Insomnia – The Most Prevalent Form of Sleep Disorder

Insomnia, a most common sleep disorder, affects about one third of the American population and is classified two different ways. It can be classified by how long it lasts. Transient insomnia lasts for only a few days, short term lasts for a few weeks and chronic lasts for more then three weeks. The other way insomnia is classified is by its source. The main two classifications of this sleep disorder by source are primary and secondary.

Transient insomnia is experienced by most people at some time throughout their lives. It can be caused by stress such as worrying about the first day school or an illness in the family. Sometimes this sleep disorder occurs due to a disruption of their circadian cycle, which is a persons natural sleep cycle, caused by jet lag or a shift change at work. Transient insomnia goes away one the stress issue has passed. Short term insomnia is often caused by similar stressors as transient insomnia. If the sufferer of this sleep disorder cannot break the cycle of poor sleep, it often develops into chronic insomnia.

Primary insomnia develops without any obvious cause. Sometimes it starts as early as infancy.
Often it is the result of high metabolic rates or an overactive nervous system.

Secondary insomnia is the direct result of another cause. This sleep disorder can come from illness, medication, drugs or alcohol. Addressing the underlying cause of secondary insomnia often gives the sufferer relief. For example, if arthritis pain keeps you from sleeping, then treating the arthritis is the best way to cope with the sleep disorder.

Insomnia is not a single disorder. It is a general symptom and could have many potential causes. In order to qualify as a sleep disorder, insomnia has to meet three specific requirements. First, the person has to experience poor sleep in general, or have a problem falling or staying asleep. Second, if given the proper sleep environment and an adequate opportunity to sleep, the problem still occurs. Third, the result of the poor sleep causes some type of impairment while awake. Examples of an impairment are; fatigue, body aches and pains, inability to concentrate, mood changes, lack of energy, poor concentration, or developing an unnatural amount of worry about sleep.

Often insomnia is treated with medication, such as sleeping pills. These can be prescription medication or bought over the counter.

However, there are several other methods of treatment for this sleep disorder. Behavioral treatments include meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, visualization, biofeedback, sleep hygiene, cognitive behavioral therapy and reconditioning sleep restriction. These methods are often very successful.

Some sufferers of this sleep disorder choose holistic, or alternative, treatment. This method involves the use of herbal supplements which are not usually FDA approved. Others seek acupuncture as a way to relieve their insomnia. Passive body heating, which is the use of hot baths, is another method used.

Understanding this sleep disorder is the first step to breaking the cycle of insomnia.

Air Purifiers: A Buying Guide

Are you in the market for an air purifier? Air purifiers are electric machines that are used to eliminate harmful particles or contaminants from the air. If used inside your home, air purifiers will help to make the air that you and your family breathes cleaner. For that reason, there is a good chance that you would be in the market for a new air purifier, if not now then in the future.

When it comes to buying air purifiers, there are many consumers who think they know what to look for. Many of those consumers end up purchasing the lowest costing machine or the one that looks the best. Of course, you will not want to pay more than you have to and a good looking machine would be nice, but you are advised against basing your decisions solely on that. Instead, you will want to take the time to understand the product you are interested, namely the price of the purifier, as a whole, and the performance quality.

Perhaps, the first step in buying a purifier is to familiarize yourself with all of your available options. You can do this two different ways. The first way involves visiting one of your local retail stores. You will want to thoroughly examine each product that they have available. This should be done by reading the information which can be found on air purifier boxes. In addition to comparing prices and products at the store, you can also use the internet. In fact, the internet may be the easiest way. Online, you can not only familiarize yourself with different air cleaning machines, but you can also read product reviews.

If you have the opportunity, you are advised to read online reviews of multiple air purifiers. These reviews should give you inside information on the operation and maintenance of multiple air purifiers. Although product reviews are nice, you are also advised to do your own research, as well as use your common sense. This is important, especially when determining the final cost of purchasing an air purifier.

With air purifiers, you will find a number of different make and models. Some of these makes and models use filers. With certain types of filters, many just need to be cleaned, but others need to be replaced. If you need to replace the filter in an air purifier, you need to determine when that filter needs to be changed and exactly how much it will cost. This is extremely important, especially if you are shopping on a budget. In some cases, you will find that some air purifiers need to have their filters replaced in as little as a couple of months. You may also find that the filter ends up costing more than you originally paid for the air purifier. You are urged to stay away from these types of cleaning machines; many times they are not just considered air cleaners, but financial traps.

When looking for an air purifier, you are advised to look for air purifiers with HEPA filters. HEPA filters, although they are considered expensive, are often the most well performing. This is because HEPA air filters must meet specific regulations. These regulations, which are imposed by the Department of Energy, are the reason why air purifiers with HEPA filters are considered the most successful at eliminating unwanted or harmful air particles.

Once you have researched and examined a number of different air purifiers and you have made a final decision, you will find that you have a number of different purchase options. Air purifiers are sold all across the United States. A large number of retail stores carry these purifiers, including home improvement stores, home stores, and most traditional department stores. In addition to storefront retail locations, air purifiers can also be purchased online from a number of different retailers. For the largest selection of air purifiers, as well the ability to quickly compare prices, you may want to think about shopping online.

Honestly, where you shop doesnt matter as much as which type of air purifier you are purchasing. If you are looking for an affordable, but well performing air purifier, you should be prepared to spend a little bit of time researching all of your available options. While this research may seem time consuming, it will almost always be worth it in the long run.