INSOMNIA AND ITS IMPACT ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
Keywords:
Sleep is an essential biological process crucial to maintaining mental and physical health. Acute insomnia — difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or early awakening for a short period — is among the most common sleep disorders. It is often triggered by stress, emotional distress, environmental changes, or health problems andAbstract
Nearly one-third of the population reports new onset or acute insomnia in a
given year, and approximately 10% endorse sleep problems consistent with diagnostic
criteria for chronic insomnia. Historically, acute and chronic insomnia have been
considered variations of the same condition, differentiated mainly by chronicity. The
goal of this theoretical review is to summarize definitions of acute and chronic
insomnia and discuss the role that hyperarousal may play in explaining differences in
pathophysiology between the two forms, including the biopsychological factors that
precipitate and/or perpetuate each.
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