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Lots of people struggle with sleep every now and again. In fact, I'd say pretty much everyone does. However, there is a difference between not being able to sleep one night every month or so and not being able to sleep pretty much every day of the year.
Despite this, the same word is often used to describe being unable to sleep: insomnia. Do you think that because everyone uses this word to describe not being able to sleep (regardless of regularity) it undervalues it? I wonder if the reason insomnia isn't taken as seriously as it should be is because the word is simply over-used (or misused)?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and develop this into a discussion about the use of the word insomnia and how it affects society's perception of the condition. Should we be campaigning to properly educate people on what 'real' insomnia is? Should the word be used less liberally than it is at the moment? Do you feel angry or offended when people talk about having insomnia, when they aren't really insomniacs?
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One definition of insomnia is difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep, or nonrestorative sleep, associated with impairments of daytime functioning or marked distress for more than 1 month.
There are plenty of definitions for it, I believe that people now use insomnia way to much as a means of expressing a sleep problem when they don't even have it, I was diagnossed with Chronic insomnia, and it really does make me angry when people I know who are a few years young than I even ones my age, say so franky I understand what your going through now, I didn't get any sleep two days ago and last night I only got five hours sleep.
These people don't have insomnia they have other problems where they sit at the computer all night.
It boils my blood when people say they got something when they don't, kids just try to be cool too much, like a girl I spoke to the other night asked me to list my medical problems off, and she was like oh I have all of those too!
I don't sleep like at all, I got a leg problem(she doesn't) etc.
My friend Redmond has sleeping problems, bad ones, they don't get as bad as mine but still pretty bad, he said to me yesterday I don't think I have insomnia since your born with it.
So it was switched around, he wasn't educated properly and it led him to believe insomniacs were born with it.
Turns out he has hypothyroidism which doesn't cause it but they told him it's a major problem towards it.
I think we ought to educate people so they fully understand what insomnia is.
In some ways I feel like a fraud here…I have issues sleeping, but I do not class myself as an insomniac.
As Martin had previously mentioned lots of people (if not everyone) has problems with a few sleepless nights now and then, it's almost like it is like a part of the human condition, and I guess I kinda fit between the 2 having problems maintaining any kind of half decent sleep pattern…. sometimes I get a couple of nights where sleep is good, but I'm lucky to 4 hours (which is great and more than a lot of people get here I'm sure). I walk round mosts days with a headache from Hell (I wake up with it, it's there when I do sleep), ever great for the the odd break from that I get during stormy weather…but I digress…
Am I an insomniac? I guess not, but have issues with sleep.
(OK, gibbering over…sorry!!)
'yamerias' wrote on '17:In some ways I feel like a fraud here…I have issues sleeping, but I do not class myself as an insomniac.
As Martin had previously mentioned lots of people (if not everyone) has problems with a few sleepless nights now and then, it's almost like it is like a part of the human condition, and I guess I kinda fit between the 2 having problems maintaining any kind of half decent sleep pattern…. sometimes I get a couple of nights where sleep is good, but I'm lucky to 4 hours (which is great and more than a lot of people get here I'm sure). I walk round mosts days with a headache from Hell (I wake up with it, it's there when I do sleep), ever great for the the odd break from that I get during stormy weather…but I digress…
Am I an insomniac? I guess not, but have issues with sleep.
(OK, gibbering over…sorry!!)
I get a headache, too. It comes on stronger when I can actually sleep all night (like currently) but the sleep quality is terrible. Like really, really bad. I wake up more tired than when I went to bed. Then there's the times of waking up at 3:30 or 4 and not being able to sleep again. Then there's the times of being awake between 2 and 6. And the times of not being able to fall asleep at all.
idk. I have a friend who claims to have insomnia when she gets less than six hours of sleep a night. However, she has a newborn, so it's like um…That happens?
OOoh it gets my goat, as does the use of the word “depression”. I have depression – I was diagnosed with it. I was also diagnosed with insomnia as an effect of the depression and medication. People often like to exaggerate or just don't understand the true meaning of what it is like to live without sleep.
the term for Insomnia is definitely misused by most people who have a few days or weeks of poor sleep or no sleep. I went through about five years with very little if almost no sleep .It affected every area of my life not to mention my health so when I hear people say they are insomniacs and have only missed on a few days of quality sleep I do get a little peeved.
Fortunately for me I have been getting more sleep over the last 6 months so I'm on my way out of the sleepless nightmare. And I haven't had to take medication for it as other alternatives have helped me get the much needed rest.
So I would say I don't consider myself an insomniac anymore but a recovering one.. 😎
'sarahkay' wrote on '19:OOoh it gets my goat, as does the use of the word “depression”. I have depression – I was diagnosed with it. I was also diagnosed with insomnia as an effect of the depression and medication. People often like to exaggerate or just don't understand the true meaning of what it is like to live without sleep.
What she said!
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