Understanding Insomnia

“Sleep is the overlooked hero and the poor man’s physician.” - Stephen King

Drew Faust, the 28th President of Harvard University, depicts her struggle with getting enough high-quality sleep.

You may ask why we spend nearly a third of our lives sleeping. We are biologically wired to sleep. Sleep has been shown to be vital for our existence. Unfortunately, many of us do not get the sleep we need. After many restless nights, you may be concerned about having insomnia. But what is insomnia exactly?

Insomnia is a common sleeping disorder that leads to negative daytime effects despite adequate opportunity to sleep. It is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, maintaining sleep, or experiencing non-refreshing sleep. Up to 30 to 40% of Americans have experienced symptoms of insomnia. For some, symptoms of insomnia can resolve on its own or due to changes in the sleep environment or sleep behaviors. However, roughly 10% of the adult population suffer from chronic insomnia, defined as lasting for at least 3x per week for 3 or more months. Chronic insomnia may require evaluation and treatment.

Truth or Myth?

During sleep, the brain is not active.

Myth! During sleep, the brain remains online and active. We cycle through different sleep stages with corresponding brain activity. For more information, check out Healthy Sleep. The active brain during sleep plays a role in memory, thinking, and emotional processing.