Types of Insomnia: Symptoms, Treatment, Causes, Diagnosis

There are three fundamentally different types of Insomnia all of which affect people differently

The first type is known as Transient Insomnia which means that the general lack of sleep only lasts for less than a week.

The second type is known as Acute Insomnia which means that the Insomnia is short-term. This could be anything between a week and a month.

The last type is known as Chronic Insomnia which means that Insomnia lasts for extended periods of time. Anything that lasts more than a couple of months could be considered chronic.

There are various different situations and events that could potentially lead to Insomnia. Some of the common ones include:

• Changes in Sleeping Environments
• Stress (job loss, loss of a loved one, etc)
• Illnesses (especially those that increase stress)
• Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits (working late, diet, etc)
• Irregular Sleeping Habits

Insomnia can be diagnosed in several different ways, however, the most common ways are as follows:

• Daily Sleep Logs
• Test for Low Oxygen Levels
• Melatonin Sampling
• Home Sleep Apnea Testing 
• Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

One of the most famous experiments regarding sleep deprivation was about a man named Randy Gardner who decided to stay up for 11 nights in order to see the effect on his body.

 Some of the effects include:

• Hallucinations
• Inability to focus
• Trouble Understanding Surroundings
• Slurred Speech
• Very Confused and Forgetful

Note that Insomnia is a cycle that never ceases to persist. For that reason, a lot of the effects mentioned above can impact people with Insomnia on a daily basis.

As can be seen, Insomnia is one of the most difficult disorders to deal with. Since Insomnia leads to disorders like Anxiety and Depression, it becomes a loop that is hard to put an end to.

Due to the fact that it also has no known cure, it becomes even more difficult to deal with.

Long story short, being able to sleep peacefully is a blessing and should never be taken for granted!

Types of Insomnia

emedicinehealth.com/what_are_the_3_types_of_insomnia/article_em.htm

Causes of Insomnia

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-causes-insomnia#:~:text=Common%20causes%20of%20insomnia%20include,problems%2C%20and%20specific%20sleep%20disorders

Randy Gardner Stanford Experiment

https://www.inc.com/melissa-chu/this-stanford-experiment-reveals-what-happens-when-you-dont-sleep-for-11-days.html