I am insomnia
But you were tired the whole day why can’t you sleep now
It’s because you can’t turn your thoughts off
They were there during the day
But were drowned out by all the other noise
But now, you are all alone in the stillness
And you can’t help but have all those thoughts
All those thoughts that are too dark and morbid for the day
Where you question your self worth and your purpose for even living
Trying to set a sleep schedule won’t fix the problem
Because even when everything is said and done and it’s time for bed
I won’t let you sleep
Explained
Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder in which a person has difficulty getting enough sleep during the night. This disorder could occur in a variety of ways such as not being able to fall asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, or waking up early in the morning. Insomnia affects nearly 25% of the population in America every year. [18] Although there can be physical factors for insomnia such as eating too late at night or having chronic health problems, a lot of the time the causes are mental. Insomnia is often caused by stress revolving around everyday life. Those who are anxious day to day about school, work, or relationships tend to have troubling thoughts at night when they have time to think, which prevents them from getting enough sleep. Sometimes, people feel that they cannot sleep without first resolving issues present in their life, but many of these problems are ongoing and do not have quick fixes that can be completed overnight. Additionally, insomnia can be caused after having a traumatic experience. Flashbacks and nightmares that remind you of the event can make it difficult to fall asleep out of fear and stress.
There are different categories of insomnia based on how often you have difficulty falling asleep. Short-term or acute insomnia occurs for a couple of days or weeks, which usually stems from a traumatic, stressful event. Long-term or chronic insomnia occurs at least 3 times a week for a couple of months. This is more likely stemming from stress revolving around everyday life since that would be continuous. Generally speaking, having other mental health problems such as anxiety or PTSD increase your chances of developing insomnia.
Sleep is an essential part of living, and trying to function without it can be detrimental. Your body systems will not work as efficiently and it will be difficult to concentrate. You will likely have a slower reaction time which can lead to devastating accidents. If you or a loved one is struggling with insomnia, you can try to act by yourself by finding a way to clear your mind before bed. Many people will meditate or do something relaxing a couple of hours before they go to sleep to slow their heart rate and make it easier to fall asleep. Also, make sure you keep your bed only for sleeping if possible. By doing work in bed, it is difficult for your brain to determine when it should focus and when it should relax, which will in turn make it difficult to fall asleep. If the problem continues, you can approach a doctor and visit a sleep clinic to find why you are unable to fall asleep. [19]