Psychology

Insomnia can be defined as failure to fall asleep andor to remain asleep as well as failing to stay awake when it is necessary (Nabili, 2008). This symptom can also be understood as failure by the individual to have adequate sleep either in quality and quantity. It is to be noted here that this is a condition rather than a disease.  Still noted is the fact that the condition affects all ages and gender but has much prevalence to women than men (Kryger, 2004). The condition is also found to be more common to chronic alcoholics and socio-economically challenged members of the society (Nabili, 2008).
There are three types of Insomnia based on the problem duration. The first is the transient Insomnia which is defined as having sleep disorder symptoms lasting for less than a week (Jacobs, 2005). Short-term Insomnia is the type of Insomnia whose symptoms last for a maximum of three weeks (Nabili, 2008). The last type of Insomnia is the chronic Insomnia whose symptoms exceed the three week duration.  

Causes of Insomnia
Existing scientific evidence has established many possible causes of Insomnia. The most common cause of Insomnia is medications such as stimulants (Nabili, 2008). Other medications like antibiotics have also been closely attributed with chronic Insomnia. It is to be noted here that such medications are found to have a great compromise in the normal functioning of the body including the brain which is highly responsible for realizing andor sustaining sleep.

Another cause of Insomnia is restless legs syndrome (Espie, 2002). This type of disorder involves the discomforting effects of moving legs. It is to be noted that the human body will always act to reduce or eliminate this sensation. Just to be stated here is the fact that it is not possible for a moving body to get a sleep. Such a disorder is thus seen as a potential cause of Insomnia. It is also to be noted that pain due to an injury leads to Insomnia (Nabili, 2008). This is because pain greatly compromises the victims ability to realize comfort during sleep. Still such can lead to sudden awakening in the event that the victim re-experiences the pain particularly after an unconscious rolling in bed.

Leading a life of fear and anxiety as well as stress has been closely attributed with Insomnia (Jacobs, 2005). It is here to be stated that the ultimate effective functioning of the human body is heavily dependent on the psychological condition of the individual. Therefore, Insomnia, as a sleeping disorder can be initiated by failure to have suitable psychological conditions in the individual. It is also to be noted that psychological problems can lead to hormone shifts in the body, an element highly responsible for causing Insomnia (Nabili, 2008).

Mental impairment can also lead to Insomnia (Malhotra, Pillar, Lavie, 2002). Such disorder could include anxiety disorder and post traumatic stress disorder among others. It is to be noted here that post traumatic disorder is a leading cause of sleeping disorder as it leads to recurrent unconscious fear in the individual (Nabili, 2008). Other mental disorders like depression do not only compromise the individuals ability to lead a peaceful life but also instills a sense of danger and hopelessness in the individual. All these are quite detrimental to the sustainable realization of sleep in the human body.
Other cited causes of Insomnia include sleeping in a poor hygiene, infection by parasites and physical exercise as well as genetic influence. It is here to be noted that parasites are naturally irritating to the human body. This is the reason why victims of parasitic infections are prone to sustaining Insomnia. Still clear here is the fact that the ultimate realization of sleep is highly dependent on the surrounding environment (Kryger, 2004). Just as an example is the concern of sleeping in a noisy and poorly conditioned environment. It has also been evidently established that physical exercise can lead to Insomnia. This is mainly witnessed in athletes who have the prolonged sleep onsets. Since Insomnia is a condition, scientific conclusions have attributed genetic influence to its occurrence. Existing statistical information clearly show that off springs of Insomnia victims are more likely to suffer from the condition (Nabili, 2008).

Symptoms of Insomnia
Insomnia has been closely associated with the problem of failing to realize or sufficiently maintain sleep. Another common symptom is the inability by the individual to fall a sleep during the wrong time of the day (Jacobs, 2005). It is however to be noted that apart from the sleeping disorder problem, Insomnia has a number of daytime symptoms. It is indeed a direct result of these daytime complications that many seek medical advice. Such includes compromised concentrating ability in the individual, impaired social interaction and unreliable memory (Espie, 2002). It has however been evidently established tat many victims of Insomnia are found to be victims of alcohol and drug abuse as a way of realizing sleep.

Diagnosis and treatment of Insomnia
The process of diagnosis for Insomnia mainly involves the evaluation of a medical history of the patient. Such are meant to establish whether or not the cause of the condition could be due to medical or psychological illness in the victim (Malhotra, Pillar, Lavie, 2002). The doctor also establishes the victims daily assessment on alertness during the day. Other factor sort include the number of hours the victim sleeps in a day, and incidences of using external influence by the victim to realize sleep (Kryger, 2004). The actigraphy technique can be employed establish the sleep-wake patterns of the victim within a given time scale. Other techniques like the Epworth sleepiness scale are applicable in assessing sleepiness during daytime.

The treatment of less serious Insomnia mainly involves the elimination or correction of the risk factors (Nabili, 2008). Such mainly involve non-medical andor behavioral therapy. It is however to be noted that chronic Insomnia call for the use of medication to control andor reverse the situation. Still to be noted here is that fact that the treatment process should take into consideration the underlying cause of the condition. It is due to this reason that medical or psychological causes must be treated to realize a sustainable solution to the insomnia condition (Espie, 2002). Therefore, it is evidently clear that insomnia can be sufficiently prevented through the creation of awareness among the different members of the society. Lastly, it is worth stating that a comprehensive treatment for insomnia must involve both medical and non-medical aspects as such gives reliable consideration to all possible causes of the condition.

Conclusion
It has been evidently established that insomnia can be sufficiently managed by creating awareness among the members of the society. This is mainly because most of the potential causes of the condition are either preventable or can be cured andor contained. It is however to be realized that victims of the condition can only be sufficiently treated by involving both medical and non-medical treatment approach.