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By learning the basic facts about insomnia, you will be able to better determine what you need to do to get your energy back. First of all, it is important to note that insomnia is not a disease, but simply a “symptom” of other physical, mental or emotional issue or experience.

Some of the factors that can cause insomnia are rapid changes in environment, poor diet, physical or mental distress, psychological issues or other medical conditions such as restless leg syndrome.

The most important facts to know about insomnia are its definition, types, causes and treatments.

“What is insomnia?”

Insomnia is defined as a condition in which the individual affected has trouble with sleep patterns. This definition is broad because the condition itself is broad. Some people have trouble getting to sleep, but once they do they’re out for 8 hours. Others wake up every hour throughout the night. Other more serious cases involve literally not sleeping at all for days or weeks at a time.

Either way, it’s a fact that insomnia is very unpleasant, causing the sufferer to deal with a lack of energy day in and day out.

“What are the types of insomnia?”

It is now known fact that there are two types of insomnia: secondary insomnia and primary insomnia.

Secondary insomnia is the most common type of sleeplessness, involving a disruption in sleep patterns as mentioned above. Primary insomnia occurs when the sufferer has no change in sleep patterns, but has extreme trouble getting rest all the time. This can be caused by specific medical conditions, prescriptions or serious emotionally traumatic events.

“Ok, I’m ready for the good news. How can I treat my insomnia?”

The simplest and most common way to treat insomnia is to remove the source of sleep pattern disruption. If there is something stressing you out at work, solve it or accept it. If a relationship isn’t working, get professional guidance. If you drink too much alcohol, gradually reduce the amount consumed to a healthy dosage with the help of your doctor.

In the case of primary insomnia, a strict dietary, physical and emotional regimen may need to be followed. Here are some quick tips that work for most people:

- Decrease the amount of caffeine and alcohol consumed
- Eat more fiber and protein
- Chew food completely before swallowing
- Exercise regularly
- Drink water every hour throughout the day
- Stretch your muscle in the morning and before bed
- Clear your mind and do not think about work or stressful things at least 1 hour before bed
- Get soothing music to listen to while sleeping

If this is unsuccessful, the use of prescription medication may be necessary. Such treatment could include the use of sleep inducing drugs such as those found in the benzodiazepine family. These medicines are typically Xanax, Valium, and Serax.