Everyone is prone to a sleepless night or two, brought on by
excitement or stress. However, for some, lack of sleep can last for
weeks, sometimes months. Sustained sleep-deprivation is something
that is estimated to affect between 20% and 50% of adults. Much work
has gone into researching not only how to cure insomnia but also what
the mechanisms are that cause it.
The 3 P's
of Insomnia
A
popular explanation for this sleep disorder looks at three key
factors – predisposition, precipitation, and perpetuation.
Advocates of the 3-P Model believe that insomniacs have certain
characteristics, such as being naturally anxious or being
perfectionists, that make them more susceptible to sleep problems.
This predisposition, combined with a precipitating event, such as a
death of a loved one or job stress, can affect sleep resulting in a
period of acute
insomnia (short-term sleep loss). The third facet of this model is
that anxiety about, and poor attitudes towards, sleep will perpetuate
the symptoms of insomnia. This is because, the more uneasiness a
sufferer feels about falling asleep, the more active their brain will
be, resulting in them actually staying awake for longer.
The
Cognitive Processes of Sleeplessness
This
idea of perceptions of how one will sleep feeds into the Cognitive
Model of insomnia, an idea put forward over ten years ago. The simple
concept is that those suffering from insomnia worry about their sleep
and what will happen if they don't get enough. These thoughts
actually trigger emotional stress and brain activity which causes the
individual to search themselves and their surroundings for factors
that could interrupt their sleep, such as noise, light, or
discomfort. In the process of focussing on these things they actually
bring themselves back into a
state of full wakefulness, as the brain isn't allowed to wind down.
By actively focussing on the act of falling sleep, insomniacs delay
it, by maintaining the brain in a state of awareness.
The Brain
Chemistry of Insomniacs
Related to the Cognitive Model, but taking a more in depth stance,
the Neurocognitive Model of sleep deprivation explores how brain
activity may differ between those with regular sleeping patterns and
those without. Scientists have observed that those suffering from
acute insomnia actually have higher levels of electrical activity in
the brain than those who don't suffer sleep problems. The result of
this could be that insomnia sufferers may have higher sensory or
information processing activity during times when those with regular
sleeping patterns don't. This could have drastic effects on a
person's ability to fall asleep, as they are more aware of what is
happening around them.
The role physiological factors has been more thoroughly researched,
as it has come to be believed that insomniacs may have innate
characteristics that affect how easily their sleep is disrupted by
both external and psychological factors. Elevated levels of brain
metabolism have been observed in studies of insomniacs, making it
harder for them to switch off at night. Furthermore, it has been seen
that patients with insomnia secrete less melatonin at night, the
hormone responsible for making us feel tired. This, combined with the
observed increased levels of norepinephrine, a hormone similar to
adrenaline, in insomniacs have the debilitating effect of making it
much harder to fall asleep.
Thankfully, as insomnia becomes better understood, more techniques
and medical interventions are being developed to cure it.
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