Many people are lying awake every night blaming their inability to fall asleep on a disease called insomnia. But is this a real disease, or is it just a combination stress, anxiety, or other extreme thoughts all running through ones head at the time of trying to fall asleep. In an article written by Jason Rickard called, “Is Insomnia A Real Disease Or Just A Habitual Mental Disease?”, Rickard compares the common belief’s of individuals with insomnia verse the explanations of many psychologists.
Believed by most suffering from insomnia, the disease is something they cannot explain, and are unlucky to have because they have no control of it. These people blame it on their body and often do nothing to seek help about it. Some are aware that their minds are running a mile a minute at night and are thinking too much while they are sleeping however, they are unaware that their high brain activity can be controlled.
According to the article, in a study done by a psychologist, 90% of insomniacs are able to slow down their brain activity and are then able to fall asleep, using hypnosis. It was noted in the same study that even drugs were not able to put many of insomniacs to sleep because of their high brain activity. Hypnosis, and the slowing of the mind leading to thoughts causing the high activity was the best way to put someone to sleep. So even though some insomnia has its own name, it is noted that it is only developed from high brain activity including stress, anxiety, excitement, caffeine, etc. And because it can be cured by something so simple as voices using hypnosis, psychologists refer to it as not a disease but rather a “bad habit”(Rickard).
Very interesting blog. I was very informed , because besides my psychology course in high school I don’t know much about insomnia! Just like a previous comment stated I always say I have insomnia when in reality I’m just up scrolling through twitter. I now know that I indeed do not have insomnia for it is a serious condition.
I have a friend that suffers from insomnia and I always wondered why he couldn’t fall asleep that easily. I thought that the only possible way to fall asleep if you suffered from insomnia was by taking really strong sleeping pills. After reading this and finding out that hypnosis can make someone that suffers from insomia fall asleep more easily I was shocked. I agree in the part that says that insomnia is caused by anxiety, stress, etc, because some people that are stressed out cannot fall asleep even thou they don’t actually suffer from insomia, so I think that been stressed out is definitely a factor.
I am surprised to find out that hypnosis cures insomnia. I honestly thought that insomniacs were just hopeless really. I always joke that I have insomnia when my mind races during the night but it’s definitely not, like you said, because we have the ability to turn it off. I think the problem with the insomnia verse extreme stress or anxiety is that it is honestly hard to diagnose and is frequently miss diagnosed.