Insomnia is one of the more common afflictions to affect the world seeing as there are more than 3 million cases each year.Insomnia itself can be characterized by a general lack of sleep.

What is Insomnia?

As mentioned before, Insomnia entails that an individual lacks the ability to sleep soundly. Additionally, Insomnia also entails symptoms such as Depression, Anxiety, or even a general lack of concentration.Insomnia is also known to affect people of all ages but is most commonly seen in people ages 60 and above as well as in Teenagers. Insomnia also has many different treatments but does not have any known cure.

Background Information

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

The Three Different Types

There are various different situations and events that could potentially lead to Insomnia. Some of the common ones include:<ul><li>Changes in Sleeping Environments</li><li>Stress (job loss, loss of a loved one, etc)</li><li>Illnesses (especially those that increase stress)</li><li>Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits (working late, diet, etc)</li><li>Irregular Sleeping Habits</li></ul>

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia can be diagnosed in several different ways, however, the most common ways are as follows:<ul><li>Daily Sleep Logs</li><li>Test for Low Oxygen Levels</li><li>Melatonin Sampling</li><li>Home Sleep Apnea Testing </li><li>Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan</li></ul>

How is Insomnia Diagnosed?

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:<ul><li>Hallucinations</li><li>Inability to focus</li><li>Trouble Understanding Surroundings</li><li>Slurred Speech</li><li>Very Confused and Forgetful</li></ul>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.

Studies and Experiments

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!

Key Takeaways

Types of Insomniaemedicinehealth.com/what_are_the_3_types_of_insomnia/article_em.htmCauses of Insomniahttps://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-causes-insomnia#:~:text=Common%20causes%20of%20insomnia%20include,problems%2C%20and%20specific%20sleep%20disordersRandy Gardner Stanford Experimenthttps://www.inc.com/melissa-chu/this-stanford-experiment-reveals-what-happens-when-you-dont-sleep-for-11-days.html

Sources

Insomnia is one of the most deadly disorders that have a vast array of different impacts. With this, I hope to provide new insight into the disorder and the different impacts that it can have.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep. The three types of insomnia include transient insomnia (less than one week), acute insomnia (short term), and chronic insomnia (long term).

Types of Insomnia: Symptoms, Treatment, Causes, Diagnosis

In general, there are two types of sleep REM ( REM means dream ) and NREM. REM is the one in which you'll b able to see the dreams and there is only 1 stage related to it. NREM means Non-REM in which you'll not be able to see dreams and there are 3 stages related to this type of sleep. They all make our sleep peaceful and relaxing.

Overview

Using an <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-an-eeg-test-and-what-is-it-used-for-3014879">electroencephalogram (EEG)</a>, scientists are able to see different changes in the brain start happening as the person falls asleep. During the first stage, you're partially awake but in the third stage, you're in the deepest sleep.

Entering sleep

The first stage of the sleep cycle is the transition period from wakefulness and sleep. This stage lasts for 5-10 minutes. In this, you're partially awake. During stage 1 you're brain:-<ul><li>Slows down</li><li>Your heartbeat, eye movement, and breathing slows with it</li><li>Your body relaxes and your muscles may twitch (while stretching)</li></ul>In this, you don't have any dreams.

Stage 1: The 1st NREM

According to some studies almost all the people spend 50% of their sleep time in this Stage 2 NREM. It lasts about 20 minutes. During stage 2 sleep:-<ul><li> You become less aware of your surroundings</li><li>Your body temperature drops</li><li>Your eye movement stops</li><li>Your breathing and heart rate become more regular</li></ul>Brain starts producing sleep spindles it is nothing but rhythmic brain activity. This is the stage where your brain is preparing itself to be ready for the stage 3 where all the repairs, restores, and many things happen.

Stage 2: The 2nd NREM

This is the deepest sleep of your sleep time (lemme give you an idea in this sleep even an alarm is not able to break your sleep and wake you up). During 3rd NREM:-<ul><li>Your muscles are totally relaxed.</li><li>Your blood pressure drops and breathing slows</li><li>You progress into your deepest sleep</li></ul>In this also you don't have any dreams but in the next one, you have them. In this sleep, the most famous phenomenon " sleep paralysis " happens.

Stage 3: 3rd NREM 

This is the final stage and in this stage finally, you get your dreams. in this stage your voluntary muscles become immobilized. REM sleep begins approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep. At this time:-<ul><li>Your brain lights with activity</li><li>Your body is relaxed and immobilized</li><li>Your breathing is faster and irregular</li><li>Your eyes move rapidly (because of dreams)</li><li>You dream</li></ul>However, it is thought that REM sleep is when emotions and emotional memories are processed and stored.

Stage 4: REM 

If you don't sacrifice for what you want, what you want will be a sacrifice.

In these ideas, I've written almost everything about the sleep that we have in our relaxed nights. 

The brain displays a variety of activity patterns at different stages of sleep. What's going on in your brain while you're sleeping?

My drafts 

The 4 Stages of Sleep

The first purpose of sleep is restoration. Every day, your brain accumulates metabolic waste during normal neural activities.Recent research suggests sleep plays crucial role in cleaning out the brain each night. While these toxins can be flushed out during waking hours, sleep flushes these toxins out twice as fast.

Purpose Of Sleep

The second purpose of sleep is memory consolidation, the process that maintains and strengthens long term memory. Insufficient or fragmented sleep can hamper your ability to form both concrete memories (facts and figures) and emotional memories.Finally, sleep is paramount for metabolic health. Studies<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951287/"> </a>have shown that when you sleep 5.5 hours per night instead of 8.5 hours per night, a lower proportion of the energy you burn comes from fat, while more comes from carbohydrate and protein. Insufficient sleep can lead to heart disease and diabetes.

More Purposes Of Sleep

Intensity refers to how well you sleep. The percentage of sleeping time you spend in slow wave sleep and REM sleep largely determine the quality of your sleep each night.Timing refers to when you go to sleep.Duration is how long you sleep.Intensity of your sleep is managed automatically by your body. The duration of your sleep is largely dependent on when you get into bed (. And that means getting to bed at an earlier, more consistent time is critical for improving the quality and duration of your sleep.

Improve Sleep Quality

As a person suffering from severe insomnia, sleep hygiene and importance of proper sleep are important to me. Understanding the negative consequences of lack of sleep are also imperative.

Want to learn how to sleep better? Look no further. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to learn how to sleep better every night.

Betterment, Growth, Positivity, Faith in Oneself

Personal Development

The Science of Sleep: A Brief Guide on How to Sleep Better Every Night

If you’ve ever spent a night tossing and turning, you already know how you’ll feel the next day — tired, cranky, and out of sorts. But missing out on <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-sleep-you-need">the recommended 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye nightly </a>does more than make you feel groggy and grumpy.The long-term effects of sleep deprivation are real.It drains your mental abilities and puts your physical health at real risk. Science has linked poor slumber with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/science-sleep-why-you-need-7-8-hours-night">a number of health problems</a>

Background 

Read on to learn the causes of sleep deprivation and exactly how it affects specific body functions and systems.

Image Of Sleep Deprivation Effects

Your central nervous system is the main information highway of your body. Sleep is necessary to keep it functioning properly, but <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-insomnia">chronic insomnia </a>can disrupt how your body usually sends and processes information.During sleep, pathways form between nerve cells (neurons) in your brain that help you remember new information you’ve learned. Sleep deprivation leaves your brain exhausted, so it can’t perform its duties as well, such as memory after studying

Central Nervous System

You may also find it more difficult to concentrate or learn new things. The signals your body sends may also be delayed, decreasing your coordination and increasing your risk for accidents.You may feel more impatient or prone to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/causes-of-mood-swing">mood swings </a>. It can also compromise decision-making processes and creativity.If sleep deprivation continues long enough, you could start having <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hallucinations">hallucinations </a>— seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there. Other psychological risks include:impulsive behavioranxietydepressionparanoiasuicidal thoughts

Mood And Memory 

You may also end up experiencing <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/microsleep">microsleep </a>during the day. During these episodes, you’ll fall asleep for a few to several seconds without realizing it. Microsleep is out of your control and can be extremely dangerous if you’re driving. It can also make you more prone to injury if you operate heavy machinery at work and have a microsleep episode.

Microsleep

While you sleep, your <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/fun-facts">immune system </a>produces protective, infection-fighting substances like antibodies and cytokines. It uses these substances to combat foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Certain cytokines also help you to sleep, giving your immune system more efficiency to defend your body against illness. Sleep deprivation prevents your immune system from building up its forces. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body may not be able to fend off invaders, and it may also take you longer to recover from illness.

Immune System 

Long-term sleep deprivation also increases your risk for chronic conditions, such as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes">diabetes mellitus </a>and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease">heart disease</a>.

Disease Risk

The relationship between sleep and the respiratory system goes both ways. A nighttime breathing disorder called <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/obstructive-sleep-apnea">obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) </a>can interrupt your sleep and lower sleep quality.As you wake up throughout the night, this can cause sleep deprivation, which leaves you more vulnerable to respiratory infections like the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/cold">common cold </a>and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/flu">flu </a>. Sleep deprivation can also make existing respiratory diseases worse, such as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/understanding-idiopathic-pulmonary-fibrosis/chronic-lung-diseases-causes-and-risk-factors">chronic lung illness</a>.

Respiratory System 

Sleep deprivation is another risk factor for becoming overweight and obese. Sleep affects the levels of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness.<a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leptin-101">Leptin </a>tells your brain that you’ve had enough to eat. Without enough sleep, your brain reduces leptin and raises <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ghrelin">ghrelin </a>, which is an appetite stimulant. The flux of these hormones could explain nighttime snacking or why someone may overeat later in the night.

Digestive System 

A lack of sleep can also make you feel too tired to exercise . Over time, reduced physical activity can make you gain weight because you’re not burning enough calories and not building muscle mass.Sleep deprivation also causes your body to release less insulin after you eat. Insulin helps to reduce your blood sugar (glucose) level. Sleep deprivation also lowers the body’s tolerance for glucose and is associated with insulin resistance. These disruptions can lead to diabetes mellitus and obesity

Physical Activity 

Sleep affects processes that keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, including those that affect your blood sugar, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/blood-pressure-reading-explained">blood pressure </a>, and inflammation levels. It also plays a vital role in your body’s ability to heal and repair the blood vessels and heart. People who don’t sleep enough are more likely to get cardiovascular disease. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047487317702043">One analysis </a>linked insomnia to an increased risk of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-attack">heart attack </a>and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/stroke-types">stroke </a>.

Cardiovascular System

Hormone production is dependent on your sleep. For testosterone production, you need at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep, which is about the time of your first R.E.M. episode. Waking up throughout the night could affect hormone production. This interruption can also affect <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/growth-hormone-deficiency">growth hormone production </a>, especially in children and adolescents. These hormones help the body build muscle mass and repair cells and tissues, in addition to other growth functions. The <a href="https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/pituitary-gland">pituitary gland </a>releases growth hormone throughout each day, but adequate sleep and exercise also help the release of this hormone.

Endocrine System 

Best way: ensure you get adequate sleep, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-sleep-you-need">recommended </a> is 7-9 hours for adults aged 18 to 64.Other ways:<ul><li>limit/ avoid daytime naps</li><li>refrain from caffeine past noon/ at least a few hours prior to bedtime</li><li>go to bed and wake up at the same time every day</li><li>stick to your bedtime schedule in weekends and holidays</li><li>spend an hour before bed doing relaxing activities, e.g read, meditate, or take a bath</li><li>avoid heavy meals within a few hours of bedtime</li><li>refrain from using electronic devices just before bed</li><li>exercise regularly, but not in the evening hours close to bedtime</li><li>reduce alcohol intake</li></ul>

Prevent Sleep Deprivation? 😴 

<ol><li>insomnia</li><li>circadian rhythm disorders</li><li>obstructive sleep apnea</li><li>narcolepsy</li><li>restless leg syndrome</li></ol>

Most Common Types Of Sleep Disorders

If you continue to have problems sleeping at night and are fighting daytime fatigue, talk to your doctor. They can test for underlying health conditions that might be getting in the way of your sleep schedule.

Ending

Recently, having not enough sleep made me search this up to inspire me to sleep better, no matter how busy I am- that's an issue with my time planning and not sleep deprivation. Otherwise it becomes one big cycle 🔄

Sleep deprivation not only effects how you feel the next day, it can also have an effect on your entire body. From weight gain to an early death, a lack of sleep can have a surprisingly serious impact. Learn how your body responds to sleep deprivation and what you risk.

My stuff

11 Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body

The ideal sleeping environment is like a cave: cool, dark, quiet. These conditions can help you fall asleep more easily and stay asleep throughout the night.

Here’s Why Your Bedroom Should Be Like A Cave

Your sleep space should not be too warm. Using a box fan or keeping the air conditioning low will cool the bedroom and help with sleep initiation.

Your Bedroom Should Be A Comfortable Temperature

Your sleep environment should be dark to help signal to the body that it is time to sleep. If there is light coming into the space, blackout curtains or an eye mask may help with dimming or eliminating unwanted light.

Minimize Light In Your Bedroom 

The bedroom should be a quiet space. Loud and startling noises may cause more awake periods during the night. White noise machines or fans can help to cover or drown out extraneous sounds.

Make Sure That Your Bedroom Is Quiet Or “Cover” The Noise

The sleep environment should only be used for sleep (and intimacy). This means that it should not be used for reading, writing, working, worrying, etc. Keeping the sleep environment a single-purpose space helps to maintain a strong association between the bed and going to sleep. In other words, when you get into bed, it should signal to your body that it is time to go to sleep.

Your Bed Should Only Be Used For Sleep (and Intimacy)

Even as a sleep researcher, I have struggled with consistently sleeping well. I would sleep through the night sometimes, but loud cars or early sunlight would often wake me up. One thing that I…

Types of Insomnia: Symptoms, Treatment, Causes, Diagnosis

The 4 Stages of Sleep

The Science of Sleep: A Brief Guide on How to Sleep Better Every Night

11 Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body

Inside a Sleep Researcher’s Bedroom: How I Sleep and Why

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!