My Slight Insomnia

I'm not sure when it all started, but at some point in my existence I started taking a lot longer than usual to fall asleep, though at the time it wasn't unusual and I saw it as seemingly normal that it would take over an hour for a person to fall asleep. But, as I'm sure you noticed, I'm only calling it slight insomnia, because I'm not exhibiting all the symptoms, and up until now I've just self-diagnosed myself, because when it comes to all things hybrid, I'm Dr. Hybrid.

But now I've turn to the internet to back up my diagnosis, and according to eMedicineHealth these are the symptoms...

• People with insomnia may complain of difficulty falling asleep. The problem may begin with stress. Then, as you begin to associate the bed with your inability to sleep, the problem may become chronic.

(I have difficulty falling asleep! I seem to stress here and there! I've had different beds over the years, none of them really helped so its not chronic! So thats one symptom.)

• Depression and mental illnesses are often associated with insomnia.
  

(Depression? Ho Ho Ho Never! Denial? Maybe! Mental Illnesses? If being hybrid is a mental illness then yes...but otherwise I ain't counting that as a symptom. Zero for you!)

• Most often daytime symptoms will bring people to seek medical attention. Daytime problems caused by insomnia include the following:
  
  
  • Poor concentration and focus (Huh? What..?)
    
    
  • Difficulty with memory (Who are you..?)
    
    
  • Impaired motor coordination (My driving skills are fine, it was he that ran into me!)
    
    
  • Irritability and impaired social interaction (Some people can be irritating, impaired, sometimes I mumble?)
    
    
  • Motor vehicle accidents because of fatigued, sleep-deprived drivers (Like I said, it was him, and I was wide awake at the time too!)

So I seem to have only half of those symptoms, and of those daytime problems, half of those slightly apply to me, thus meaning I do have "Slight Insomnia", whether I like it or not. But what caused it? Once again, my self diagnosis said it was because of my busy mind, in the waning hours of the night I need to unwind and just think for myself, about anything, today, tomorrow or let my imagination run wild with stories I make up on the spot, and apparently the best time to do it is before sleeping. But according to eMedicineHealth these are the possible causes...

Insomnia may result from either psychological or physical causes.

• The most common psychological problems include anxiety, stress, and depression. In fact, insomnia may be an indicator of depression. Many people will have insomnia during the acute phases of a mental illness.

I like to think I'm psychologically sound, sure I stress a bit, but who doesn't? Anxiety? Sometimes, but not crazy anxiety..I think. Depression? Not a lick of it here my friend. But I suppose it can be a slight cause?

• Physiological causes span from circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-wake imbalance, to a variety of medical conditions. Following are the most common medical conditions that trigger insomnia:
  
  
  • Chronic pain syndromes (I've never felt chronic pain in all my years, and the pain I currently feel from hybrid martial arts training doesn't count)
    
  
  
  • Congestive heart failure (*beats chest* Ticking like a time bomb, s'all good)
    
    
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Basically long lasting obstruction of airways, of which I've never had *cough cough*)
    
    
  • Degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease (Often insomnia is the deciding factor for nursing home placement.) (What's that sonny? Degeneration X? Oak Climbers?)
    
• Certain groups are at higher risk for developing insomnia:
  
  
  • Travelers (I will walk 500 miles...)
    
    
  • Shift workers (Oh no, I quit that business, never to return hopefully)
    
    
  • Seniors (In my day, onions on the belt were all the style...)
    
    
  • Adolescent or young adult students (When I was 17, I drank some very good beer I purchased with my fake ID...)
    
    
  • People with chronic pain, cardiopulmonary disease (No pain, no gain they say...gain insomnia?)
    
    
  • Pregnant women (Maybe I am pregnant! But I highly doubt it, infact really doubt it)
    
    
  • Women in menopause (I'm a man's man, man! Wait, that doesn't sound right...)
    
• Certain medications have been associated with insomnia. Among them are certain over-the counter cold and asthma preparations.
  
  
  • The prescription varieties of these medications may also contain stimulants and thus produce similar effects on sleep.
    
    
  • Medications for high blood pressure have also been associated with poor sleep.
    (No medicine here, all immune system!)
• Common stimulants associated with poor sleep include caffeine and nicotine. You should consider not only restricting caffeine use in the hours immediately before bedtime but also limiting your total daily intake. (Not a coffee drinker, not a smoker!)
  
  
• People often use alcohol to help induce sleep, as a nightcap. However, it is a poor choice. Alcohol is associated with sleep disruption and creates a sense of nonrefreshed sleep in the morning. (Tsk tsk, any excuse to drink eh?)
  
  
• A disruptive bed partner with loud snoring or periodic leg movements also may impair your ability to get a good night's sleep. (No bed partner, but when I do get one of those, maybe that can be added as a cause)
  

So some of those causes sort of fit, but otherwise they don't, and I like my diagnosis so I'm sticking with it. So where to now? I suppose logically, you'd move onto treating it, fixing this slight insomnia so I can fall asleep in less than 10 minutes like some people instead of over an hour like me. But I think thats something to really try and play around with over time. Smells like an adventure to me!

So while you're sitting there reading this, learning just a little bit more about me, why not take the time to tell me how long you take to sleep by commenting, possibly rubbing in your record time of less than 5 minutes or joining me in the slight insomniacs club.

But I best be off to bed, it's 2:20am at the time of this writing, I'll probably fall asleep around 3:30am, what shall I think of? Maybe I'll think of...ZzZzZzzzzz....just kidding, I'm still awake, staring at the back of my eyelids...