DID YOU KNOW…

Insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking in the night, the inability to fall back asleep, or waking too early in the morning, plagues 67 percent of Americans.

Background Information

Insomnia is the inability to obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep. The difficulty can be in falling asleep, remaining asleep, or both.

Everyone differs in the amount of sleep they require–some folks need nine hours, others get by just fine on four. But according to Peter Hauri, Ph.D., director of the Mayo Clinic’s Sleep Disorder Center in Rochester, Minn., it’s not how long you sleep, but how well. If you wake up feeling refreshed after just a few hours of sleep and can function during the day, don’t worry. If you’re regularly sleepy and exhausted, even after a solid eight hours, you may have insomnia.

Insomnia is not a laughing matter. Anyone who has trouble getting a good night’s sleep and fears the exhaustion of the next day will vouch for this.

Insomnia can result in mood swings, lack of coordination, frazzled nerves, impaired mental functioning and a decreased ability to fend off infections. According to a 1998 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C., 37 percent of those surveyed admitted that they’re so sleepy during the day, they have trouble functioning.

Needless to say, for people with insomnia, a good night’s rest is many times invaluable.