insomnia - anyone been diagnosed with it?

[stagebear]

has anyone been diagnosed with insomnia?
what are the key factors that distinguish it from just periods of trouble sleeping?
any other info?

[decadence]

This is the first I'd heard it was a "medical diagnosis" as such. I'd thought it was just an alternative word used to say "Y'know, I've had trouble going to sleep lately"?

[ZTAngel]

There's a big difference between not being able to fall asleep easily for a few days and chronic insomnia. An uncle of mine has chronic insomnia and from watching him suffer with it, I can tell you that it's miserable. He will only get about 2 to 3 hours of sleep each night. I think it has to do a lot of with anxiety and stress problems so it just manifests into a disease/medical condition. He'll get anxious during the day about sleep and then he won't sleep at night because it's constantly on his brain. I think it is a self-induced problem in that he doesn't think he'll sleep at night so his body won't let him. The mind is a powerful thing.
I've had some bouts with insomnia but it has never become a medical condition. There might be a night every so often where I just can't sleep because of stress or what not but that's about it. I will say that it has become more frequent recently but I think that has to do with the stress of my quarter life crisis.
I've heard horrible things about the sleep medication although I know that it can be quite helpful for some people. I've just heard that some individuals become resistant to it after a while and will have to go on heavier and heavier doses. Insomnia is usually a psychosomatic problem and the sleep medication will only "cure" the physical aspects. (ETA: I know there's many physical reasons for insomnia such as thyroid problems or sleep apnea but many insomnia sufferers have something emotional affecting their sleep) I would think the best thing to do is go to a therapist to talk about the stressor that is keeping you from getting sleep.

[GeekyPenguin]

Yes! I tried sleeping pills and they just messed me up so now I have kind of a set getting to sleep routine. I'm lucky now because I'm still in school so I can nap, because I have no problem napping, just actually "sleeping."

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Yes, there is an offical diagnosis. Here is a website link for the Sleep Institute at Swedish Hospital (Seattle hospital). I attended a seminar thay had last week that gave all of the signs of insomnia and it is chronic not sleeping.

Having trouble falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night.

I have not looked at the website but the seminar was very informative.

I am setting up an appointment with them to get an initial consultation but I'm pretty sure that will be the diagnosis. Some of the signs:

Daytime drowsiness
Irritability
Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Short Term memory loss (dreaming allows things to go from short term to long term memory).

and it's a lot mroe serious than just "having trouble sleeping". I didn't actually realize all of the problems sleeping disorders cause until I went to the seminar.

"Napping" is not really any better than no sleep because you really aren't sleeping as you should and allowing your body to go through all of the sleep stages that is needs to every night.

http://www.swedish.com/body.cfm?id=281

My younger brother has it and refuses to take medication for it his sleeping patterns are all wierd ... But then again it works for him since he flies for the airlines he usually gets night flgihts and sleeps his days aways.


My grand mother has narcalepsy ...falls asleep at a drop of a hat!