Insomnia

Symptoms

Symptoms of insomnia can be different for each individual, and people with insomnia might experience a variety of symptoms, such as:

• Difficulty falling asleep, which can mean lying in bed for up to an hour or more, perhaps tossing and turning, wishing for sleep to begin.
• Waking up during sleep and having trouble getting back to sleep.
• Waking up too early in the morning.
• Feeling unrefreshed when you wake up.
• Feeling irritable, drowsy, anxious, and/or nonproductive during the daytime.

It's common for older adults to sleep less deeply and for less time than they did earlier in life, and to experience fragmented sleep. But these normal changes in the sleep patterns of older adults do not mean that the sleep they get is enough—some experts believe older adults may need as much sleep as younger adults.⁶ Routine poor-quality sleep due to health problems, medicine use, and major life changes can lead to chronic sleep problems. While chronic insomnia may increase the risk of serious health problems, such as depression, few older adults seek or receive treatment for sleep problems.

What makes people with insomnia different from people who generally sleep fewer hours or have a different sleep disorder is the quality of their day. Insomnia results in such disturbed sleep that you feel and perform poorly during the day. Sometimes people worry about the amount of sleep that they get most nights because they think people their age need a certain number of hours. It is possible to be a restless sleeper or to sleep fewer than 8 hours a night and yet get the amount of sleep you need. If you wake up refreshed with energy and are able to conduct your needed tasks during the day, then you are probably getting adequate sleep.

If you think that you routinely are not getting enough sleep, do not feel refreshed when you rise in the morning, and constantly feel tired during the day, you could have insomnia. It is important that you talk with your doctor about your sleep problem, because daytime drowsiness can lead to serious problems, including injury or accidents.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: January 22, 2008
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Jan Ulfberg, MD, PhD - Sleep Disorders
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