Sleep is a very important factor in human lives. It helps our bodies recharge, it improves our mood and gives us energy to start each day fresh. However, the amount of sleep we actually get varies from person to person. Many people suffer from not being able to sleep at night, finding themselves laying awake for hours no matter how early they try to go to sleep. This is a disorder known as insomnia. According to doctors at the Mayo Clinic, insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life (Mayo Clinic, 1).

When it comes to what actually causes insomnia, there is no one reason as to why it happens. Some common results however, include stress, life habits that easily disturb our sleep schedules, eating too late before going to bed or in general not having a healthy schedule for yourself causing poor sleeping habits. Studies also show that insomnia becomes more common with age. As we get older, we may begin to experience changing sleep patterns such as with noise or our surroundings often waking you more easily. We may also become more physically or socially active. For example, college students’ sleep schedules change immensely due to studying, going out, working, and extracurricular activities. Sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular physical activity. Insomnia can affect you both mentally and physically, no matter what your reasons are for sleep loss. Individuals suffering from insomnia report a lower quality of life compared to individuals who are sleeping well. Complications like these are shown to cause lower performances in school or work, slower reaction times especially while driving and increasing the risks of long-term diseases such as heart or blood pressure problems.

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