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Insomnia


The more one worries about falling asleep, the harder it becomes. This is an example of psycho physiological insomnia (Olendorf, 1999). This type affects many people such as Tracy Counts, who reports that "The harder I try to get to sleep the harder it is to actually get to sleep" (Pettiford, 2000).
             Many people with insomnia have trouble falling asleep while others are able to sleep for only a few hours. People with insomnia wake up in the morning feeling tired and unrested and continue to be exhausted throughout the course of the day. Sleep patterns may be reversed; for example, one might find it difficult to stay awake during the day and might take naps. Then, at night, it is hard for them to go or to stay asleep (Newton, 2000).
             A good night's sleep is very crucial in fighting disease. Most doctors feel six to nine hours of total sleep within a twenty-four hour period is the proper amount for adults. Recent research has shown a link between sleep and the immune system. In experiments at the University of Chicago, white rats deprived of sleep died in an average of nineteen days. During the deprivation period, the rats developed brown fur and ulcers on their paws and tail (Bruckheim, 1993). Research into human sleep deprivation has shown that it can lead to irritability and fatigue, difficulty in concentrating and remembering, poor muscle coordination and visual hallucinations.
             Insomnia can be of the psycho physiologic variety related to normal stress and anxiety. Neurological, biochemical, and hormonal changes occur when sleep is disrupted; sleep is a powerful synchronizer of our body's functions. Total lack of sleep for more than four consecutive days and nights often causes psychotic reactions such as hallucinations and paranoid feelings; these disturbances can also occur in as few as twenty-four hours without sleep (Bruckheim, 1993). Chronic lack of sleep is believed to have long-term health and psychological effects.


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