of insomnia. Daytime napping worsens the situation and makes it even harder to fall asleep at night. Lost sleep causes irritability, poor moods, and sometimes symptoms of depression and anxiety. At work and at school, people will notice that their thinking is slowed and their minds feel foggy.

People become frustrated with their sleep problems. They lie awake in bed worrying about being tired the next day, repeatedly checking the clock, and excessively focused on trying to sleep. They imagine the worst possible outcomes about the insomnia and excessively focus on those. People have performance anxiety about their sleep and their ability to remedy the problems with their sleep. This anxiety and these behaviors aggravate the situation and create a cycle of worry that makes the insomnia worse.

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References
  1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Sleep Wake Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is in Insomnia Disorder, Diagnostic features]
  2. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Sleep Wake Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is in Insomnia Disorder, Associated features supporting diagnosis]
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  4. Roth T. (2007). Insomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. J Clin Sleep Med; 3(5 suppl): s7-s10. [Citation is on Prevalence]
  5. Roth T. (2007). Insomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. J Clin Sleep Med; 3(5 suppl): s7-s10. [Citation is on Pathophysiology of insomnia]
  6. Roth T. (2007). Insomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. J Clin Sleep Med; 3(5 suppl): s7-s10. [Citation is on Prevalence]
  7. Roth T. (2007). Insomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. J Clin Sleep Med; 3(5 suppl): s7-s10. [Citation is on Prevalence]
  8. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Sleep Wake Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is in Insomnia Disorder, comorbidity]
  9. Roth T. (2007). Insomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. J Clin Sleep Med; 3(5 suppl): s7-s10. [Citation is on Prevalence]
  10. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Sleep Wake Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is in Insomnia Disorder, Diagnostic Criteria]
  11. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Sleep Wake Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) [Citation is in Insomnia Disorder, Diagnostic features]
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  13. Polysomnography. (2014). Available at www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/polysomnography/about/pac-20394877. Accessed 6/13/18.
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  15. Insomnia treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy instead of sleeping pills. (2016). Available at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/in-depth/insomnia-treatment/art-20046677. Accessed on 6/13/18.
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  21. Lie J, Tu K, Wong B. (2015). Pharmacological Treatment of Insomnia. Pharmacy and Therapeutics; 40(11): 759-768, 771. [Citation is on over the counter medications]
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  23. National Institute of Health. (2017). Health Topics: Insomnia. Available at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/insomnia. Accessed on 6/4/18.
  24. Schmerler, J. (2015). Q&A: Why Is Blue Light before Bedtime Bad for Sleep? Available at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/q-a-why-is-blue-light-before-bedtime-bad-for-sleep/. Accessed 6/4/18.