Every now and then most people are affected by insomnia in some form. If you experience it, it will most likely be the temporary or transient type of insomnia. In that case, the disruption of your sleep will probably last only a few nights or maybe up to a few weeks and may be caused by a specific event or a particular type of stress you may be experiencing.
The longer-lasting chronic type of insomnia will affect fewer people. However, for some, it may become a lifelong problem.
Even though insomnia is usually not a serious condition, with chronic insomnia, a few of the possible side effects could actually be very dangerous.
Types of Insomnia
Those who are suffering from insomnia might have a difficult time falling asleep.
Some people fall asleep without any problems, but then they wake up at night very frequently.
Others find themselves falling asleep easily and sleeping well for a few hours, but then they wake up much earlier than they want to. If they try to go back to sleep until a more normal awakening time, it’s impossible for them do do.
Deciding Whether Insomnia Side Effects are Causing Problems
If you are experiencing the following side effects from your insomnia, it may be that you are not getting all the sleep you need and it would be wise to try some insomnia treatments.
— Are you tired in the daytime, or do you feel unrested and unrefreshed when you wake up for your day?
— Do you have headaches frequently?
— Do you have difficulty with concentration?
— Do you find yourself full of irritable feelings too often?
Chronic Insomnia Side Effects that May Become Dangerous
When chronic insomnia becomes so serious that you actually experience the effects of sleep deprivation, one of the most dangerous side effects is the increasing risk of being in a traffic accident or the increasing chance of having other types of accidents at home, at work, or at play because your ability to react quickly is impaired.
Other side effects of chronic insomnia and resulting sleep deprivation can include:
— Making it more difficult to keep a job.
— Stress on your marriage or other relationships.
— Experiencing a vague feeling of mental uneasiness or discomfort.
— You may experience a general feeling of physical weakness or lethargy.
— There’s a chance that your immune system will weaken and make you more likely to become ill.
Avoiding the Side Effects of Chronic Insomnia
Fortunately, you really don’t need to worry about losing one or two good nights of sleep because you won’t feel the side effects from insomnia immediately.
Even if your sleep difficulties are becoming a recurring event, when you figure out what is causing it and treat it, the insomnia side effects will go away once your sleep patterns become normal again. Although individual sleep requirements can vary from person to person, most people do best on seven to eight hours of sleep every night.
Insomnia treatment can usually be accomplished at home by eliminating stress in your life or changing the environment in your sleeping space that might be causing your sleepless nights.
Additional suggestions for treating insomnia are to follow a regular routine at bedtime, to avoid certain beverages and food too close to bedtime, and to get enough exercise every day, preferably in the early part of your day.
