By: Joann Bally CSCS

About 9 or 10% of Americans at any time have insomnia. To qualify, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, you have to have had 1 month of difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or having non-restorative sleep that doesn’t refresh you. This is for primary insomnia, that isn’t associated with another disorder. There is also short-term insomnia, often caused by pain or discomfort from injury or illness, and transient insomnia, such as that caused by changing shifts at your job.

Sometimes, insomnia results from preoccupation with the inability to sleep. You worry so much about not sleeping that it keeps you awake. You may have an unrealistic expectation that you will fall asleep immediately, when 20-30 minutes is actually normal.

If you get yourself in this sort of predicament, don’t reach for drugs first thing. Learn relaxation techniques to quiet your mind. Deep breathing, meditation, self-hypnosis, and biofeedback are recommended choices. Practice when you’re tense and/or before going to bed. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, and train yourself to be consistent. If you wake up some time during the night, remember that is not unusual and you can go back to sleep. If some project or problem is on your mind, practice relaxation and remember it will soon either be over or get better. Your sleep will return to normal when the stressor is over. Eat healthy and get some exercise. That helps you sleep better.

Most people can get over insomnia, or at least reduce it so it is much less bothersome, by learning relaxation and making some lifestyle changes. If it does persist for you, see a doctor or therapist. Insomnia is common, but it is curable.