What Are The Symptoms And Side-Effects Of Insomnia?

At the bottom of the page you will find a link to our extensive guide to finding a natural insomnia cure, but first it would be wise to a look at the different types of insomnia and who suffers from it:

What Are The Symptoms Of Insomnia?

Although a commonly asked question, this one is difficult to answer because, as already outlined previously, insomnia is itself a symptom and not a disease. Insomnia symptoms are therefore essentially the characteristic of this particular sleep disorder. Namely:

In addition, a further characteristic, not so far mentioned, is the fact that sufferers start their day by feeling tired and un-refreshed and often perform poorly during the day.

There are many side-effects accompanying insomnia but perhaps the most significant are:

• Increased accident rate. Accidents at home, at work and particularly on the road can often be traced back to insomnia. Recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attribute fatigue to some 100,000 vehicle accidents and 1,500 deaths in the United States alone during 2004.



• Premature death. There is no evidence to suggest that insomnia itself contributes to premature death, except in the rare case of a genetic disorder known as fatal familial insomnia. There is, however, good evidence to show that people who regularly take sleeping pills do have lower survival rates than the general population. These deaths therefore, while not directly resulting from insomnia, must certainly be attributed to it.



• Stress and depression. Insomnia can have a significant effect upon mood and increased hormonal activity resulting from insomnia can lead to anxiety, stress and depression.



• Heart disease. There is some evidence to suggest that severe insomnia can produce activity within the heart and nervous system that, in turn, may lead to heart disease.



• Headaches. Insomnia can often lead to headaches during the night and early in the morning.