TUCSON, Ariz. — The concept of getting a good nights rest seems common for many, but studies show one in four Americans have insomnia every year.
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, Insomnia is rarely an isolated medical or mental illness but rather a symptom of another illness to be investigated by a person and their medical doctors.
This usually occurs three nights a week for up to three months.
Approximately 50% of insomnia cases are related to depression, anxiety or psychological stress. Often the qualities of a person’s insomnia and their other symptoms can be helpful in determining the role of mental illness in a person’s inability to sleep.
"When we feel like we're not sleeping well or when we feel like we're not sleeping enough it's sort of like our buffer to the world has been reduced," Association Professor of Health Promotion Science Tricia Haynes said.
Tricia said the best advice she gives to patients is: if you feel like you're not able to sleep, do something productive in that moment you can control.
This includes cleaning or catching up on work, to help reduce the underlying stress you may be feeling, which is causing you to not sleep.
Overall, the more sleep you get, the healthier you will be.
