Sleep is essential to our well-being. When humans fail to get good sleep over a period of time, numerous problems can occur.

General population and sleep disturbance:
Between 10 and 40% of individuals in the US report sleep difficulty.

Gulf War Veterans: 2% of Gulf War Veterans reported Sleep disturbance as their chief complaint, 32% listed sleep disturbance as one of their top 7 symptoms and 6% listed sleep disturbance as one of their top 3 symptoms after returning from the Persian Gulf.

Of the deployed veterans, 25% of individuals reported difficulty sleeping lasting more than 6 months.

Of non-deployed military personnel, 9% reported difficulty sleeping lasting more than 6 months.

Why is sleep so essential?

Sleep is an opportunity for our bodies to get needed repair:

• Some forms of sleep are associated with physical repair (e.g., torn muscles, organ cleansing, etc.)
  
• Other forms of sleep are associated with psychological repair (e.g., laying down memories, working though anxiety etc.).
  
• Physical repair is associated with slow brain wave patterns, whereas psychological repair is associated with active dream states. The brain waves of a dreaming person look very similar to someone who is awake.
  
• On average, adults cycle through all forms of sleep every 90 minutes. Therefore if a person sleeps for 8 hours, he or she will have 5 opportunities to repair both the physical and psychological systems. Eight hours is the average length of time that adults sleep.
  
• Each 90-minute cycle serves a unique function. When a person first falls asleep, the bulk of those 90 minutes is spent in physical repair with only a small percentage dedicated to psychological repair. As the night wears on, the balance shifts so that in the morning, just before awakening, very little time is spent in physical repair with the bulk of sleep time being dedicated to psychological repair. While we do have some dreaming every 90 minutes, we have much more of it near morning. Thus we are more likely to remember dreaming if we awaken during a cycle that is dominated by dreaming.
  
• Age influences the balance of the 90-minute cycles. Babies spend the bulk of their sleep time in a dream state since their bodies require very little repair. Older adults, on the other hand, spend a disproportionate amount of their sleep time in physical repair, as aging bodies are more vulnerable to damage.
  
• Recent research also points to inadequate sleep as a factor in the development of obesity and diabetes.
  When emotional distress and worry interfere with sleep patterns, the natural ability of the body to repair itself becomes disrupted. If sleep is disrupted over a long period of time, necessary physiological and psychological repair cannot take place, which can lead to pain, fatigue, and memory and thinking difficulty. Additional consequences of poor sleep may include difficulty maintaining alertness, lack of energy, impaired mood, and trouble handling stress. Lack of sleep, so often due to pain or discomfort, can also put you at risk for injury, poor health and accidents (e.g., falling asleep at the wheel).

Symptoms That Can Signal Inadequate Sleep:

• Dozing off while engaged in an activity such as reading, watching TV, sitting in meetings or sitting in traffic
  
• Slowed thinking and reacting
  
• Difficulty listening to what is said or understanding directions
  
• Difficulty remembering or retaining information
  
• Frequent errors or mistakes
  
• Narrowing of attention, missing important changes in a situation
  
• Depression or negative mood
  
• Impatience or being quick to anger
  
• Frequent blinking, difficulty focusing eyes, or heavy eyelids

What is insomnia?

About a third (27%) of Americans have occasional insomnia. Nine percent have chronic insomnia. The most common cause of insomnia is a big change in daily routine. Other causes include pain, nausea, shortness of breath, depression and anxiety.

Sometimes insomnia goes away on its own. Sometimes your doctor will prescribe a sleeping pill if the insomnia is short lived. Sometimes people have an alcoholic drink or use over-the-counter sleep preparations that contain alcohol. While these may help you to fall asleep, alcohol suppresses mental activity that you need if the Dream State is going to produce psychological repair. Frequently people do not awaken feeling refreshed following the use of alcohol.

When insomnia is ongoing, the most common approach to treatment is to alter sleeping habits.

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