No Comments January 26, 2008 – 4:58 am

Insomnia is one of the most common complaints that doctors hear from their patients in our country. It is a widespread problem and more than 40 million Americans suffer from long-lasting insomnia, with 20 to 30 million more experiencing short term sleep problems.
Sleep is more than just a “time out” from our busy lives.

Adequate sleep is essential for good health, mental function and safety. Researchers have found that people with chronic insomnia are more likely than others to develop psychiatric problems. Insufficient sleep can also be extremely dangerous, leading to serious or even fatal accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated more than 100,000 auto crashes annually are fatigue related. These drowsy driving crashes cause more than 1,500 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries and lasting disabilities.

There are three types of insomnia:

• Transient or mild insomnia: Sleep difficulties that last for a few days. There is little or no evidence of impaired function during the day.
• Short-term or moderate insomnia: Sleep difficulties that last for less than a month, that mildly affect functioning during the day because of irritability and fatigue.
• Chronic or severe insomnia: Sleep difficulties that last for more than a month, that severely impact functioning during the day and cause strong feelings of restlessness, irritability anxiety and fatigue.

If you are among the 17 percent of employees in the United States who are shift workers, sleep may be particularly elusive. Shift work forces you to try to sleep when activities around you — and your own “biological rhythms” — signal you to be awake. One study shows that shift workers are two to five times more likely than employees with regular, daytime hours to fall asleep on the job.

Although the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, most people need between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night in order to be alert and productive during the day. If your insomnia lasts longer than a few weeks and is affecting your mood, relationships and ability to function, then you should see your doctor.

Your doctor may need to perform a complete physical exam to rule out any underlying physical problems that may be affecting your sleep. If there are no other existing medical problems than you and your doctor can work out a plan to help you develop healthy and restful sleep patterns. You will be amazed at the positive difference it will make in your life.