ISALC, Lewis and Clark College

Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite! by Ryoko Sakurai

Did you sleep well last night? According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, half of adults have difficulty falling asleep and forty six percent of people who replied to this survey complained about their job stress and are worried about their sleeplessness. (Why nearly half, 1996) Do you know how many hours you need to sleep every night? Although it depends on the individual, it is said that about seven to eight hours of sleep is desirable for most adults. Do you make efforts to make yourself sleep well? As you know, now there are a variety things related to inducing sleepiness like aroma oil and alpha wave music, available everywhere. In doing research about insomnia, it is important mention how insomnia is caused and how insomnia affects your life because sleep is essential for all creatures to live and we, human beings, sleep for one third of our lives.

Although sometimes doctors write a prescription for a drug in order to improve patient's sleeping, it can have the opposite effect to what was intended. This is not a cure, but only momentary relief. People usually take melatonin, which is produced naturally by the brain's pineal gland, believing that it can help them fall asleep because people fall asleep when their melatonin levels are high. Even though there has been research into taking melatonin which shows it can cause drowsiness in people who have insomnia, it is not clear if it helps people sleep or whether more than the normal intake of melatonin, which is about three milligrams, has harmful long-term effects. So it is the best to take it for only up to a few weeks. Regularly using sleeping pills can induce a rebound to insomnia, which occurs when people quit taking the pills. Moreover, sleeping pills can convert your normal sleep patterns and make you tired the following day. You need to take higher and higher dosage of sleeping pills because they lose effectiveness as time passes. Due to these facts, research suggests that you should not take sleeping aides for an extended time. (Insomnia: Get a good, 1998)

Because central nervous system stimulants and depressant can obstruct your sleep, alcohol, caffeine-containing beverages like coffee, tea, cola and chocolate, diet pills and amphetamines are not good for insomnia. (What you should, 1991) As a drug like caffeine can remain in the blood for up to twenty hours for some people, only a cup of coffee in the morning can disturb a sound sleep. (Meyerhoff, 1999) Although a glass of wine at dinner probably will not impair your sleep, if you take a nip before you go to bed, it makes you sleep sooner but the quality of sleep tends to be lighter and more fitful than usual and can induce frequent awaking while you are sleeping. So, you should avoid taking this kind of stimulus. (What you should, 1991)

Sleep variances like sleeping at a different time every day, taking a nap, changing work shifts and traveling to a new time zone are one of the marked cause of insomnia because they can influence people not to sleep at night by disturbing your sleeping and waking rhythm. For example, if you take a nap, you will be less sleepy when you go to bed. So, in order to sleep well, you need to lead a well-regulated life with unchanging sleep and waking pattern. (Why nearly half, 1996)

Do you sleep in a comfortable environment every night? It is very important for you to adjust your bedroom to your needs because the sleeping environment largely controls your sleeping quality. Noise like music, voices, and snoring, as well as light can prevent you from sleeping, so you should turn off or turn down the music and lights before you go to bed and, if your spouse or roommate snores, you need to use ear plugs to avoid your sleep being disturbed. Moreover, a room that is too cold or too warm makes your sleep difficult. (What you should, 1991)

One of the most significant causes of insomnia is stress. It is a very serious problem and as I mentioned before, about forty six percent of people who responded to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation pointed out job stress and other anxieties as a reason for their sleeplessness. (Why nearly half, 1996) An extreme change in your living environment, for example studying abroad, entering a new school or employment etc. also can cause insomnia because it is accompanied by a huge amount of stress. Generally speaking, when people have many problems with their job, school, human relationships, families and so on, this makes their sleep worse because these perhaps may make them depressed and they may try to solve them and think about them in bed. Research shows that stress can be released by exercising or relaxing and trying not to think about your problems in bed if possible. (Why nearly half, 1996)

Once you get insomnia, your life is quite capable of getting worse from a vicious circle because the effects of insomnia can cause other problems. Because of insomnia, your health condition may deteriorate. Lack of sleep can lower your resistance to the flu and it can cause much worse sickness. By losing your concentration, you may lose your job. Without the proper amount of sleep, people get tired and can have car accident. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every year more than 200,000 auto accidents occur due to tiredness. (Why nearly half, 1996) Moreover, lack of sleep can affect your emotional state and lead to emotional instability. On account of this unstable state, your human relationships can be affected like losing your family and friends. Although bad influences from insomnia depend on the individual, some have few serious problems and others suffer terribly from them. However, most people would be affected negatively in some way by insomnia.

"'Insomnia,' a chronic inability to sleep or to remain asleep throughout the night; wakefulness; sleeplessness, formally called agrypnia.", (Insomnia, 1998), can be caused by many elements such as drug use, sleep disorders, sleep environment and stress, and can affect your health both physically and mentally, which can lead to a decline in productivity and social status. So, if you are insomniacs, you seriously need to overcome this in order to live better. A happy life is waiting for you after you can sleep well. "Good night! Sleep tight! Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

Insomnia (1998). In Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary. [Online] Available: http://web6.searchbank.com/itw/session/900/124/39443529w3/13!slin_0+0+3

Insomnia: Get a good night's sleep. (1998, December). Harvard Health Letter [Online], 24. Available: http://web6.searchbank.com/itw/session/900/124/39443529w3/32!xrn_3_0_A53202478 [1999, October 25].

Meyerhoff, M.K.(1999). Sleepless in september, Pediatrics for Parents. [Online], Available: http://web6.searchbank.com/itw/session/900/124/39443529w3/29!xrn_2_0_A53257614

What you should know about insomnia. (1991). [Online] Available: http://web6.searchbank.com/itw/session/900/124/39443529w3/9!xrn_2_0_A1628600

Why nearly half of all adults have trouble sleeping.(1996, January) Jet . [Online] Available: http://web6.searchbank.com/itw/session/900/124/39443529w3/51!sln_27+0

Created by: krauss@lclark.edu
Updated: 11/14/99