What are the 4 main classifications of Insomnia?

Short-term or Long-term

Primary or Secondary

Describe Short-term Insomnia?

Tend to be caused by immediate worries such as exams, temporary medical conditions, death in the family.

Describe Long-Term Insomnia?

Lasts more than 4 weeks. May be Primary or Secondary.

Describe Primary Insomnia?

(3 points)

1/ Sleep problems which are not associated with any other health condition.

2/ May just be stressed or depressed - not a psychological state.

3/ May have an identifiable cause (eg. staying up late) or a person may have developed expectations of sleep trouble.

Describe Secondary Insomnia?

(5 points)

1/ Due to an underlying medical or psychiatric cause.

2/ Insomnia is only a symptom of the actual condition.

3/ Common insomnia related conditions: depression; common of those with shift work; common of those with circadian rhythm disorders.

4/ Older people are more likely to experience insomnia due to reduced SWS (easily woken up) or due to age-related conditions causing discomfort.

5/ May be due to environmental factors (coffee, alcohol, chocolate).

Outline the differences between

Initial, Middle and Terminal Insomnia?

Initial  = trouble falling asleep

Middle = trouble remaining asleep

Terminal = waking up too early

What are the 4 main consequences of Insomnia?

(Initials: CI, A, PD, ISF)

Cognitive Impairment

Accidents

Psychological disturbance

Immune System Functioning

Outline Cognitive Impairment as a consequence of Insomnia?

Memory loss/poor concentration. 

Zammit et al. found patients scored very low on the cognitive scale demonstrating poor concentration.

Outline Accidents as a consequence of Insomnia?

Creates a risk for safe driving.

Zammit et al. suggested 1500 deaths on the road, annually, are due to sleepiness/insomnia.

Outline Psychological Disturbance as a consequence of Insomnia?

May be a cause of psychological problems such as depression/anxiety disorders.

Outline Immune System Functioning as a consequence of Insomnia?

Savard et al. found fewer immune cells in the bodies of people with long-term insomnia, meaning they are more vulnerable to disease.

Who proposed the 3P model to explain Insomnia?

(Initials: S&G)

Spielman & Glovinsky

What are the 3P factors in 

Spielman & Glovinsky's model of Insomnia?

Pre-disposing factors

Precipitating factors

Perpetuating factors

Outline pre-disposing factors?

Those with genetic vulnerability for insomnia.

Outline precipitating factors?

Events that trigger the disorder in a vulnerable person.

Outline perpetuating factors?

Factors which maintain the insomnia even after the original cause has been eliminated (eg. being tense when going to bed because of previous sleep problems).