The Influence Of Insomnia On Our Health
Many people face insomnia daily and it impacts how they are able to perform daily activities. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is diagnosed by the difficulty of sleeping or staying in the resting state. This mental illness can change how people process situations and emotions, causing everyday life to be a challenge. Side effects from insomnia can range anywhere from depression and anxiety to an increase in errors or accidents, making it a very dangerous condition to live with. Overall, insomnia has many symptoms and causes that damage the body’s health and functions. There are different ways to increase the probability of obtaining this mental illness, so people you see everyday could be facing this challenge.
Do you suffer from insomnia? Insomnia is a sleeping disorder and can be considered a mental illness because it affects how those diagnosed sleep and their ability to stay in the resting state. This mental illness is very common in the present and can be caused by many different elements. Studies show that one in four Americans develop insomnia each year, and that 50% of the world's population (7.7 billion) have this challenging condition…Insomnia affects the physical body, mental stability and how the body functions, which makes it a very frightening disease to live with when attempting to live an average everyday life.
How does insomnia get in the way of one living their daily life and performing normal tasks? The body is controlled by the brain which is an organ that is in charge of all the nervous system, making it a beyond complex dictator. With that, it’s similar to the cycle of life! You need your brain to make educated decisions for you, but in return your brain needs sleep and rest which insomnia prohibits. For your brain to function properly, your body needs to rest anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a night. In China, scientists have completed a study and proven that insomnia does indeed also mess with ones mental stability and how those affected are able to deal with negative emotions.
With insomnia, the diagnosed can deal with anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This information proves that sleep is needed more than one may believe; insomnia is beyond dangerous for the diagnosed and those surrounding them. One night of inadequate sleep can make those who aren’t diagnosed feel down, and increase stress and anxiety. So could you imagine not getting a healthy amount of sleep each night and how it affects the body? Take the side effects of one night of inadequate sleep and multiply it by 10 and the author still doesn’t know if it would reach the amount of stress and other symptoms those diagnosed face every day while trying to perform daily tasks.
Insomnia doesn’t only deal with the mental health, it also affects the physical body and places those pronounced at risk of injury or worse. The body naturally cannot continue functioning correctly without adequate sleep, so it is required to shut down. For instance, one may fall asleep while simply standing, walking, or even driving which makes it especially dangerous to even perform ordinary tasks. Also, not getting the correct amount of sleep can cause weight gain and muscle loss. When one is always feeling tired, it is more difficult to find the motivation to exercise correctly and live a healthy lifestyle.
What causes insomnia and how does one prevent getting this mental illness? The list of causes go on and on, never ceasing to exist, but the main one’s the majority of the world’s population deal with include: nasal and sinus allergies, arthritis, asthma, stress, unusual sleep patterns, and eating too much in the evening. Stress is something everyone goes through which places the majority at risk for insomnia and explains why this is a popular mental illness among the population. How does one prevent insomnia? If wanting to not get pronounced, there is steps to not getting this mental illness. Steps include: keep your bedtime and wake time consistent, exercise, check medications, avoid naps, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, large meals before bed, and create a comfortable and safe environment.
In conclusion, insomnia is a very serious mental illness and can be very dangerous. There are ways to get and prevent insomnia, as the authored has urged throughout the paper. This mental illness can cause many symptoms like: anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, weight gain and so much more. Help others by explaining the dangers of insomnia and the importance of getting the right amount of sleep per night.
References
- TodayShow. (2019, June 6). Messing up sleep schedule by just 1 hour linked to metabolic syndrome. Retrieved from https://www.today.com/health/irregular-sleep-routine-linked-higher-health-risks-study-finds-t155636
- The Good Body. (2019, October 28). 26 Insomnia Statistics: Data Reveals Rise In (Frightening) Epidemic. Retrieved from https://www.thegoodbody.com/insomnia-statistics/.
- Abbott, J. (2016, March 28). What's The Link Between Insomnia And Mental Illness? Retrieved from https://www.sciencealert.com/what-exactly-is-the-link-between-insomnia-and-mental-illness.
- Sosso, F. A. E., Nakamura, O., & Nakamura, M. (2017). Evaluation of Combined Effects of Insomnia and Stress on Sleep Quality and Sleep Duration. Journal of Neurology and Neuroscience, 08(03).
- What Causes Insomnia? (2017, September 22). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/what-causes-insomnia.
- Sleep And Depression | Sleep Disorder Symptoms. (2018, April 4). Retrieved from https://sleep-deprivation.com/sleep-disorder-symptoms/sleep-and-depression/.