THEinsomnia (Latin sleep = sleep) is difficult to define precisely because there is no “standard” for sleep.

Insomnia is characterized by difficulty getting enough sleep, to the point where it interferes with activities of daily living (drowsiness, poor attention, irritability, etc.). Some people naturally sleep a few hours a night without negative impact : they are therefore not insomniacs.

Generally, by attacking the causes of insomnia, most people regain restful sleep after a few weeks.

Types of insomnia

There are 2 types of insomnia:

• thetransient insomnia : the symptoms are linked to a one-off situation that is often easily identifiable (a more stressful period at the office, a divorce, etc.) – this type of insomnia can nevertheless last for several weeks;
• thechronic insomnia : difficulty sleeping must manifest itself at least 3 nights per week, for at least 1 month.

Note that the line between these 2 types of insomnia is not always clear.

Who is affected?

According to the latest Canadian Community Health Survey, approximately 13% of Canadians aged 15 and over have chronic insomnia¹. According to the same survey, 36,5% of insomniacs don’t usually feel rested when they wake up, while only 9,2% of people who say they don’t have insomnia are tired in the morning. The survey also reveals that people affected by insomnia sleep on average 1 hour less per night than people who do not.¹.

Statistics on the prevalence of insomnia vary from source to source, however, as “ insomnia criteria Used in surveys are not always the same. Some researchers rely on the duration of symptoms; others, on their degree of seriousness; still others, on their presence or not. The criterion most often used is the frequency of symptoms of insomnia.

Causes

Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease per se, much like fever. Before thinking about treating it, we must therefore find the cause (s).

Among the physical and environmental factors that have a major influence on sleep are the brightness and ambient noise, as well as the content and timing of meal.

The psychological factors, like stress or worry, also play an important role. They account for 50% of all insomnia cases evaluated in a sleep lab².

In addition to factors related to lifestyle and the environment (see the Risk factors section for more information), all kinds of health problems acute or chronic can disrupt sleep:

• restless legs syndrome, which is characterized by an overwhelming urge to move the legs, especially during times of relaxation or inactivity;
• sleep apnea, which usually occurs in people who are overweight or who snore heavily; it causes breathing pauses of a few seconds or more several times during the night, which may or may not cause conscious awakenings;
• chronic pain caused by arthritis or cancer, for example;
• the Depression;
• difficulty breathing (in case of heart failure or lung disease), the need to urinate at night (nocturia), gastroesophageal reflux disease, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease.

When a physical or mental health problem makes it difficult to sleep well, getting the right treatment is first and foremost.

Sleep needs with age

The elderly do not really need less sleep than other adults, even if many sleep less, according to sleep specialist Charles Morin, psychologist and researcher at Laval University in Quebec³³. With age, periods of deep slow sleep continually decrease. As sleep is more fragile, older people are more likely to be awakened by external stimuli, be it noise, light or body pain. However, by making naps when necessary and by respecting the rules of sleep hygiene (described in the Prevention section), it is quite possible to get enough sleep.

Possible consequences

The consequences ofinsomnia are quickly felt and include: fatigue, drowsiness, theirritability, memory loss and difficulty concentrating during the day. It is possible to assess the degree of daytime sleepiness by means of a test standardized comprising 8 questions. Click here to take the Epworth test.

Insomnia tends to accentuate symptoms certain health problems: migraines, pain, digestive problems, etc.

If spending a few White Nights occasionally is not a concern, a chronic lack of sleep can disrupt daily activities and cause:

• of the difficultés scolaires, especially among primary school students;
• au job, theabsenteeism or presenteeism (to be present in body and not in spirit);
• of the accidents at work and road accidents : driving fatigue is involved in 20% to 25% of fatal road accidents^3,32.