About Insomnia and Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia, defined as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, is a common problem. More than one third of American adults experience occasional insomnia; more than one in 10 experience chronic insomnia because of one or more of the following:

- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep
- Waking up too early in the morning
- Unrestful sleep

Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Insomnia can disturb your waking hours as well by making you feel sleepy or fatigued, negatively impacting your mood and making it hard to focus.

Sleep Disorders and the Elderly

About one-third of the older population suffers from insomnia or lack of sleep.
Some of the reasons for sleep disorders are prevalent as we get older. Among them are daytime sleepiness, a condition known as Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB), Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD).

More than one half of people older than 64 years who live at home and two thirds of people older than 64 years who reside in a long-term care facility are estimated to have some form of sleep disturbance. Research is concentrating more on sleep disorders in the elderly and coming up with safe solutions for this group of Americans with special needs.