Living with Insomnia

*lights out*

*go to bed*

*eyes closed*

tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc......

*eyes opened*

*silent night*

*staring at the wall*

*checking the clock*

*wondering "why am I still awake?"*

*turn and toss on the bed*

*eyes closed with the hope of falling asleep*

tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc......

These are some normal routines for those who are insomnia. Sleep has become a luxury to them, while in fact it is a necessity for all of us. Most of the insomniac will probably hear some of these advices:

"You can try to drink a cup of warm milk before bed, it will makes you fall asleep easily."

"Take a hot shower, it'll relax."

"Exercise, it does help."

"Yes, we do know all these tips. It's not like we have not try it before. They just don't work!" say insomniacs.

People who are living with insomnia, first of all, they feel tired and sleepy most of the time and they may nod off easily at the slightest opportunity in normal routine such as sitting, standing or waiting for a bus. Insomnia can severely impair our body's and mind's ability to function 100 % on daily basis. Due to sleep deprivation, they may be forgetful, clumsy and may not be able to concentrate; normal tasks seem more difficult to them.

As mentioned above, those tips that were supposed to help falling asleep easily were not working on insomniacs and this will make them experience a range of feelings. For example:

"Everything's good and you are going to sleep. 
Soon, two hours has past but you have not fallen asleep yet. It's okay, I will fall asleep soon. 

But still your eyes are wide open and urging to check the clock to see how many hours do you left to sleep. 

You start to get annoyed. Maybe sleeping on my left would feel better.

So you turn, convince yourself that you are sleepy and start the counting sheep. 1,2,3,4,.... at some point, you have lost count and a voice appeared: This is no use. It is not working. 

Panic kicks in and you wonder how many more hours do you get to sleep. 

Counting sheep starts all over again but it lost count anyway. 

You wanted to cry. I JUST WANTED TO SLEEP, why can't I?"

Eventually, they may manage to fall asleep but they would not feel refreshed at all as they feel that they have not sleep enough. Besides, insomniacs also experience emotions ranging from anger to despair because they have tried everything, literally everything, but nothing works! They will physically and mentally tired and this will eventually stress them out.

As anyone who has insomnia will tell you, the very act of lying awake while the rest of the house are sleeping can feel very lonely and frustrating (National Sleep Foundation, 2016). It does feel isolating to be staring at the ceiling while you know that others are sleeping peacefully. It will become a source of tension and worry over time causing negative effects on their mental health. They are at risk of depression, anxiety and mood problems. This is because a lack of sleep warps the parts of the brain linked to emotion (Ben, 2016).

In addition, insomniacs will also experience sleep anxiety which refers to the negative and worrisome thoughts about sleep that can keep them awake. They will ask "If I'm so tired, then why can't I sleep?". Somehow, this anxiety about their exhaustion becomes part of the problem and wakes them up, which will only makes them more tired.

As a conclusion, people experience insomnia because they develop a pattern of behavior that interferes with good sleeping habits. Sleeping difficulties are often connected to underlying problems such as stress, depression or anxiety (American Psychological Association, 2016). Thus, for those who are living with insomnia, it is recommended to consult or seek advice from a physician, medical professional or even a psychologist.

REFERENCES

American Psychological Association (2016). Getting a good night's sleep: how psychologists help    with insomnia. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sleep-disorders.aspx

Ben Spencer (2016). Why insomnia makes you feel like a depressed zombie: Lack of sleep 'rewires' the parts of the brain linked to emotion. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3523146/Why-insomnia-makes-feel-like-depressed-zombie-Lack-sleep-wires-parts-brain-linked-emotion.html

National Sleep Foundation (2015). Insomnia & You. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from     https://sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/content/insomnia-you