For some people, bedtime is the most stressful time of the day. Rather than looking forward to restful slumber, they’re wondering if they’ll fall asleep at all, or what time it will be when they finally do. If it’s been several nights, or even weeks, since they had more than a few consecutive hours of sleep, they know they’re already running on fumes, and can’t imagine what tomorrow will be like if they lose even more sleep tonight. They know they should relax, but the exhaustion, and anxiety about the exhaustion, feed on each other, and make things worse.
These are the insomniacs, and they make up anywhere from 10 – 35% of the population. Maybe you’re even one of them.
Chances Are You’ll Battle Insomnia if You Already Haven’t
Most people will battle some degree of insomnia at some point in their lives. About thirty-five percent of people deal with mild cases that resolve on their own. Another fifteen to twenty percent develop a short-term sleep disorder, lasting less than three months. But for ten percent of the population, insomnia is a chronic problem defined as difficulty with sleep at least three times per week, for at least three months. For some this can go on for years.